I am (ALMOST) officially a free man!
Today is a big day for me because I am one step closer to becoming a free man (based on my own definition of freedom).
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All right, guys, today is a big day for me. I finally got rid of my apartment in France, and I am officially a free man, well, it's not official yet. I need to call the tax office tomorrow to make sure they leave me alone and I need to call the bank for them to take whatever money is left for my mortgage so that they can take that. And I need to cancel that insurance that I had. You know, you have to take some insurance just in case you die or something, so the bank gets paid and stuff.
Yeah, it's a pretty cool feeling. Not that it was keeping me up at night and or something because I do have the money to pay for the mortgage and stuff, at least now. But you never know what can happen. It could be that two years from now, the business goes under, something happens. I don't know. And then afterwards you're like stuck with the mortgage. So anyway, pretty cool stuff. I am very happy.
So other than that, what am I working on right now? I'm preparing for the event. I'm going to speak at two events. I don't know if I told you guys but the first that's going to be in Bali on the 13th of April and the second is going to be in Thailand in Chiang Mai.
And I actually need to buy my tickets. I still haven't done that. I haven't been there for a few years, but I think I went to Thailand like 10 times already. Yeah, I have been like left and right, you know, top and bottom of Thailand. And Chiang Mai is a pretty cool city. So when I go, I'm not going to stay super long. I was planning on going there for like two or three days or something. Just to look around again because it's so nice, and it would be a shame to not see it properly again.
Oh, I need to check when it is because I do have basketball with the kids, so I need to make sure. And now that's one variable that I need to take into account when I travel. The kids are important to me and I need to make sure that I can keep that going for them so that they don't miss out.
I am (ALMOST) officially a free man
So yeah it's pretty much it guys for today. I'm just happy, to tell you guys that the apartment's gone. I am not going to take another mortgage or something like that ever because I, I've already bought a lot of land, something like three hectares. So it's not like I need more land or something. So from now on. yeah, that's it. I'm not looking to like any real estate plans or something, especially in France. Not that I have anything against France is just because I don't live in France and they're taxing it out of me.
It's Friday. So I have basketball with the kids and for you guys who have a weekend tomorrow, I hope you have something cool, something really cool planned. And what I mean something cool is something that makes you move forward in life with your objectives. But you need to take some time to rest and stuff as well, but try to be productive.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does financial freedom look like for a digital nomad?
For me, it meant selling my apartment in France, paying off the mortgage, and having zero fixed obligations tying me to one country. Freedom is not about being rich. It is about removing the anchors that keep you stuck in one place or dependent on a single income stream.
How do you balance travel with commitments like coaching kids?
You plan around your priorities. I coach kids basketball in Bali, so when I travel for speaking events, I check the schedule first to make sure the kids do not miss out. Your lifestyle design has to include the people who depend on you. That is a non negotiable variable in every travel decision.
Should entrepreneurs invest in real estate abroad?
Be very careful with property in a country where you do not live. Taxes, maintenance, and bureaucracy become a nightmare when you are managing from the other side of the world. I will never take another mortgage, especially in France, because the tax burden for non residents made it not worth the hassle.
About the Author
Martin Ebongue is the founder of martinebongue.com, an online business and lifestyle design blog focused on helping aspiring entrepreneurs build location-independent businesses. Since 2014, he has been creating and scaling online ventures across multiple niches, from digital products and affiliate marketing to SaaS and content platforms, while traveling the world. He shares the real-world strategies, tools, and systems that work, with a particular focus on AI-powered automation for solopreneurs. Follow him on YouTube, X (Twitter), and Instagram.
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