15 Digital Nomads share their best tips on lifestyle, wellbeing, and inspiration.
After getting to know hundreds of nomads during our travels and by hosting four wellbeing-focused retreats for remote workers, we have realized that despite its many privileges this lifestyle comes with its own set of challenges.
From finding a community to staying inspired, each one of us has different ways to navigate the nomad life, so we asked some of our friends to share their best tips around locations, wellbeing, and inspiration. More specifically, we asked them the following 3 questions:
- What are your favorite places to live and work from? And why?
- How do you cultivate a sense of community while traveling? What advice would you give to people who struggle with loneliness?
- List your 3 bucket list experiences for the future.
We hope you can find their advice as valuable as we do. If you want to connect with them further, check their social media profiles linked below their answers. 😎
1.Favorite location:
Chiang Mai, Thailand for the weather, food, cost of living, infrastructure and community.
2. Advice to connect:
Go to conferences like the Nomad Summit, the Nomad Cruise, or even just your local meetups.
3. Bucket list:
- Scuba diving in Galapagos
- Traveling through Russia
- Learning to Surf
1.Favorite location:
I have experienced what I call the “hardcore nomadism”, i.e. not having any fixed place and constantly traveling, with no ties to anywhere. I have experienced this lifestyle for over 2 years, and while that was an amazing experience, which has enabled me to roam through 30 countries, meet incredible people, and reshape my definition of home and work. I have also found that this lifestyle could only work for me temporarily. It can be confusing, disorienting, and overwhelming at times. I have found that what works best for me is to have a fixed place from which I have the full freedom to gravitate. A place I can call home, a place to store my stuff, to have an address, etc. There are now 2 cities that I can call home, Lisbon and Cape Town. One in each hemisphere, which enables me to live most of the year in Summer. I still have the full flexibility to travel wherever and whenever I want, but these places are grounding and also enable me to form deeper and longer-term connections that what the hardcore nomadism usually offers.
2. Advice to connect:
I usually make my travel plans according to the people who are in a specific place or country. So I don’t really feel lonely unless I want to be alone, in which case I will make plans specifically to fill that need. Our nomadic lifestyle is still nascent, so when coming back to our ‘old’ friends, we can feel disconnected from other people who lead more ‘normal’ lives. It may even make us doubt that our lifestyle is desirable sometimes. So connecting with other people who have a similar lifestyle can remind us that we are not alone, that there are other people facing similar challenges, and can help us find new solutions, groups, practices, perspectives.
3. Bucket list:
- Starting a sustainable ‘community’ of like-minded people who live together long-term with shared values, in nature
- Recording an album with musicians from various countries of the world, mixing modern music and electronic vibes with world instruments and voices
- Writing a book to share my story with the world
1.Favorite location:
Cape Town because it has everything — nature, great food, great views and great people.
2. Advice to connect:
It’s hard, but I always turn to Facebook communities to get started. Lots of coworking and coliving spaces run events, so it’s good to check them out.
3. Bucket list:
- Seeing a wild dog on safari
- Attending a yoga retreat
- Running more successful digital nomad retreats!
1.Favorite location:
Ubud Bali because it’s a subtropical paradise, very affordable and full of good conscious people who are really invested in bettering themselves so that they can have better relationships with others while being connected to nature. The locals are also by far the friendliest and kindest people I’ve found when traveling.
2. Advice to connect:
Find places that filter the types of people you want to be around. I’ve found that finding coworking spaces/meetups/hobbies/events which attract smart open-minded people to be super good for meeting people regardless of what the event itself is. I work much better alone at home however have found that coworking spaces are the perfect spot to meet smart driven people who aren’t just there on holiday. I find it far too easy to spiral into solitary confinement at home. I’ve found that making small steps to get out there and slowly increment your social time to be what really gives me confidence in upping my game and being more social until it eventually becomes natural.
3. Bucket list:
I’ve never really cared for bucket lists, what I’m really looking for is communities around the world of like-minded individuals who I can share ideas with. So it’s all about people and community and less on physical experiences or locations.
- Favorite location:
I move around a lot. I like living in a different place and meeting new people every month, keeps things interesting. When it comes to working, it has to be a coworking space, where I can see others focusing on their own work. This gives me the extra oomph of motivation to be productive and not to procrastinate.
