This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Bakari Akil, 37, a private equity investor from New York. Akil grew up without international travel experience and, three years ago, decided to visit 30 different countries, one each month. He completed his list but continues to travel the world. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

Acquaintances around me were exploring new places abroad and enjoying exciting adventures. I kept wondering how they managed such lifestyles and could not figure out their approach.

At the Equinox gym on 67th Street in New York City, a workout friend had just returned from an international trip.

I asked how he traveled that way. He explained he had started young, while I had zero international trips at that point.

He suggested checking a program called Remote Year. I researched it and learned it organizes month-long journeys for digital nomads who can work from anywhere.

Remote Year arranged housing, activities in each country, connections with locals, and flights to the next destination. Only meals were not included.

The package cost $2,000 monthly. My New York rent alone ran about $3,000 each month, before gym fees or extras.

They offered a new country every month for 60 percent of my rent cost. I decided right away to join.

I learned of the program in March 2023 and started traveling with them by July.

I set a firm goal of 30 specific countries

I boarded a flight to Cape Town, South Africa. I stayed with Remote Year for four months, visiting South Africa, Greece, Spain, and Turkey.

In Turkey I parted ways with the group. After that I moved to a fresh country almost every month.

My route took me through India, Thailand, and Vietnam across Southeast Asia. Next came East Asia with stops in China, Japan, and Korea. I visited Jamaica, then Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Egypt.

I spent one month moving between Tel Aviv and Ramallah in Israel and Palestine.

Last summer I toured Europe, staying in Berlin, London, Paris, and Rome.

From Rome I headed to South America and Peru for the first time, then Mexico. I also visited Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico in the Caribbean. From Puerto Rico I continued to Colombia, Brazil, and Argentina in March, completing my planned tour of 30 countries.

Many friends had studied abroad, an option I missed. This trip let me catch up on those experiences.

I kept spending steady no matter the location

Flights between nearby countries usually cost a few hundred dollars. A trip from the United States to Thailand might run $1,000, yet a short hop from Cambodia to Thailand could be only $100.

The plan was to visit places while already nearby to save time and money.

In Asia, Africa, South America, and parts of the Caribbean, monthly housing rarely exceeded $2,000. I booked mainly through Airbnb and Booking.com.

Airbnb worked best because I like to cook, and hotels with kitchens are harder to find outside Asia.

Each stay lasted a month and cost around $2,000, always in desirable central buildings similar to what I had wanted in New York.

In South Africa I lived in the Victoria and Alfred area, the priciest part of Cape Town, yet paid under $2,000 for the month.

Unlike fixed rent, costs varied by city. One month in London might reach $2,800 while the next in a cheaper spot dropped to $1,400, balancing out over the year.

Before leaving in 2023 I applied for dual citizenship through my Jamaican heritage. The two passports simplified travel in Africa, where the Jamaican one often waived or lowered visa fees.

With the Jamaican passport, Ghana required no visa and Nigeria charged less than the United States rate.

I wanted to explore the United States but found it costly

After finishing the initial tour in March I returned to the United States for a month in Washington, DC, eager to see home again.

I planned to repeat the pattern domestically, spending a month each in Washington, Boston, Chicago, and New York to learn my own country better.

The first grocery trip in Washington, DC, surprised me with the prices.

Elsewhere in the world, $50 at a market filled the fridge well. Coming from Argentina to the capital of my own country felt shocking. It seemed unaffordable even though I am not poor, and daily life abroad often felt higher quality than at home.

I am searching for a longer-term base

After returning, I now see myself as someone who belongs abroad.

I am currently in Bangkok and considering places for an extended stay such as Mexico City, Bangkok, Nairobi, and Cape Town.

I support ownership in principle yet view buying a home mainly for pride as a poor financial move. Owners often spend far more than planned.

Owning a home would also remove the freedom to wake up and decide to move from Bangkok to another city on short notice.