Tag Archives: Working Remotely

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How to Leave Home for Months Without Coming Back to a Disaster

Your passport is stamped, your laptop is packed, and your bags are at the door. But is your house ready for the months it will spend without you?

For digital nomads who own property, the logistical challenge of long-term travel isn’t just about visas and time zones. It’s about leaving behind a physical home that will continue to age, face weather events, and potentially fail in small ways that compound into expensive problems the longer they go unnoticed.

Quick Summary

Preparing a home for a long absence requires three layers: smart monitoring for real-time visibility, financial and structural safeguards against the systems most likely to fail, and departure and return habits that prevent small oversights from becoming large repair bills.

The Scale of This Challenge

The digital nomad lifestyle has moved firmly into the mainstream. According to a 2025 workforce study, 18.5 million American workers currently identify as digital nomads, representing roughly 12% of the U.S. workforce. A substantial portion of those nomads own homes, which means millions of properties are sitting unoccupied for months at a time while their owners work from other continents. An empty home isn’t passive. Pipes degrade, HVAC systems run unmonitored, and appliances fail without anyone nearby to catch the early signs.

Smart Monitoring Before You Leave

The first goal is visibility. Without sensors feeding data to your phone, you are essentially hoping nothing goes wrong.

Monitoring systems worth installing before every long trip:

  • Water leak sensors with auto-shutoff: Place these under sinks, near water heaters, behind washing machines, and around toilets. Models with auto-shutoff valves can stop water damage before it spreads by closing the main supply line the moment a leak is detected, with no human intervention required.
  • Indoor cameras: Position at least one in a central area where a leak, smoke event, or HVAC failure would become visible within a day or two.
  • Smart security system: Motion sensors and door and window alerts deter the opportunistic break-ins that vacant homes attract.

Thermostat Scheduling for an Empty Home

Never shut heating off entirely in winter: frozen pipes cost far more than minimal heat. Keep the home above 55°F in winter and below 85°F in summer. The U.S. Department of Energy notes that setback scheduling on unoccupied homes can save up to 10% annually on heating and cooling, and a smart thermostat lets you verify and adjust settings remotely if weather changes faster than expected.

The Check-In Person

Designate one person who has a key, knows where the main water shutoff is, and agrees to walk through the home every one to two weeks. Give them a short written list: unusual smells, visible moisture, HVAC function, and mail accumulation. Some homeowner’s insurance policies require periodic property checks during extended absences or coverage may be voided. Confirm your policy terms before you leave.

Pre-Departure Checklist

  • Install or test water leak sensors at all major plumbing fixtures
  • Set thermostat to a vacancy schedule for the season
  • Program automated lighting on randomized intervals
  • Submit USPS mail hold or forwarding request
  • Brief check-in person with key, contacts, and walkthrough list
  • Unplug non-essential electronics
  • Replace HVAC air filter and clear outdoor condenser of debris
  • Turn off the water supply valve to the washing machine
  • Schedule lawn maintenance or snow removal
  • Notify homeowner’s insurance of the extended vacancy

What Is Most Likely to Break and What It Costs

SystemCommon FailureEstimated Repair CostPrevention
PlumbingBurst pipe, slow leak$500 to $15,000+Sensors plus auto-shutoff
HVACFailed capacitor, refrigerant leak$200 to $1,800Pre-departure tune-up
AppliancesCompressor, pump failure$150 to $700 eachWarranty coverage
RoofStorm damage, failed flashing$300 to $10,000+Annual inspection
Water HeaterTank corrosion, anode failure$400 to $1,500Flush before departure

One of the most overlooked protections for nomads leaving home for long stretches is coverage for the appliances inside it. A refrigerator breakdown, dishwasher failure, or HVAC malfunction mid-trip is nearly impossible to manage from another continent. Home warranty appliance breakdown protection lets traveling homeowners protect themselves financially against the quiet failures that happen while they’re away, so they can travel without that particular weight in the back of their mind.

HVAC: The Four Steps Before You Go

Energy Star’s pre-season heating and cooling checklist covers the core tasks: verify thermostat settings, tighten electrical connections, lubricate moving parts, and inspect the condensate drain. For a homeowner leaving for months, add two more: flush the condensate drain line with diluted bleach to prevent algae clogs, and schedule a professional tune-up so a technician can check refrigerant levels and electrical components you cannot safely inspect yourself.

FAQ

What temperature should I set my thermostat when leaving for several months?
 No lower than 55°F in winter, no higher than 85°F in summer. These ranges prevent frozen pipes and humidity damage while keeping energy costs low.