2. Advice to connect:
Traveling alone is such a rush. You’re unsure at first. You get all these “what if” thoughts holding you back. But once you do it and see that it’s easy to make friends and you can pretty much be ok anywhere, oh man, it’s so liberating. The world becomes smaller and you feel invincible. 9 out of 10 times now I choose traveling alone rather than with friends because being in a new environment with nothing but complete strangers forces you to go way beyond what you are used to, makes you grow, and become the most awesome version of yourself. But again, coliving is the secret sauce here. Coliving gives you instant friends in places where you would otherwise be on your own. Top that with hanging out at coworking spaces and you’re golden.
3. Bucket list:
- Slow traveling down the west coast of the USA
- Seeing South America
- Surfing in Hawaii
1.Favorite location:
My favorite places to live have been so far Lisbon in Portugal, and Ubud, Bali in Indonesia. Bali has a special energy. It has many good coworking spaces, truly healthy and nourishing food, and lots of people to connect with. I met some really good friends there. I loved being surrounded by tropical nature all the time, and the fact that people smile and are not in a hurry. However, since I’m from Europe, I wonder if I can keep investing in Bali as a place to live long-term or not. Lisbon is an incredible hub of creative people. It has many coworking places, great cafes, and countless events. What I love the most is that it’s easy to spend time outside in one of the countless parks, squares, terraces, viewpoints, walks, shores, beaches, and what-not that the city has to offer. It’s the perfect place to just be and have a good time listening to some music, reading a book, or hugging a loved one. Plus there are many other awesome places around it, islands included!
2. Advice to connect:
I think the most important thing is to get clear about who your tribe really is. The friends you can count on if you are in trouble. As nomads, we meet many cool people, but then once we want to keep close is the ones we can trust emotionally. The one who truly cares about you and vice versa. They might be friends from back home, or living ‘regular lives’ somewhere else. I would advise people to cultivate first those relationships, and then seek for new ones as a plus. Have a strong core of friends, and then integrate new ones on the way.
3. Bucket list:
- Hiking the Annapurna circuit
- Making a Netflix documentary
- Traveling in space!
1.Favorite location:
Oooh! So I like Las Palmas in Gran Canaria, and I am here in Chiang Mai, Thailand at the moment which is cool, but missing the beach! I loved Lisbon too.
2. Advice to connect:
Facebook! If you’re not on Facebook, you will struggle. Join all the groups, and look at the events. Go to all the events, or better yet, make your own! This year I created a hiking event for Christmas day and made some friends from it, tomorrow we are going to hang out with the Elephants :)
3. Bucket list:
- Hosting my own dance/consciousness/wellbeing event
- Having children
- Learning qigong and chi/become a master of my energy body
1.Favorite location:
I’m unsure if sharing this kind of information in net positive or negative. I have worries that sharing too much about unknown “gems” can lead to them being overrun, thus destroying what’s special about them.
2. Advice to connect:
I think the community is the most important thing to come from traveling. While community can be found anywhere, what’s unique about the communities one joins while traveling is a) the local people b) the broad mix of nationalities and the tendency for those people to be much more open to experiences than average. To meet the former, I find volunteering to be wonderful (be careful to not join projects like short-term orphanage stints (i.e. just a few weeks) which often contribute to child exploitation and abandonment related trauma. I also like to attend meetups and classes. For the latter, co-working spaces and hostels are obvious places.
3. Bucket list:
- Enlightenment
- Finding a meaningful, fulfilling, high-impact life-long career
- Traveling across a continent on the bicycle or on foot
1.Favorite location:
I’m a part-time digital nomad so I absolutely love working from my hometown in Montreal. I also love having the flexibility of bringing my business with me in warmer countries and some of my favorite destinations have been Argentina, Colombia, Germany, and Indonesia.
2. Advice to connect:
When I arrive at a new destination, I try different co-working spaces to find the one with the best social activities. This has been my favorite way of meeting fellow travelers and making friends
3. Bucket list:
- Doing some digital nomading with my boyfriend
- Traveling to explore different cuisines and learn how to make new dishes
- Creating workshops that will allow me to travel more for my work and teach Stock Photography
1.Favorite location:
To live — so far Lisbon. For the great weather (loads of parks etc to spend quality time outdoors), friendly and expressive people, walkable cityscape, a wide variety of coworking places and most importantly a great community of open-minded people who create a lot of events and gatherings on different topics.
