Beginner's Guide to Travel (No Matter Your Age) + How to Travel with Diabetes with Jason Robinson

Nov 18, 2025

Jason Robinson, founder of The Nomad Experiment and author of The Beginner Traveler’s Guide, shares his transformative journey from debt to full-time travel while managing type 1 diabetes. He discusses practical travel tips like co-living versus hostels and budgeting for travel freedom. Jason emphasizes small steps, managing burnout, and adapting travel plans around health needs. His insights on building a travel lifestyle highlight the importance of mindset shifts and honest conversations with loved ones to support your adventures.

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ADVICE

Obtain Your Passport Immediately

Get your passport now so you can seize travel opportunities without delay.
A valid passport removes a major practical barrier to spontaneous trips and visas.

ADVICE

Start Traveling From Your Current Life

Start traveling from where you are: locally, domestically, or short trips.
Use small trips to build confidence and practical skills for longer travel.

ADVICE

Choose Co‑Living For Workable Travel

Consider co-living instead of hostels if you need reliable workspace and structure.
Paying more for co-living often saves time and income by enabling focused remote work.

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What does it really take to build a travel lifestyle from scratch, especially if you’re starting later in life or managing a serious medical condition?

Jason Robinson is the founder of The Nomad Experiment and author of The Beginner Traveler’s Guide. After digging out of debt and selling his home, he now travels full-time while living with type 1 diabetes.

Jason joins me to explore his updated beginner travel guide, how the nomad lifestyle has become his way of life, and how we can all learn to travel more intentionally, even when the path to getting started looks different for everyone.

This episode is packed with real talk and actionable advice for anyone looking to start or deepen a travel-centered lifestyle. Jason shares the exact mindset shifts and tactical steps that helped him go from zero international travel to spending more than half the year abroad. You’ll learn why co-living can be a better fit than hostels, how to realistically assess your finances before you leap, and what it takes to travel while managing something as serious as type-1 diabetes.

We also get into the harder stuff - burnout, identity, letting go of expectations -and why treating travel like an experiment may be the most freeing approach of all.

What’s one small step you can take this month toward your travel‑oriented life? I’d love to hear your thoughts, and I hope you’ll share them by sending me an audio message.

Tune In To Learn:

Why getting your passport is the easiest first move toward travel
How to start travelling from exactly where you are (not waiting for “perfect”)
Why choosing the right accommodation style (hostel vs co‑living) matters for long‑term travel
How to build a financial base that supports a travel lifestyle—not traps you
The conversation you need to have with friends or family about your priorities
How to recognise and navigate travel burnout or lifestyle shifts
Mindset tips for travelling with a medical condition, or any “extra” in your life
Where Jason wants to go back (and why slower travel matters)
How to frame your worst‑case/best‑case list so fear doesn’t hold you back
The one mindset change that turns travel planning into travel living
And so much more

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