Did you end up utilizing a VPN? I was a freelance nomad for 2.5 years and heading back out with a full-time job soon. Have looked into the port forwarding, but from what I hear, 9 times out of 10 nobody will care as long performance is consistent and you’re not handling sensitive info. And on top of that, regardless of how well you hide your location, SOMETHING will give you away - connection speed, ping, etc.
I absolutely love driving and cars. But I refuse to drive these days. I grew up in the suburbs too and my family and friends can’t imagine life without a car. Meanwhile, my life in Colombia, Thailand, and Serbia was infinitely better using public transit and walking from place to place.
American cities are planned terribly to the point where well-planned cities are looked down upon by most Americans - because car-centric city planning is our norm. I didn’t even consider car ownership when going abroad, but after living without a car for 2.5 years, I don’t see a reason to ever own one again.
Slowmadding is the only way to nomad in my opinion. Packing day is my personal hell and having to do that every month or couple of weeks fucking sucks. Instead, I choose a good home base and travel where I want from there.