2. Advice to connect:
Attending or creating events! Most powerful ones are the ones that go beyond networking therefore coliving programs definitely take the first place on the list as you have more time among the same people — to really get to know them and to develop a stronger bond. For loneliness — first of all, self-care and self-love, but also investing(!!) time into finding a strong tribe who really inspires and supports you. Also, asking great questions that would lead the conversation beyond the small talk has been essential for me not to get tired of networking events.
3. Bucket list:
- Giving a TED talk
- Participating in an alternative silent meditation retreat
- Attending a wildly inspiring event (MindValley, FreedomX Fest or similar)
1.Favorite location:
I like to work from home in Costa da Caparica, in Portugal. I found it very comfortable to work from home as I live alone. Productive and efficient. Sometimes it’s hard to keep focus, but it is still the best option for me.
2. Advice to connect:
When I’m traveling it is because of my hobby, paragliding, I go to the places where I can find people with the same interest. I recommend to check local FB groups, reach out, ask questions. I also use platforms like Meetup to find like-minded people.
3. Bucket list:
- Skydiving
- Exploring Asia
- Building an online store
1.Favorite location:
I love Lisbon and all its cafes and coworks as well as libraries. But there’s definitely something about the countryside. Just retreating to the beach or a small town or park and finding a cafe with wifi (or hotspot off your phone) to sit, be grateful and get your hustle on just to be able to look up after a hard day of work and soak up the beauty around you.
2. Advice to connect:
Definitely become your own best friend. Journal. Read stimulating books. But also interact with others. Take yourself out for lunch and interact with the waiter or the person reading a book next to you. It’s not too hard to connect with others if you’re happy to approach someone and to open up a dialogue!
3. Bucket list:
- Going to Asia
- Writing a book about human connection and experience
- Climbing Kilimanjaro
1.Favorite location:
My future home! Having a dynamic life with lots of traveling has taught me the power of having one home base, a place where I look forward to going back to. In this case, anchoring myself in Lisbon and having my main life building up there, gives me a safe place to return to, where my partner is, my friends are, and the rest of my team is waiting for me.
2. Advice to connect:
I always try to meet old friends, people from communities I’ve been part of (educational programs, Borderless Retreat community, etc), connect with local entrepreneurs, by going to events, meetups and trying to help some locals with their challenges. Setting up regular calls with those you care most about helps too (partner, parents, friends)
3. Bucket list:
- Learning Portuguese
- Becoming a beginner-level software developer
- Building a company that creates impact
1.Favorite location:
Medellin in Colombia, Lisbon in Portugal and Granada in Nicaragua for the great cost of living, good weather, culture, a community of entrepreneurs, good internet.
2. Advice to connect:
Join Facebook groups of like-minded people, go to language exchange nights, hiking groups. Loneliness- do the above and make sure you make plans to visit your friends.
3. Bucket list:
- Hiking on the south island of New Zealand
- Running half-marathons all over the world
- Traveling in Bhutan
1.Favorite location:
I haven’t been to too many places but loved Chiang Mai. Lisbon has been amazing and will definitely come back. Hard to work in Madeira due to bad wifi and it’s vacation feel. Singapore was amazing but expensive. I would love to work in Switzerland but expensive too.
2. Advice to connect:
Experiment and see what you need. Our first adventure was a test of sorts to see what we needed and what we’d miss. Use your first trip to gain insights about yourself and then be intentional on subsequent trips to get what you need. Reach out and keep going outside of your comfort zone. Meet people. Don’t feel pressure to chat if you’re an introvert but do meetups or events of things you enjoy. Game night works for me but won’t work for everyone. Don’t assume that going out or visiting bars at night is the only option. It’s not.
3. Bucket list:
- Canada train trip
- Archery on horseback in New Zealand (I just made this up but I hope it’s a thing)
- Running a half marathon somewhere I’ve never been
🙏🏼 Thank you for reading. If you are interested in Wellbeing, Healthy Habits and Productivity — we put together a FREE Extensive Wellbeing Guidebook for Nomads and Remote Workers. Click here to get your copy.
