Time flies when you’re having fun, the saying goes. I can certainly vouch for that, considering that January marked the start of my fourth year as a digital nomad.
When I flew from London to Barbados on 1 January 2020, I had a vague plan to travel for at least a year. That plan would have taken me from a couple of months in Barbados to spring in southeast Asia, summer in Toronto, and some kind of trip in Latin America. Of course, a global pandemic scuppered those ideas and instead, Barbados has become my second home.
I did finally make it to southeast Asia, spending an incredible three months travelling the region in 2022. That was after I took an eventful side trip to north Cyprus so I could avoid shivering in London in the winter of 2021.
It’s a cliche now, but I always insisted I could never work as a freelance content writer — the income is too unstable; I’m too awkward and disorganised to land clients consistently. And yet. It would take a lot for me to give up the freedom I have now. To spend Monday afternoons at my local deserted beach in Barbados, watching the sun set over the clear turquoise water. To take a tuk-tuk ride out into the countryside of southern Cambodia on a Thursday morning. To have the time of my life snorkelling off the coast of Borneo and then spending the evening sitting around, drinking dubious concoctions and singing with the divemasters playing guitars and other travellers at a hostel on stilts over the water.
Last year was filled with fantastic experiences that I wouldn’t trade for anything — certainly not stability — and it turned out that January was the start of a new chapter in my freelancing story.
So, the only thing I know for sure about 2023 is that I’ll be returning to some of my favourite parts of the world, and hopefully exploring new places. After all, life’s one big adventure.
I’ve got some posts coming up on my itineraries and destination guides, as well as some tips based on things I’ve learned along the way… and continue to learn!
Are you digital nomading? Or are you thinking about taking the plunge? Let’s talk about it below!