Does homeowner’s insurance cover damage during a months-long vacancy?
 Many policies include vacancy clauses that limit coverage after 30 to 60 days. Confirm terms with your insurer before departure and ask whether periodic check-ins are required.

What is the single most valuable thing to install before a long trip?
 A whole-home water flow monitor with auto-shutoff. Burst pipes are the costliest category of home damage, and an automatic shutoff valve eliminates the worst outcomes entirely.

Should I turn off the HVAC entirely to save money?
 No. Shutting off heat in winter risks frozen pipes. Shutting off cooling in summer allows humidity to build to levels that cause mold and damage. Use a vacancy schedule, not a full shutdown.

What smart devices matter most for long-term absence?
 Water leak sensors with auto-shutoff, a remotely accessible thermostat, indoor cameras, and randomized lighting schedules cover the four most common risk categories.

Conclusion

The work you do before departure is the only protection your home has for the entire trip. For those still building the foundations of a location-independent career, solid remote work career basics are the starting point before any of these home prep questions become relevant. For those already on the road, the checklist above is what stands between a smooth return and a costly one.

Image via Pexels

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by | June 24, 2026 · 4:20 pm
by | June 10, 2026 · 9:47 am

How Digital Nomads Can Use Mood Boards to Boost Remote Creativity

Digital nomads, remote workers, and other traveling creatives know how quickly visual consistency can slip when projects bounce between laptops, phones, cafés, and time zones. The core tension is simple: everyone is moving fast, feedback lands out of sync, and the “same” brand or concept starts looking different across screens and handoffs. That drift quietly drains creative energy and turns decisions into debates, especially in asynchronous collaboration. Mood boards bring a shared visual north star back into the work.

Quick Summary

  • Define a mood board as a visual collection that captures a project’s style, vibe, and direction.
  • Use mood boards to clarify creative vision, so your remote work feels focused and intentional.
  • Use mood boards to make faster decisions by comparing ideas side by side.
  • Use mood boards to communicate concepts clearly with clients and collaborators across time zones.
  • Create mood boards digitally or physically by gathering inspiration, arranging it, and refining into a cohesive look.

Generate On-Style Images With AI Prompts When References Run Out

Once you’ve got the basics of a mood board down, the next challenge is filling the gaps when your perfect reference image just doesn’t exist. That’s where AI art prompts can help: you can generate custom visuals that match your project’s style, color palette, and overall aesthetic, so your board still communicates a clear, consistent creative vision. Instead of settling for “close enough” stock, you type a descriptive phrase, like the vibe, subject, lighting, textures, and colors you want, and the tool generates unique images you can pin right alongside your other references. With those visuals in place, your mood board becomes a shared language you can point to in remote collabs, not just a collection of vibes.

Understanding Mood Boards as Shared Visual Language

A mood board works best when it becomes a shared visual language, not just a pretty collection. Because mood boards contain a variety of design assets that define visual identity, you can point to specific tiles and say, “This lighting,” or “Not this texture.” That clarity turns fuzzy taste into clear choices.

When everyone is remote, vague feedback creates endless options and second-guessing. Treat the board like a decision filter, so you spend less time debating and more time building. Over time, it supports cleaner creative project management because the same references guide briefs, drafts, and approvals.

Imagine a client writes “make it more modern.” Instead of guessing, you ask them to pick three squares that feel “modern” and one that does not. You get aligned fast, and revisions drop because feedback stays anchored to the same visual cues. With that foundation, a simple workflow makes sourcing, palettes, textures, and type choices easy to share asynchronously.

Build a Shareable Mood Board in 5 Simple Steps

Your mood board can become a fast, visual shortcut for creative decisions, even when you and your collaborators are never online at the same time. This workflow helps you gather the right references, narrow choices, and package everything so feedback stays specific and useful.

