152 days abroad: Your digital nomad guide
I am currently writing to you from Auckland!
I’m home after 152 days of travel and remote working through Asia this year. Which has been genuinely one of the most incredible experiences. Over this time I have gotten better at being a ‘digital nomad’ and wanted to share a couple of recs that have helped make this experience so smooth!
So, let's go through the rundown - what we have refined as the perfect working remote balance and formula.
So here are my recommendations:
1. Create a new schedule (if possible)
If you work remotely, hopefully you have a wee bit of autonomy over your schedule/timings especially if you are self-employed.
One of the best things we did while travelling was starting work early to finish early. Moving working hours from 6 am - 2 pm local time meant we had a whole afternoon free every day to head out and explore the place we were in. This was some hot work-life balance!
2. Stay in one location for 3-4 weeks if you can
One thing you absolutely want to avoid is not leaving enough time in each place because when you start to do this you can create a bit of time pressure around needing to constantly be doing something or you’re going to miss out. Which isn’t a fun or sustainable energy long term.
By staying somewhere for 3-4 weeks at a time, there is enough time to thoroughly explore a place one afternoon at a time and still have space to chill and watch a movie.
3. Prioritise workspace and location - be realistic.
When choosing our accommodation, two things quickly became apparent as our most important booking features.
Location - I think when travelling this is always important but especially so when you only have a few hours each day to explore - it’s handy to be close to the action so you don’t have to spend half of this time getting to the destination everyday.
And secondly, the work set-up - because not having a chair with a back gets sore very quickly - and so does not being able to open your laptop properly because the table is too small.
4. Work in different spaces
One of my favourite things about exploring a new city is finding a new favourite cafe to have my morning coffee and a little work session. It’s nice to start your day in a different location and with a yummy drink / snack. Plus depending on if you took the previous rec you might need an hour a day with proper chair support…
Have fun working and travelling!
If you read this and found it helpful please let me know.
Steph
