Want ideas for travel? Cheap guides to ensure the best cruise stop? Some pretty pictures?
You’ve come to the right place.
We have all seen the Instagram photos. A tanned digital nomad is sitting on a pool lounger, a MacBook open, a fruity cocktail with an umbrella in hand, hashtagging #OfficeForTheDay.
I am here to tell you that those photos are lies.
I file my own taxes. I book my own travel. So, naturally, when it came time to apply for Temporary Residency in Mexico, I assumed I could handle a few government forms.
I was wrong.
Living in Cancun means you are in a constant, low-level war of attrition with nature. The elements here are actively trying to destroy your stuff. And if you don't fight back, they will win.
One of the defining traits of the "Digital Monarch Butterfly" lifestyle—living in two places—is the sudden realization that your hobbies and habits don't neatly pack into a carry-on. When I’m in Canada, I take for granted that I can drive ten minutes to get a canvas or order specialized electronics that arrive the next day. When I’m in Mexico, I have to get creative.
Most people have heard that time seems faster because each year is a smaller percentage of your life. While that explanation holds some mathematical weight, I want to propose a new, more psychological theory—one I’ve been thinking about for a while.
As I began my day I saw others just finishing theirs. Being an early riser at a resort is a strange, somewhat lonely, experience.
Somewhere along the way, I realized: I didn’t want to just be a tourist passing through. I wanted to be a traveller—someone who truly connects with the places they visit, who blends into the background rather than sticking out, and who’s open to letting the unexpected become the highlight of the trip.
I am back on the road. Business travel is not my favorite activity, but if I have to do it I may as well try to make it enjoyable. So what is the secret to enjoying business travel?
For digital nomads, the promise of freedom—to work from anywhere and design a lifestyle on your terms—offers a unique opportunity to simplify and streamline life.
Traveling long-term as a digital nomad requires more than just packing a suitcase and hoping for the best. I’ve learned that if you don’t prepare for the unexpected, you’ll be left scrambling
While being alone has its appeal, most of us are better when we make connections. One point to keep in mind - you don’t need to stop work to meet people. The two activities are compatible.
One of the first things you will have to contend with is what will be your main working device. While there are many people in this world who can get by with just a smartphone, I can’t.
If you can put together a blog with a simple text prompt, is this a good thing? Or will it lead to thousands of bland, AI generated blogs? Since many digital nomads are bloggers, will this be a great boon to such ‘chronic travelers’ or will it spell the end of a way of life?
What if you already spend much of your time somewhere warm and tropical? And what if your work is flexible? What does vacation mean for a digital nomad?