  1. Set a clear creative target
    Start with 3 to 5 adjectives for the vibe (calm, gritty, playful, premium) and one sentence describing what you are making. Add a “yes list” and a “no list” so people know what to lean into and what to avoid. This keeps your sourcing focused, not endless.
  2. Source images with a tight filter
    Collect 15 to 30 visuals that fit your target, mixing photography, product shots, illustrations, and real-world references. The Interaction Design Foundation recommends you select inspiring imagery, evoke emotions, so prioritize pieces that immediately communicate feeling, not just subject matter. Save sources as links or captions so you can credit and revisit them later.
  3. Pull a simple color palette from your picks
    Choose 1 main color, 2 supporting colors, and 1 accent, then test them against two background neutrals (light and dark). You can find inspiring color palettes in unexpected places like street photos, café interiors, packaging, or outfits, so screenshot freely while you travel. Keep your palette small so it stays recognizable across different screens and lighting.
  4. Capture texture and materials intentionally
    Add 6 to 10 texture tiles (paper grain, concrete, linen, UI patterns, film noise) that match the mood and add depth. If you want a physical option, collect a few receipts, labels, and small print samples, then photograph them flat in natural light to digitize. Include one note per texture about what it should influence, like background, buttons, or photo styling.
  5. Choose typography and layout for async feedback
    Pick 1 headline font and 1 body font, then add a few sample words (not just alphabet previews) to see personality and readability. Depositphotos suggests you look for fonts and colors that fit what you have already collected, which helps everything feel cohesive instead of random. Build your board in a tool like Canva, Figma, or Milanote, or use a corkboard you photograph, and ask reviewers to comment on specific tiles by number.

Build a Repeatable Mood Board Workflow for Remote Creative Projects

Remote creativity often gets messy fast: ideas live in scattered tabs, feedback arrives out of order, and visual choices drift between time zones. A mood board fixes that by acting as a shared reference point from creative project kickoffs through final delivery, turning a remote project workflow into one source of truth for collaboration streamlining, approval process acceleration, and visual consistency maintenance. When everyone can see the same direction, end-to-end design alignment becomes the default instead of a late-stage rescue mission. A clear mood board turns scattered feedback into a shared creative direction. 

Image via Pexels

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by | January 12, 2016 · 8:10 am

Remote Working, Distributed Teams and Bali

Remote_Office_photo

Image Copyright Evan Lovely – Flickr

 

A quick post about a few recent articles that came across my radar, both are definitely worth a read. More and more companies are seeing the benefits of distributed teams, through cost savings and the ability to hire great people without requiring them to uproot their lives. Plenty of people have reasons for staying where they are: family, school, jobs of a partner, etc.

If you’re considering a location independent lifestyle, time is on your side, the business world is moving in this direction. Why not make the move now and start living the life you want to live. We’re only here for a short while. Forget the commute, the stress of getting to work every day.

I see a lot of “view from the office” photos promoting digital nomadism. Many of them show an umbrella drink in hand, which I believe paints an incorrect picture of what it takes to make this work. You don’t wake up and start the day with a margarita in your normal job (maybe you do, but that’s none of my business). My point is that behind every digital nomad umbrella drink photo, there is a person who hustles every day to keep their dream alive. Those that don’t hustle, don’t last. The hustle is real when you have beautiful beaches and friends asking you to surf every day.

This is not to say you should make the leap to this new way of living only to be shacked up in an AC office and never enjoying your surroundings. Reframe the way you look at work and you can reap the benefits most people dream of. More people and companies are reframing what success looks like in the real world and I am consistently in awe of and applauding the Buffer team’s moves in shaking up the ideologies of what it is to be a successful start up.

Sidenote: I’m loving my life in Costa Rica, but Bali is looking pretty damn good after the piece below. 😉

Articles…

Buffer ditches its offices to go 100% remote, startups should too

Why working from the beach in Bali is the new cool

I wouldn’t change my digital nomad life for anything: Jacob Laukaitis

 

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by | December 24, 2013 · 12:10 am

Third World Digital Nomad – It is not Just a Dream!

Malalison Island kids

To be a lawyer. That’s what I’d subtly sculpted myself into.

So, I studied Political Science as my pre-law course. Now, I am no lawyer. Not even close to becoming one. These days, I am dedicating my time helping typhoon Haiyan survivors re-build not just their shelters but hopefully, their lives. Alongside with that, I play with my younger siblings or bike slowly, as if I’m a little imaginary zipper between country roads.

In 2007, I quit my office job and dared to work remotely. Being from the Philippines, it’s an insane move for many. We spend most years studying as hard as we can – our parents and the society would constantly remind us that education is the only way we can win over poverty. So, most people, after college, take the necessary license exam and try their best to get a job. Not everyone lands at the best places where they can cultivate their interests. Both unemployment and underemployment stop someone here to really take that journey within.

One day, I felt that the usual route is NOT also for me. So I just had to set my self free.

