I’ve been a happy world-traveling digital nomad for over 5 years now. No meetings. No office. No fixed location. Just a laptop, a backpack, a suitcase, and a big, audacious mission to see it all!

Here’s what I’ve been doing the last 5 years of my life. The 5 best years by far.

And I’ll tell you how you can turn your dreams into beautiful memories, as I have done! :)

But first…

Where have I been the last 5 years?

Well, let’s summarize it all. This list below is the total time spent per country, but I have been many times in and out of these countries as well, for example that I have visited Thailand for a total of six months, but in 6 different visits.

I have spent many, many months in and all around these bucket list locations:

Mexico - 6 months
(Yucatán, Playa del Carmen, Mexico City, Oaxaca, San Miguel de Allende)

Bali - 1 year and 3 months
(Canggu, Pererenan, Ubud, Uluwatu, Munduk, Amed, Seseh, Kedungu)

Thailand - 1 year
(Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pai, Koh Chang, Koh Phangan, Phuket, Koh Samui)

China - 3 months
(Chongqing, Beijing, Shanghai)

Vietnam - 1 month
(Da Nang, Hoi An, Hue)

Cambodia - 1 month
(Siem Reap & Angkor Wat)

Australia - 1 year
(Perth, Brisbane, Queensland, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth to Sydney mega road trip)

Singapore - 1 month
(Singapore)

Korea - 2 weeks
(Seoul)

Malaysia (5 months)
(Kuala Lumpur, Malacca)

New Zealand - 3 months
(South Island, North Island, Auckland)

Japan - 6 months
(Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Fuji, Honshu road trip)

The Netherlands - 3 months
(Twente, Huizen, Amsterdam — I’ve been back to my hometown country twice in the last 5 years)

And some shorter stays of like a week in places like Florence, Rome, Istanbul and Hong Kong.

So, yeah, that’s roughly how long and where we spent the last handful of years. As you can imagine, it was pretty awesome! :)

A hitlist of epic experiences

It has been the ride of a lifetime, with just a bizarre amount of experiences. Here are a few (and I’m probably forgetting to mention lots of them…):

Ate the most delicious foods from all corners of the world (from street stalls to Michelin Star restaurants and everything inbetween: my new favorites: Thai, Malay, and Japanese!)

Stood on the highest towers in the world: Tokyo Skytree, Camlica Tower, Burj Khalifa, King Mahanakhon, Q1, Petronas, etc.
Saw two awe-inspiring World Wonders: The Great Wall of China and Chichen Itza.
Had over 150+ Thai and Balinese massages.

Did unbelievable epic roadtrips across Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Mexico.

Did the most fascinating trips on scooters all across Bali, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
Drank the best coffee in the world (in Canggu, Chiang Mai, Melbourne and Auckland!).
Visited the biggest cities in the world and loved the controlled chaos (like Chongqing, Tokyo, Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai).

Saw countless magical sunsets, some even deep red, incredible pink, and flaming orange.
Gawked at the wonder of nature in dreamy places like New Zealand (Mount Cook!), the volcanoes of Bali, the alien flora and fauna of Australia, and endless ricefields of Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
Flew by Mount Fuji in the Shinkansen, and saw the Shinkansen fly by us while we were at Mount Fuji (see photo at the end of this article!).

Drank countless cold coconuts and cold beers on tropical beaches.
We visited the most beautiful airports in the world (Changi, Incheon, Istanbul), saw dozens of incredible temples, mosques, and churches, dozens of waterfalls and cultural festivals, zoos and museums, and countless beaches.
Petted a gazillion cats and dogs, and also elephants and giraffes, and fed crocodiles and tigers. And we even saved 4 tiny newborn kittens from certain death!
Have done a dozen house sits and lived many different lives (like having a 14-animal farm in New Zealand, a fancy apartment in the heart of Tokyo, and a 3 million dollar dream villa with ocean-view in Australia).
Partied at the iconic Full Moon Party in Koh Phangan, enjoyed the madness of the Balinese 10-day festivities of Galungan, and celebrated New Year’s Eve in Bali, China, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, and Australia.
Got fat in Mexico, lost weight in Bali, got fat in Bali later, and the cycle kept going up and down for years like that lol (there is just so much good food everywhere whehe!).
We got robbed in Mexico, were hit by a car while driving a scooter in Bali, had to pay some cash to corrupt cops in Thailand, maneuvered through the madness that was the global C19-hysteria, were shocked quite often in many countries at how poor people have to live, and we survived -16 degrees in Beijing and +46 in Bangkok.
Haven’t been sick at all (just mild C19 for 2 days in 2001, Bali Belly for a day, and just a standard lame three-day flu in freezing Beijing).
Crashed a drone and an expensive photocamera, oops.
Launched and sold an online travel magazine (10k visitors a month, but just not much revenue, C19 didn’t help).
Spoke to hundreds of very kind people from across all countries, religions, and cultures, and concluded that there are good people everywhere and just a few rotten apples.
Met many new friends that I still to this day talk to on a daily or weekly basis.
We missed our family and friends often, but we made sure we didn’t miss the two big important weddings! :)

