Featured Image Credit: TikTok/@digital_bromad
Topics: Travel, Sex and Relationships
Ali Condon
Remote working has become the norm for millions of workers in recent years, offering people more freedom and opportunities to travel, save money and, according to one TikToker, find love.
Austin Abeyta, aka @digital_bromad, has gone viral on TikTok for promoting his jet-setting lifestyle of working remotely and travelling the world - and dating plenty of foreign women along the way.
Austin is what's known as a 'passport bro' which, for those who aren't in the know, is a man who travels around the world seeking to date women from other countries.
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The hashtag #passportbro has become a sort of phenomenon in recent months, with thousands of hits across TikTok and Twitter, and even its own Urban Dictionary page.
Often, 'passport bros' are associated with some fairly dodgy mindsets, including men who have decided they're fed up with the ideals and lifestyles of Western women, and would rather travel to seek out a 'traditional' wife.
But creators like Austin have a much more wholesome take on it.
The digital nomad, who has amassed 410,000 followers on TikTok, promotes the lifestyle specifically to Americans who are tired of their local dating scene.
In one post, he listed out three reasons why dating abroad is easier than in the States - the first being that American men are actually seen as 'exotic' in other countries.
"I know it sounds crazy, but you have an accent," he told his followers.
"The American accent is kind of trash, to be honest. But the fact that you have one, it peppers your words. It gives everything you say a little bit of weight, a little bit of spice. It makes it more exciting."
He goes on to add that, when you've got that 'exotic' flair, other people will get excited talking to you about their country, and hearing about yours.
"It plays into the excitement. It keeps things light and keeps things fun." he says.
Another perk, he adds, is that since America has a strong economy and global currency compared to other countries, US digital nomads can afford a much more lavish lifestyle by moving to countries with a lower cost of living and still earning a US-based salary.
Speaking to Insider, Austin revealed: "I would have to make four times what I currently make in order to live in America the way I do while I travel."
Austin, like most 'passport bros', gets some pretty mixed responses to his content.
While some are big fans of his lifestyle and hope to follow in his footsteps, others feel a little uneasy about it.
"I think it's weird to solely go to another country especially the poorer ones just to get at women bc ur [American]," one comment reads.
"How is this different from a mail-order bride?" asked another.
But Austin remains a proud defender of the passport bro lifestyle.