As soon as I started working from home, a lump of fear grew inside me. But then again, I told myself “is life full of certainties? No. I might as well just enjoy the ride and focus on my passions.” I ventured and pursued my love for the written. Then, I seeked for writing-related job opportunities online (Onlinejobs.ph, Odesk.com, Freelancer.com)

Mind you, Charles Bukowski is one of those dead people who have deeply influenced me in my decision.

“now, I’m not saying that I’ve conquered
the world but I’ve avoided
numberless early traffic jams, bypassed some
common pitfalls
and have met some strange, wonderful
people

one of whom
was
myself—someone my father
never
knew. “

(excerpt from ‘Throwing Away my Alarm Clock’)

 

Indeed.

My life as a digital nomad has paved the way to simple living. And by simple living I mean experiencing life as a complex process – rich, enjoyable, affordable and profound.

  • Investing in relationships

In the mornings, I’d walk to the old coffee house in the town center of Barotac Viejo. Owned and managed by a lovely old couple – he is 84, she is 76. He reads a lot of cowboy novels, she wears 1960s dresses. They’d tell me about their lives – about how they once got this book which unraveled her roots. That her great grandfather was a Portuguese pirate. For 10php (0.25 USD), I have native coffee and time machine hitchhiking. They both have become my friends.

Being a digital nomad allows me to spend more quality time with my family. From this, I learn not only from the wisdom and experience of my parents but as well as the wisdom and energy of my younger siblings and cousins. Coming from a culture of close family ties, I can say that at this point of my life, I’ve realized what ‘home’ feels like.

At some point, I’d found it hard to hang out a lot with peers since most of them work 9 to 5. When I began to travel and immerse with the grassroots (doing volunteer work), everything seemed to change.

Keeping rich relationships make life simpler for me. Though I still have to deal with few forced conversations, I feel lighter when I spend time alone and know that whenever I want to find comfort in the company of others, I’ll no longer have to settle for less.

 

  • Investing in experience

Back in the office, the air-conditioning and white walls made me feel sleepy. I knew there was more to life than sitting there and waiting for things that never arrived. Working remotely has opened the world of wandering and wondering to me. With more time in my hands, I enjoy finding myself in a new place, around new people.

When not travelling around the islands, I host or meet people through Couchsurfing or sometimes just by randomly starting a conversation. As I help my family (dominant cultural component of the East), I also water the seeds of my own heart, mind and spirit. I love people, I love the unknown. And I love the intangibles between both loves. I love places. Sometimes, I feel those that I’ve been to still dream of me… until I return.

Because of my heart to experience, I am able to feel that my dreams do breathe and they are sometimes uncategorized. Back in the days, people told me that I’d definitely make a great lawyer but as the years were swept away by my curiosity and Romanticism, I’ve come to realize that I don’t want to be in such place. I am fond of writing, seeking, taking pauses after a deep thought and reflection. I enjoy finding out about my own loopholes. I enjoy carefree clothes and nature. I feel alive when I meet people who feed my longing for the softer world.

Travel through the soles (via my feet, boats, buses and aeroplanes) and the soul (via books, music, films and serendipity) fuel me.

  • Investing in the simplest pleasures

The digital nomad lifestyle has led me to a realization – I want my life simple. Not a shopping mall person here. Not a cosmetic lady too. Not a gadget freak.

I own less – a bike, a 3-year old laptop, a super cheap old-model cellphone, some clothing, mostly handmade/ DIY accessories and some second-hand books (those I haven’t given away just yet).

Come to think of it, if I have spent my time sitting on that work desk (which I did not like much), I wouldn’t be able to try and err, try and realize, try and journey within my heart. I wouldn’t be able to have enough peace that would one day take me to the path I am more comfortable with. All those people and places, circumstances and solitude have washed me to this happier shore where I am now.

Perhaps, I am not fancied by the shiniest of materials and commerce because I find joys in little things – a slow bike to the foot of the hills, a dip in the nearby sea, a view of the sunset, playing with my younger siblings, an aimless walk, a little yet relaxing conversation with someone, a sight of the trees or wild flowers… cuddles whilst low-voiced talks.

To be a lawyer. That’s how I subtly sculpted myself into.

Now, I am a freelance web writer-social media specialist-crowdfunding VA and…

a free spirit (hmmm yes!).

—–

Kristine Buenavista

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by | December 23, 2013 · 11:15 pm

10 Alternative Nurse Careers that Allow You to Travel or Work Remotely

Image

Australian Nurses Serving in Malaya/State Library of Victoria Collections/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode

~

Nursing allows you to work anywhere in the world. With so many options, the destination and length of commitment to a job is really up to you. Here are the top ten careers that will give you freedom to travel and work remotely.

