c/digital-nomad-life

Realized I was burning out because I was trying to work in 10 different time zones at once

For two years I kept wondering why I felt exhausted all the time while 'living the dream' traveling. I was hopping between clients in NYC, London, and Sydney, never saying no to a late night call. Last month in Chiang Mai I literally fell asleep mid-sentence during a video chat with a UK client at 3 AM my time. My buddy looked at my schedule and said 'dude you're basically working 20 hour days every day because you keep moving.' That hit me. I finally picked two time zones max and told everyone else my hours are fixed. Has anyone else had to learn the hard way that being available everywhere means you're never actually available anywhere?

That chat with my friend at 3am in a Chiang Mai hostel got me thinking hard

I was up late last week in Chiang Mai just venting about how my freelance writing gigs were drying up, and my buddy Dave who's been nomading for 6 years just looked at me and said 'you're not building anything, you're just trading hours for dollars.' He pointed out that I've been doing the same type of content writing for 18 months now with zero passive income or a real business structure. It really hit different because he's not wrong, I've been jumping from client to client like a hamster on a wheel. Now I'm sitting here wondering if I should pivot to something more sustainable like creating my own course or affiliate site. Has anyone else had a conversation that made you totally rethink your whole digital nomad hustle?

Chose cheap coliving over a proper apartment in Bangkok and almost lost my mind

I had to pick between a $300/month coliving spot in a converted condo or a $450 studio in a real building. I went cheap because the photos looked fine and they promised good wifi. First week was okay but by week three I was sharing a bathroom with 8 people and the common area smelled like old fish every night. The wifi throttled at 6pm every day so I couldn't do client calls. After 6 weeks I moved out mid-month and lost my deposit of $150. That $450 studio would have saved me so much stress and time. Anyone else get burned by a coliving place that looked great online but was a nightmare in real life?

Used to plan everything 3 months ahead, now I book 3 days out

Back when I started nomading, I had spreadsheets for every city, hostels booked weeks in advance, and a rigid schedule. Then I got stuck in a rainy hostel in Medellin for 5 days because I didn't check the weather and had non-refundable bookings. Now I only book a place when I'm actually in the city and can feel the vibe. Anyone else find that overplanning kills the whole point of being location independent?

Rant: Bought a $350 portable monitor that literally melted in Bali humidity

I was in Canggu thinking I'd be working beachside like a pro. Set up my little desk, AC cranked, but the air was still thick. After 3 days the screen started getting these weird wavy lines, then a corner started peeling. Emailed the company and they said 'humidity voided warranty'. $350 down the drain. Anyone else lost gear to tropical weather?

Power bank died mid-call in a coffee shop in Chiang Mai. Is the portable charger life overrated for nomads or do I just need a better one?

Shoutout to the coworking space in Chiang Mai that convinced me hostels are a terrible place to work from

After 3 months of noisy calls and spotty wifi at Lub d, I finally tried Punspace and realized I'd been wasting half my productive hours trying to work from a bunk bed common area - has anyone else made that switch and seen their income jump?

After 6 months in Thailand, coworking spaces vs cafes wasn't even close

I tried working from cafes in Chiang Mai for the first month and my battery died by 2pm every day. Switched to a coworking space for $150 a month and suddenly I had stable WiFi and a desk that didn't hurt my back. Has anyone else found that the extra cost is totally worth it?

Appreciation post: switching from paper to a cheap tablet for note-taking on the road

I used to carry three notebooks everywhere I went when I was working from cafes in Chiang Mai last year. They'd get wet, pages would tear, and I'd lose half my client meeting notes. Then I bought a $60 Android tablet off FB Marketplace and started using a free notes app with cloud backup. Now I can search through six months of ideas in seconds instead of flipping through damp pages. Has anyone else made the switch from analog to digital on the move?

Tripod broke in a muddy rice paddy in Bali

I was set up near Ubud shooting the sunset over the terraces. Perfect light, perfect angle. Then my cheap tripod just snapped at the leg joint. Camera went straight into the mud. Water and dirt everywhere. I spent 20 minutes cleaning it with a wet wipe and a shirt. Luckily the lens cap was on. Now I carry a mini travel tripod from a brand I actually trust. Anyone else had gear fail at the worst possible moment?

Torn between Bali and Chiang Mai for my base, picked Chiang Mai and it's working out great

I was stuck deciding between a beach lifestyle in Bali or cheap living in Chiang Mai for 6 months. Picked Chiang Mai because I found a room with fiber internet for $250 a month near the Nimman area. Working from cafes here is super easy and the air quality has been good so far in November. Anyone else have to choose between two popular digital nomad spots and how did you decide?

Lost my Wi-Fi signal in a coffee shop in Barcelona and almost lost a client

I was working out of this cafe in the Gothic Quarter last month and my hotspot just died right in the middle of a Zoom call with a client in New York. Turns out I was sitting in a dead zone behind a giant stone wall. I grabbed my bag and sprinted to a coworking space 3 blocks away, got there in 10 minutes, and logged back in. Client was cool about it but now I always scout a backup spot before I start work. How do you guys handle internet backups when you're bouncing between cities?