And of course, I photographed magical moments in all these incredible places, which has been just so rewarding to do. It’s truly the best job ever!

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And that was all in just 5 years. Imagine what you can achieve in 50!

All in all, it was the best decision ever to make the leap. It’s a cliche to say, but it’s true. It truly was the best decision ever to leave the comfort and safety of the motherland and see the world.

So, what’s next for me?

After 5 amazing years of full-time world traveling, it’s time. Time for what? I’ll tell you all about it!

I’m going to have an HQ in wonderful Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. An actual home base to navigate all over Asia from. I’ll be exploring and photographing more of Asia the next two years, but also enjoying a more regular life with my wife and * drum roll * … my first baby! :D

Yessss, dear reader, I’m going to become a father in 2026!!!

I’m over the moon with this fantastic news. We’ve always known we wanted at least one kid, but we’ve been postponing one for ages now (mostly due to all the awesome adventures we were having lol). After I recently turned 40, we decided the time was ripe to get started. And WAMBAMTHANKYOUMA’AM, it was a direct hit the first chance we got.

There was a 5% chance, my wife told me when she told me she was pregnant, and I immediately said: “5%?!, that is like 100% with me, babe. You can’t gamble on 5% with me, you know how lucky I am with poker! :D”

My nickname ‘Revolver Ocelot’ from my old gaming days, is still applicable.

So, yeah, in 2026 and 2027, you’ll find me living in Kuala Lumpur with a baby on my arm, occasionally traveling in Asia for commission work and on the hunt for new 1/1 Fine Art.

I hope to visit soon: Langkawi, Penang, Taiwan, Shenzhen, Koh Lanta, Hainan, and so much more. But with a new baby arriving, I just might have to slow things down a little bit… ;)

You also want to become a world traveler?

Want to do what I did? You can!

It all starts with adding more knowledge. I recently wrote a goldmine, a 15-minute free ebook, filled with golden nuggets to get you ahead. I have poured so much experience and wisdom into this fun ebook, I’m sure you will save lots of money and time thanks to these tips, hacks, and practical, relevant knowledge to make sure you turn those dreams into beautiful memories, just like I have!

Get the FREE Ebook ‘50 Practical Travel Tips from a World Traveler’ right here >>

Coaching you, by me

If you’ve read the ebook and like what I had to share, I can help you implement it to make sure you truly get going. I have so many more secrets to reveal, and so many more tips and hacks to share with you!

With my 1 on 1 coaching, we will address your bottlenecks, work on the right mindset, fill the gap of what’s missing in knowledge, find fitting solutions, and in the end, make sure you are confident, informed, and ready for the big leap forward!

Check out the available Coaching Programs >>

"I was stuck and didn't know how to get out it, but Marcus showed me where I could improve with many logical steps to take. And I did just that, I got through my blockades and have booked my ticket to Thailand!" — Lars M.

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Why do I do this?— You ask?

I truly love helping people. And after I’ve transformed my dreams into beautiful memories, I want to help others to make sure they also fulfill their wildest and most beautiful goals and dreams.

By doing lots of coaching and with lots more clients helped forward, I can create a complete package of information, which I can then turn into a book and a course that I want to release in 2026 to thousands of aspiring world travelers and digital nomads.

Let’s make sure your 2026—and the rest of your life—will become everything you want it to be. With my help, we will make it happen!

LFG.

5 years of full-time traveling the world; a recap (with photos and what’s next!)