Telehealth Nursing: As a telephone triage nurse, you can work from home or remotely assisting patients with health related phone calls and directing them to appropriate services. Pay is equivalent to hospital salary. Usually, a minimum of three years in acute care is required.

Travel Nursing (USA): As long as you receive a license for each state you want to go, you should be able to be placed there if you have had at least two years recent acute care experience. Most travel nurse contracts last three months. Agencies typically will reimburse for state licenses, moving costs, certifications, a furnished apartment, and health/dental insurance costs once you are placed in a hospital. Until you have an official job with a hospital, you are in no way bound to the agency you work through. It is beneficial to apply to several travel nurse agencies at the same time for this reason.

Travel Nursing (Developed Countries Outside of USA): Australia and New Zealand are the best bets for travel nursing outside of the states. Like travel agencies in the US, they will cover all costs once you have been placed in a hospital. Payment for nurses is equivalent to hospital nurses in the states. Other Western countries do not have as much of a demand for foreign nurses, and Europeans will typically hire within the European Union. Even spouses of native Europeans find it difficult to sift through all the visa and license paperwork required. After being in Australia or New Zealand, your chances of working in one of these countries will increase.

Travel Nursing (Other Countries): There are several organizations that work in other countries, but most are volunteer brigades. You will need to work with some of these first to put on your resume, but for paid work, Doctors Without Borders is one of the most respected. Contracts usually range from 6-9 months. The pay is descent, but much less than what you would make working in a developed country. Before applying, you should have travel nursing and acute hospital experience along with foreign language skills. Idealist.org lists several volunteer and paid international nurse opportunities through other organizations.

Medical Transcriptionist: Nurses are coveted in the transcriptionist world because they have had first hand experience with medical terms. Salaries vary and will possibly be half what you would make in a hospital, but this may be balanced by the ability to work from home or remotely.

Cruise Ship Nursing: As a contract nurse on a cruise, you receive free room and board and have set shifts allowing free time to be a tourist yourself. Contracts usually go for a few months, and then you will have the opportunity to renew. The pay is good and similar to what you would receive in a hospital setting.

Legal Nurse Consultant: This will require a Legal Nurse Consultant Certification (LNCC) and at least five years of hospital experience, but the pay is excellent, and consultations for medically related legal issues can be made via telephone or computer.

Medical Writer: Medical websites are searching for nurse experts to contribute to their blogs on health related topics to draw people to their sites. Pay will be poor in comparison to traditional nursing, but freedom may outweigh the loss.

Medical Sales Representative: Sales reps for medical supplies and pharmaceuticals make good money and often have the option to travel all over the world.

Full-time Nurse: There are several hospitals that will be willing to work with you if you have shown yourself of value. If you have been at your hospital several years, ask your manager if you can take a three or six month leave of absence to travel. They are more likely to accept if you are wanting to do some volunteer travel nursing in a third world country. While they may not be able to guarantee you a job on the same unit when you return, usually they will be happy to place you somewhere else within their hospital system knowing you are an experienced nurse who is familiar with their system. Training new personal can often be more expensive than just filling your position with on-call staff until you return.

Nurses are in high demand and make comfortable salaries making it easier to work from home or remotely, travel while working as a nurse, or work for a short period and save up to spend the rest of the year doing what you love. Contract nursing especially gives you incredible freedom to work where and when you want.

Written by Beth Ann Nyssen

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by | November 29, 2013 · 9:27 am

The wandering digital nomad challenge: how to achieve a work-travel balance

View from my desk in a campsite on the Albanian Coast. It's a hard life, I know...

View from my desk in a campsite on the Albanian Coast. It’s a hard life, I know…

‘How do you manage to work and travel simultaneously?’ is possibly my most oft-asked question. Whilst some digital nomads are indeed blissfully located somewhere, usually for an extended period of time, I am a member of a small group of challenged individuals who are actually located everywhere, all the time. My partner and I are currently riding our motorbikes from Germany to Australia; we’ve travelled through 15 countries in the last 15 months, lived in a tent most of the time and I’ve managed to write almost 500 travel-related articles along the way.

Challenging enough? You could say that…

Yes it is true that wandering digital nomads face a few more challenges than their more settled (and some would say sane) counterparts, yet finding a way to earn money whilst travelling is by no means an impossible task to accomplish.

If you’d like to know how I manage my own work-travel balance, and get a few ideas on how to tackle this challenge yourself, now would be the time to continue reading.