Just noticed a huge difference in coworking spaces after leaving Bali

I spent 6 months in Ubud coworking spaces and thought the constant social noise was just part of the deal. Then I moved to Chiang Mai for 3 months and found a quiet spot where people actually got work done instead of networking all day. Has anyone else seen this kind of shift between popular nomad hubs, or was it just my bad luck in Bali?

Had to choose between coworking in Bali or a cafe in Ubud, picked wrong

Last month I was in Ubud trying to decide if I should pay $200 for a month at a fancy coworking spot or just work from a local cafe for $3 a day on coffee. I went with the cafe because I'm cheap. Day 3 a monkey jumped on my table and stole my power bank, then I spilled iced coffee on my laptop trying to shoo it away. Has anyone else had their gear attacked by wildlife while trying to save money?

My laptop screen cracked 3 days into a 6 month South America trip

Landing in Medellin was great, found my Airbnb, set up my workspace on a little balcony table. Day 2 I was working on some client stuff and closed the lid a bit too hard or something, heard a crunch. Now there's this black spiderweb in the top right corner. I tried using an external monitor but the local electronics store wanted $400 for a basic 24 inch. Ended up just using my tablet with a Bluetooth keyboard for now but it's killing my workflow. Has anyone else had tech fail on them while traveling and found a cheap fix in a foreign country?

Coworking memberships were overhyped until I tried one in Chiang Mai

I used to think paying $150 a month to sit in a room with strangers was a total scam. Always worked from cafes or my Airbnb for way less. But last month I booked a WeWork style place here for two weeks and honestly it changed my mind. The wifi was rock solid, I actually got more done, and met three other nomads who gave me solid tips on visas. Has anyone else had a similar flip on coworking spaces?

Question about those co-working space subscriptions after I got burned

Honestly, I dropped $300 on a WeWork all-access pass last month thinking it would be the ultimate setup for my remote work. But after three weeks, I realized I barely used it because most of the spots near my Airbnbs were always full or too far to walk to. The real kicker was that I ended up working from coffee shops anyways, spending another $60 on lattes just to have a seat. Ngl, that pass felt like a total waste for someone who moves cities every few weeks. Has anyone else found a cheaper monthly option that actually works when you're bouncing around?

Hostels vs coworking cafes for wifi... hostels win every time for me

I spent 6 months bouncing between coworking spots in Chiang Mai and got sick of buying overpriced lattes just to use the internet, but a proper hostel lounge gave me fiber speeds for free. Has anyone else ditched the cafe scene for hostel lobbies instead?

Can we talk about coworking spaces in Medellin being way overhyped?

I dropped $250 on a month pass at a popular spot in El Poblado thinking it would be this big productivity boost. Instead I got constant noise from people on Zoom calls and wifi that dropped every afternoon. Honestly I worked better from my Airbnb's kitchen table. Anyone else find the whole coworking thing is just paying for a vibe that doesn't deliver?

Tried co-working in a hostel common room and my productivity tanked to zero

Booked a 4 week stay in a hostel in Medellin thinking saving money and being around people would boost my focus. Nope. Turns out group tours leave at 7am and folks start drinking by 3pm. I got maybe 2 hours of coding done per day over 10 days before I gave up and moved to a private Airbnb. Lesson learned: coworking spaces with quiet zones are worth the $150 a month extra. Anyone else find hostel vibes kill your work flow?

Had a guy at a coworking space in Medellin tell me my "digital nomad life" wasn't real because I had a 9-5 schedule.

He said true nomads work when they want and I was just a desk jockey with a passport, which felt pretty rude considering I still manage three kids back home. Has anyone else run into these weird gatekeeping types about what counts as "real" nomadic life?

The day I realized my 'home office' was a public bathroom in Medellin

Honestly, I was on a video call with a client for about 15 minutes before it hit me. I was in a fancy mall, thought I'd found a quiet corner with a bench, and just set up my laptop. Ngl, I was explaining a project timeline when a guy walked past me with a mop and bucket. Tbh, the final clue was the automatic air freshener that went off every 9 minutes right above my head. I'd been so focused on finding a spot with good wifi that I didn't look up from my screen. Has anyone else had a work call go totally sideways because you picked a terrible spot without realizing?

My laptop charger fried in a Chiang Mai cafe and I had to get creative

I was in the middle of a client call at a coffee shop in Nimman when my screen went black and I smelled that awful burnt plastic smell. The cafe's outlet must have had a power surge and it completely killed my charger. I had 18% battery left and needed to finish the call. I ended up borrowing a universal charger from the barista, who said it happens all the time there. Has anyone found a good surge protector that's actually travel-friendly?

Unpopular opinion: I wasted $400 on a co-working space in Bali

Everyone says you need a dedicated desk to be productive, so I signed up for a month at a fancy spot in Canggu. The wifi was actually worse than my Airbnb, and the constant networking events were just distracting. I could have just worked from a cafe for the price of a few coffees. Has anyone else found that co-working memberships are overrated?

My friend in Medellin said to always book a month, never a week

I did a week in Lisbon and spent half my time looking for the next place. Has anyone found a good middle ground for testing a new city?