Hit $5k in monthly income from my laptop for the first time

I started freelancing as a digital nomad about 18 months ago and honestly didn't think I'd make it this far. Last month I finally hit $5,000 in earnings from writing and social media management while I was working from a cafe in Medellin. It's not huge compared to some people here, but it felt like a real turning point for me. I remember struggling to make $800 my first few months and wondering if I should just go back to an office job. Now I'm able to cover my rent and still save a little each month. Has anyone else had a milestone that snuck up on them like this?

3 comments

3 Comments

blair_taylor321mo agoMost Upvoted

Wait, are you telling me I could've been sipping espresso in Medellin instead of my sad desk at 7am? Congrats though, seriously. Hitting 5k feels like the universe finally stops laughing at you for quitting your job. I remember when I hit that mark I spent half the month scared it was a glitch and the other half buying dumb stuff I didn't need. Now you get to deal with the real struggle of explaining to your family that "working from a cafe" is actually a job.

piper7791mo ago

Exactly 2k in and I remember that scared feeling too, but for me it was more about realizing how much of the desk job anxiety was just me doing it wrong from the start. The cafe thing is real though - my mom still asks if I'm "actually working" when she sees me on Zoom with a latte in frame. It took me a solid year to stop waiting for the universe to pull the rug out and just accept that some wins are real.

karen_sanchez491mo ago

My buddy hit a similar milestone last year and his first thought was to celebrate by buying a fancy mechanical keyboard he absolutely didn't need. Two days later his cat knocked a full mug of coffee onto it and fried the whole thing. He ended up typing on a $15 Walmart keyboard for three months while pretending the expensive one was "in the shop." Moral of the story is the universe still finds ways to humble you even after the wins.