1)      Establish good working relationships

If you’re planning to become a self-employed digital-nomad, feel free to skip this point altogether. If your income will depend on others however, do take special note.

All digital nomads will spend a serious amount of time setting up a good virtual job before they start packing their bags. Most of the time, they won’t consider making the big move until they’ve secured their needed income. This is, suffice to say, an excellent choice.

Vagabonding digital nomads however, must also establish work contracts with people who understand that they are going to be constantly moving around. This turned out to be easier than I had anticipated, although I admit that the fact I only work within the travel niche may have something to do with it. Travellers dig travellers!

You can start off every month with the best intentions in the world, but let it be known that the life of a long-term traveller is one of complete and utter chaos. Most of the time. Finding a sympathetic ‘boss’ (or three) was my top priority before leaving, and something which I recommend you do as well. No matter who it is you work for, they must realize that whilst you’ll endeavour to deliver/contact/skype/email, sometimes you just won’t be able to, end of story. The internet will be down; you’ll be stuck in the middle of nowhere with a broken bike-part, you’ll be sick etc. This is why it is just so imperative that you build up a good reputation as a professional and conscientious worker and establishing a trusting relationship with your work provider. Should the inevitable happen, this will ensure the boss is not left disappointed and you are not left unemployed.

The fact that I also held a daytime job and learnt a new language during my pre-departure period is testament to the fact that…

2)     You should learn to be a multi-tasking-master

Juggling several balls simultaneously is what I do best and something with which I have the most experience. Before meeting Chris I’d worked as an overland tour guide for five years and mastered the skills of multi-tasking. After spending years answering 24,000 questions a day whilst making a mental food-shopping list and finding time for email answering, account keeping, problem solving, activities booking, mental-breakdown-preventing, leg shaving and travel itinerary researching… I knew I could do anything simultaneously 😀

Squeezing 27 hours out a 24 hour day is child’s play (once you get the hang of it) and a perfect skill to have when desiring to work and travel concurrently. The most important part of this talent is that teaches you what I call ‘mental multi-tasking’: the ability to switch your working and travelling brain on and off at will. This was by far my most challenging hurdle in the first few months; I needed at least two days to go from sightseeing and bush camping to writing a coherent enough travel article my boss would be willing to pay for! The process is getting easier and easier as the time passes and I have gotten to the point where I can go from spending five days crossing the Caucasus Mountain Range to churning out a decent amount of work, with just a good night’s sleep, a decent shower and a strong cup of coffee.

The good news here is that this is indeed a learned talent and something anyone can actively practice. Manage your work time efficiently and you won’t ‘waste’ a minute of your day.

3)     Find your groove & perfect your work routine

Whilst I may be a mental-ninja, I’m not superhuman, which means I can’t actually visit a historical site and write a travel article at the same time.

The options of work routine are various, so you may have to try out a few scenarios before you know what works best for you.

What I have managed to do is set up a completely imbalanced life balance which seems to work a treat for me: I travel most of the time and only work some of the time. I’ll stay put for a week in one spot with good internet and comfortable living quarters and work (at a campsite with a cosy cafe’, hostel or rental apartment), then travel for 3-4 weeks after that. Sometimes I also play it by ear and fit in a couple of working days when the weather sucks or if I happen to be in a particularly productive mood. This is also the reason I only accept monthly travel article requests; knowing ahead of time what I need to deliver in a month gives me the freedom to rearrange my days as I see fit.

I’ve known of digital nomads who travel and work on a 3 or 6-month-rotation basis and this may well turn out to be your preferred method. In the digital-nomad world, this is called ‘cycling’. It actually sounds perfect to me personally, yet my particular trip is so physically demanding (I’d never even ridden a motorbike before) that I really couldn’t travel non-stop for three months straight without a week-long break somewhere along the way. My work week has also become my rest & recuperation week. See? There’s that multi-tasking thingy again 😉

I plan my work-week about two months in advance and research what seems to be the ideal place to stop. A capital city, for example, will always be a good bet even in the most undeveloped countries; chances that you’ll find a decent place to stay with good Wi-Fi are surprisingly high the world over. This little plan has turned out to be ideal for me, because I don’t particularly like cities. Having to bunker down and work for a week straight in the big smoke is infinitely less painful than trying to do the same in a gloriously small beachside campsite on the southern Mediterranean coast in Greece in July. Now THAT was painful.

4)     Slow is key

When all is said and done, the only thing which will ensure your success as a wandering digital nomad is time. Give yourself lots of it; you’ll need it.

