“I Never Chose A Nomad Life Of Adventure. It Chose Me”
Not everyone decides to be nomadic or an adventurer. For some, it’s the hand they are dealt…
What would you do with a lifetime of Adventure ahead?
Well, wherever you are on your journey, there is still time.
Perhaps not as much time as NOMADS.insure customer, Danny Visnakovs. He’s been on the road a long time…and he’s just 22!
During Bansko Nomadfest we met up with him, and then had a good chat while he was in North Macedonia last week about how bribing the police, sky dives, bar brawls, and motorbike rides to Albania are all just part of a “normal life”. (don’t judge until you read about it!)
Let’s start with something wild. What’s the craziest adventure that’s happened?
One night in El Nido, I was in a club with friends. Some local guys started bothering the girls we were with. I tried to calm things down and even get the rest of our group to leave, but one of these guys shoved me. I pushed him back, and next thing I know, he smashes something into my head.
I thought it was a punch, but I looked down and my hands were full of blood. It was a glass bottle. Anyway, my bag was torn, my necklace broken, stuff everywhere. It worked out fine in the end, but that’s the kind of night where you remember why insurance might not be such a bad idea!
So – and you’re making us all a little jealous – you’re only 22 and already a veteran nomad?
My parents moved around a lot when I was a kid, especially my mum and me across Europe. I never really had roots. By 16 I was hustling doing photography, bakery jobs – side jobs and hustles.
After school, I was working 80-hour weeks and burning out. I didn’t want to go to university so I started clicking on all kinds of low-qualified jobs on LinkedIn. I actually got targeted by an ad (which is funny now!) saying, “Want to work for Netflix in Greece?” I have never clicked on a picture quicker!
It turned out to be in Lisbon, doing Google Ads support for a subcontractor. That move – and job, albeit just a job – changed everything.
In what way?
Well, I met my mentor there – Dennis. He was already a long-time nomad, and making €10k/month and didn’t really need the job. It was just a learning experience for him. He told me to buy this €14 course. I didn’t have the money – literally €117 in my bank at the time. So he handed me his credit card.
That course led to my first freelancing work. I blagged my way into a $500/month client off a Telegram group. He never paid – but the mindset shift was real. I realised I could sell value, not hours. That was it.
Working with Google gave me real insight into how their ads work so I have a unique perspective of how to leverage them. Since then, I’ve been building my own Google Ads business while on the road.
You didn’t stay in Portugal for long, then?
I stayed in Portugal longer than I intended, but when it came time to go, I’d given up my apartment in Germany. So I sent everything back to my parents, bought a backpack and started nomadding.
It wasn’t a very conscious decision – just like “right, let’s go to the Philippines”. Three years have passed, and I’m still nomading.
Do you still travel spontaneously, or is it more structured now?
A bit of both. This year has been more planned – we had family things to take care of, so we’re filling the travel gaps around that. But randomness still happens. Once, me and a friend spun a digital wheel of countries and landed on Kyrgyzstan. Next thing we know, we’re hitchhiking to Istanbul, flying to Bishkek, and bribing traffic police around a lake.
Actually, we’re settling down a bit later this year. We’ll go to Chiang Mai and stay for a while. Chiang Mai feels like a good base. The roads, the people, the food. You can have any kind of life here – quiet, social, sporty, whatever you want.
I discovered I really enjoy bigger bikes and I miss the motorcycle lifestyle there, but even riding around the city is an adventure.
So that’s the next destination?
Actually, no! Tallinn and Riga for five weeks – I’ve got family there. Then Portugal, then the U.S. for Nomad Cruise. Then heading up to Thailand.
Any bucket list stuff coming up?
Not officially. But a month ago, I jumped out of a plane in Portugal. I just woke up one morning and decided I wanted to do it.
That was new. I trust a parachute more than a bungee cord. Probably I won’t plan the next big thing either – I tend to just say “yes” when it comes up.
Danny’s Google Ads business is thriving – likely thanks to his experience working with them from the inside in his “early days”. If you need someone to look at your Google presence, then drop him a message at Clickspire.
You can also follow his adventures on Instagram or his personal website.
We love to hear stories from the adventures and journeys of our customers, so if you want to share them – and get a few eyes on you or your business – drop us a message!
