Hub and Spoke, Slow Travel, and Building a Residency Portfolio

Spend enough time watching travel YouTube, and you'll notice there isn't just one way to become a digital nomad.

In fact, there are several.

One of the most popular is slow travel.

People spend a month, three months, or even six months in one country before moving on to the next. Most live on tourist visas, renting apartments, learning the local culture, and taking their time before repeating the process somewhere else.

I think it's a fantastic way to travel.

It's just not the way we chose.

Another common approach is what I'd call the "perpetual tourist." People establish themselves in a country like Mexico or somewhere in Southeast Asia and simply renew or reset their tourist status every few months with border runs.

Again, there's absolutely nothing wrong with it.

If it works for you, great.

For me, though, it always felt a little fragile.

Every border crossing depends on the immigration officer standing in front of you that day. Most of the time it's routine. But policies change, governments change, and sometimes someone simply decides you've spent enough time visiting their country.

I don't like building my life around uncertainty if I can avoid it.

Our Approach: Hub and Spoke

Instead, we've built what I think of as a hub-and-spoke lifestyle.

We have a permanent home base.

That's where we keep our things, where we return after trips, where we know our neighbors, our favorite restaurants, and the local grocery store.

From there, we travel.

Sometimes for a week.

Sometimes for a month.

Sometimes longer.

But eventually we come home before planning the next adventure.

We've always had a home base, and we discovered we didn't want to give that up just because we started traveling internationally.

We like having a place that's ours. Somewhere we know the neighbors, have favorite restaurants, can leave a few things behind, and can simply relax between trips.

Travel is exciting.

Coming home is pretty nice too.

Why the United States Isn't Our Hub

This surprises some people.

I still work for a U.S. company. I still earn my income in U.S. dollars. I still believe the United States is one of the best places in the world to build a career, start a business, and create wealth.

But that doesn't automatically make it the best place to base a travel lifestyle.

Geography matters.

If your goal is to explore Europe, South America, Asia, or even other parts of North America, living in the United States often means longer flights, higher everyday expenses, and spending a significant part of your travel budget just getting somewhere interesting.

For us, it made more sense to separate where we earn our income from where we build our life.

We wanted a home base that lowered our everyday cost of living while putting us closer to the places we wanted to explore.

Why Residency Matters

Building a hub-and-spoke lifestyle meant investing the time to obtain legal residency instead of relying solely on tourist visas.

For some people, that sounds unnecessary.

For me, it feels like buying insurance.

The prepper in me likes backups.

Maybe that's years in emergency medicine talking.

Maybe it's just how my engineering brain works.

Either way, I sleep better knowing I have options.

Building a Residency Portfolio

Andrew Henderson of Nomad Capitalist often talks about building a Passport Portfolio—having multiple citizenships and passports to increase your freedom and options.

Most of us aren't in a position to buy a second passport or qualify for another one through family ancestry.

So, borrowing that idea, I've started thinking about building a Residency Portfolio instead.

Rather than collecting passports, I'm gradually building legal places where I have the right to live. It may not sound as glamorous, but for most people it's far more achievable—and, in many ways, just as useful.

Life changes.

Governments change.

Tax laws change.

Healthcare changes.

Family situations change.

Having multiple places where you're legally allowed to live gives you flexibility that most people never think about until they suddenly need it.

Why I'd Start with Mexico

If you're a U.S. or Canadian citizen with a stable remote income, Mexico would probably be my first recommendation.

One reason is timing.

Mexico's temporary residency program is relatively accessible while you're still working and can demonstrate employment income. Once you retire, qualifying under the financial requirements may become more difficult depending on your retirement income and assets.

My thinking is simple.

If you qualify today, lock it in while you're still working.

The application process begins through a Mexican consulate in your home country. Once approved, completing the residency process inside Mexico typically takes less than a week if you've prepared your paperwork ahead of time.

Even better, after four years of temporary residency, you can generally qualify for permanent residency without having to prove your income all over again.

That makes Mexico an excellent "first residency" in my opinion.

Once you've secured that, you have time to think about your next move.

Then Build Slowly

Many countries require significant physical presence before granting permanent residency.

That means your next residency should probably be somewhere you're genuinely interested in spending time.

For us, that was Ecuador.

Now that we've earned permanent residency there, we have long-term security. We can spend extended periods outside the country without losing our residency, which fits perfectly with our hub-and-spoke lifestyle.

Looking ahead, maybe Panama is next.

Maybe somewhere else.

I haven't decided.

What I do know is that I don't want my future tied to a single option.

Retirement May Give You Even More Options

Ironically, while I think Mexico is easier to qualify for while you're still working, retirement can actually open doors in many other countries.

Around the world, there are residency programs specifically designed for people with stable passive income, whether that's Social Security, a pension, rental income, or investment income.

Many countries actively welcome retirees because they bring predictable income without competing in the local job market.

Some countries require significant time in-country before granting permanent residency. Others have very relaxed physical presence requirements once residency has been granted.

That's why I think retirement is an excellent time to continue building your Residency Portfolio.

One residency doesn't have to be your forever home.

It can simply become another option.

Over time, you might find yourself with two, three, or even four countries where you're legally allowed to live.

I don't know exactly where my next residency will be.

But I do know this.

I sleep better knowing I'll have choices.

Diversification Isn't Just for Investing

As engineers, investors, and even preppers know, diversification reduces risk.

You diversify your investments.

You back up your important data.

You carry travel insurance.

You probably have more than one credit card in your wallet.

Why wouldn't you diversify where you're legally allowed to live?

I'm certainly not suggesting everyone needs three or four residencies.

But I do think many people who plan to live internationally would benefit from thinking beyond their next tourist visa.

Instead of asking,

"Where do I want to go next?"

consider asking,

"Where do I want the option to live ten years from now?"

That's a very different question.

And I think it's a much more interesting one.

Appendix: Mexico Temporary Residency at a Glance

At the time of writing, one common path to qualifying for a Mexican Temporary Resident Visa is to demonstrate either:

• A consistent monthly income of approximately US$4,400 over the previous 6–12 months, or
• Average liquid savings or investments of approximately US$74,000 over the previous 12 months.

You only need to satisfy one of these financial tests.

The application process begins through a Mexican consulate outside Mexico. Once approved, completing the residency process inside Mexico generally takes less than a week if your paperwork is in order.

The financial figures above are based on information published by Mexperience, one of the best long-running English-language resources covering life, residency, and immigration in Mexico. Immigration rules and financial thresholds change periodically and can vary slightly between Mexican consulates, so always verify the current requirements before applying.