The only way Chris and I can manage to live as we do is because we travel so incredibly slowly. We cover only about 1,000kms a month and usually only visit a few places in each country. We’ll ride just a couple of hours each day and usually camp for a few nights in each spot. We tend to move faster during summer and spring and a little slower during the colder months, when bad weather can see us ‘stuck’ in one place for two weeks at a time, or more. When you’re a digital nomad you’ll never resent a rainy day on the road!

We are actually, for the first time in years, about to settle down for the winter in one single spot. I’ve recently been offered the amazing opportunity to write a long-term traveller’s guide book for a European publishing company and wish to do so from the comfort of a rental apartment in Tbilisi, Georgia. This will not only give me the chance to try ‘cycling’ for the first time ever, but it will also provide me with enough income should our intended crossing of Central Asia next year prove to be a tad work-challenging. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see how that pans out. Keep you posted!

You should realize by now that there is no such thing as an ‘ideal work-travel balance’ for nomadic digitalists…different strokes for different folks really is quite the apt adage in this case. Find your own grove, routine and balance and, most importantly, remember to love what you do.

Manage this…and you’ll always find a way to make it work.

Written by Laura Pattara 

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by | November 27, 2013 · 5:31 pm

The Do’s and Don’ts of Working Remotely

Cars stuck in a traffic jam

Avoiding the morning commute is a great part of my day

In the beginning, working from home is bliss. You set your own schedule, have a fantastic commute and the daytime soaps take the place of even the most chatty co-workers.

Richard Branson is a big supporter of telecommuting, working from his island in the Caribbean he believes “remote working is easier and more effective than ever.” Faced with endless perks, there are a couple of hazards you must learn to navigate. Follow our advice and you will be more productive than ever in your home office. Even if you only work remotely once a week, our tips will help you accomplish more and make sure you stay productive – even when no one is watching.

The ability to work from home has many advantages, but requires more self-discipline and motivation than a traditional office environment. To set yourself up for success this is what you need to do:

  • Have a workspace separate from your home, with minimal distractions. The TV isn’t turned on as background noise in a normal office, it shouldn’t be on in your home office either.

  • Create boundaries. Despite being at home, you have work to do. Your friends and family need to respect that, and they should limit any distractions while you are working.

  • Get ready for each day. Shower and change out of your pajamas. You never know when the boss will call on Skype, or your friends drop by unannounced.

  • Stay organised. Use to-do lists, calendars, apps on your phone. Whatever it takes for you to stay on top of your tasks and never miss a deadline.

  • Form a schedule, a semblance of routine office hours so that your colleagues, boss and your clients know when it is OK to contact you. Try to match this as close to normal business hours as possible, it makes it easier for everyone involved.

  • Having a schedule also stops you working too much, It’s important to take breaks throughout the day. Take time for a relaxing lunch break and get outside, if only for a short period of time. It will leave you refreshed once you begin work again.

  • Have a back-up plan. There will be days where the internet goes down, or for whatever reason you can’t work from your home office. Scope out a library of coffee shop you can work from as your plan B, or you could always just pop into your normal office.

  • Make the extra effort to stay in touch with your colleagues. Pick up the phone to speak to people, even if it’s not 100% work related. Use technology to help you here, Skype and instant messaging are great way to stay abreast of the latest office news without leaving your remote office. If there is a birthday or special event, make it a point to attend in person.

There are many hazards a telecommuter needs to learn to manage. More so than in a normal office, a remote worker has to look out for the following:

  • Don’t become a recluse. Just because you work from home doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to leave the house. The same goes for showering. Stay clean people!

  • Don’t ever lose touch with the people in your company. It’s easy to do, when you are not forced to interact in a lunch room or cafeteria. You need to work extra hard to maintain your relationships with colleagues while you work remotely.

  • Don’t take personal calls during work hours. Often family and friends think that since you are home you can catch up on your work later. Unfortunately this is not the case. You need to manage your close acquaintances expectations, and only return calls once your work is done.

  • Don’t do personal chores or errands while you are meant to be working. It will take twice as long to get your work done. Don’t tweet about it either, your boss is going to see you’re not working.

  • Don’t procrastinate and let the hours slip away. Create a routine you can stick to with a schedule that allows you be productive throughout the day.

  • Don’t work too much. Typically remote workers put in a lot extra time, its easy to fire up the laptop and spend another few hours working late into the night. You have a huge risk of burning out. Make sure your schedule makes sense.

