Month 66: What’s around the corner?

Do you ever get the feeling that everything in your life is about to change, you’re just not sure how yet?

Halfway through my sixth (!) year as a freelancing digital semi-nomad, a lull in the work that has given me the freedom to live where, how and when I want has me questioning whether it’s time to pivot. It’s certainly time to explore new opportunities.

I would prefer to continue with the type of work that allows me to keep travelling — back to my beloved Southeast Asia and my growing number of dear friends there, and off to new bucket-list destinations in Latin America and Africa. Spending almost half the year with family and friends in Barbados is good for me, and having citizenship by descent gives me so much flexibility. I’m so grateful for the opportunity I’ve had to build connections there — getting to quality spend time with my nan before she died suddenly a year ago was priceless.

If I have to return to something more permanent and stable, so be it — it’s simply the start of a new adventure. But I’ll always be a nomad at heart. That’s not to say I’m giving up yet — there are new avenues to explore, ventures I never had the time to pursue that may now see the light of day. I always say you never know what’s around the corner — like a favourite former client returning or a new opportunity appearing out of the blue.

So, where have I been lately?

I escaped sub-zero winter temperatures in London at the start of the year to return to Barbados, and then left in March to attend a conference in Lisbon, Portugal in April. In true nomad fashion, I decided to spend a couple of weeks exploring the city of Porto beforehand — purely influenced by the pretty images of the historic old town fed to me by the Instagram algorithm. I have to say, I do understand why Porto has become a digital nomad hub — it’s affordable, full of charming cafes and friendly people, picturesque, walkable, close to the beach as well as hiking trails and vineyards… what more could you want?

I stayed at the Outsite Mouco co-working hotel in the Bonfim neighbourhood, within a 15-20 minute walk of the town centre and conveniently close to the station for trains to Lisbon. The concrete-and-wood interior design of the rooms and the on-site co-working cafe suit my vibe and I’d love to go back for a longer stay.

Lisbon was all work and very little play, so I’d like to make my way back there at some point too. Conferences are so valuable for informing my writing work, not to mention networking, so it was well worth the trip.

After another pitstop in London, I headed back to Barbados in late April for a couple of months. Life there has taken on a different pace this year, as I haven’t been able to stretch my budget to my usual car hire. It’s forced me to slow down, and focus on spending time at home trying to work on my new projects. Without the convenience of hopping into a car, I spent cumulative hours in the colourful, entertaining, albeit slightly dangerous, minivans and buses that fill the island’s roads. It also in a roundabout way led to new and closer friendships — and perhaps new travel partners!

Summer back in London is an opportunity to catch up with friends, keep pushing on my projects, and maybe figure out that pivot. And, of course, daydream about my next trip to Asia!