In September 2008, I stepped off a bus in Mohan, China, and walked across the border to the tiny town of Boten, Laos, entering Southeast Asia for the first time. Back then I was exploring east Asia full time as a freewheeling "nomad," typing up diaries on an ancient Asus laptop, and using internet cafes to get around the limitations of my basic cellphone.
I was too early (and too analog) to be one of the tribe now known as "digital nomads" -- the mostly Western, young and tech-savvy remote workers who earn a living online from locations of their choosing as they explore an increasingly connected world.