These tips are a great start in being effective while working remotely. Follow them to the letter and you will be a very successful telecommuter. But if you’re anything like me, every now and then you need to throw caution to the wind. Go see a movie, take the afternoon off to enjoy the sun in the park, or dive into a book only to emerge hours later. The real joy in a flexible schedule is that you dictate when you need to work, and when you can afford to indulge in some spontaneous fun. Just don’t forget that an afternoon off might equate to staying up till 4am to meet that deadline.

But hey, that’s your call. The biggest perk of working remotely is being your own boss.

Author: Travis Bennett

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Filed under Motivation, Work and Business, Working Remotely

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by | November 16, 2013 · 9:25 am

Breakaway…how to free yourself from those invisible shackles

Breaking free from my previous life was not easy...but boy was it worth it :)

Breaking free from my previous life was not easy…but boy was it worth it 🙂

The decision has been made. You’ve spent months (sometimes years) debating with your soul about what it is, exactly, that you want from life. Once you’ve finally realized that breaking free is your ultimate goal, you think all your problems are over. That’s it! The hard part is over! You’ve made the decision to cut the shackles which are holding you back and to set off into the sunset; oh how wonderful do you feel right now?!?

Forgetting something? Not so fast there cowgirl…

Yes it is true that the hardest part, for me personally, was coming to the realization and making the final decision, that long-term travel was what I craved most. Yet this does not mean by any stretch of the imagination, that what came next was pure bliss. It wasn’t. It was a bit hellish actually. I had an apartment to sell and the contents to store, I had to disconnect from everything in my life, hand in my resignation, pay off my credit card, close all my accounts and, if all that wasn’t enough, I had to break the news to my mum. Once you learn my mum is Italian, then you’ll understand my angst ^_^

Handing over the keys of my former abode to the real estate agent felt like a huge relief. Sort of. You see, everything about the ‘breakaway’ was immensely contrasting for me: I was elated yet hesitant, adventurous yet cautious. Nothing about it was black and white and, to tell the honest truth, nothing has been ever since. I love travelling with every inch of my soul but at times I get homesick, friend-sick and mamma-food-sick. Whilst I cherish making new friends every day I miss having D&Ms with my life-long friends. I dare say that life for most long-term nomads is one of contrasts and contradictions, so I suppose the internal turmoil I felt when I was in the midst of reorganizing my life  was Mother Nature’s way of telling me ‘well you better get used to that kid…there’s a lot more where that came from!’

Being virtually homeless at the age of 31 felt a little scary although having a 3m³ storage space full of my ‘stuff’ helped alleviate my fears. This was my back up plan, my fall-guy, this was my way of saying that while I very much wanted ‘out’, I did also want to leave the door ajar. Just in case.

Considering that the next time I saw my stuff was when I flew home three years later to sell it all off, one would think that I’d be an ardent advocate for complete and total initial sell-off. But I’m not. Sure, sometimes I kick myself at having spent $6,000 over three years to store things I never needed nor wanted again, but I do think my gradual detachment from what I sometimes call my ‘previous life’ was exactly the right recipe for me. I’ve had people ask me how one just breaks away completely and sets off, but fact is I have no idea how anyone could do that either! I did it in steps and it worked a treat and this is something I would highly recommend to anyone who feels a little nauseous at the mere thought of ridding themselves of their life-long’s possessions. I can plead and beg and swear to you that you won’t give two hoots about them in two years time, but fact is everyone needs to get there on their own.

I left my car with a friend who paid and maintained it whilst she used it (sold that two years later), consolidated all my accounts into one and took a debit VISA card with me (incidentally this is still the only bank account I have) and I did take out an emergency MasterCard for the unthinkable. Knowing that I could buy a flight home at ANYtime helped put my mind at ease.

Those who are intending to live an expat existence in another country will probably have an easier time I dare say, but of course cutting off from the emotional attachments in our lives will always be the biggest challenge. It really does help to keep in mind that, this being the 21st century and all, one can get back ‘home’ in two days from just about every corner of the globe. Your chosen financial step of choice (do you live off your savings a while, make virtual connection before you leave etc?) will also determine just how nervous you’ll be at the airport, yet I imagine that even the most organized wannabe-nomad will suffer many sleepless nights.

Taking all the necessary steps you need to free yourself from your restrictions is never going to be the easy part. Emerging from the other side unscathed however, will definitely be the most rewarding.

Welcome to your new life.

Written by Laura Pattara

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Filed under Digital Nomads, Location Independence, Motivation, The Breakaway, Working Remotely

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