JESSICA ON ... CULTIVATING THE NOMAD MINDSET Q: WHAT KIND OF MINDSET DOES A DIGITAL NOMAD HAVE TO HAVE? A: If you travel on your own a lot, you’re often more open to spontaneity, local encounters and seat-of-your-pants decisions. You need to be flexible and able to adapt to new situations. Something will go wrong. A lot. So, think of solutions and don’t stay negative for too long. In the long run, negativity will become tiring. Give yourself time to rest and do nothing. When you’re living location dependently, you don’t do something new every day. Remember that this holds true when you’re on the road for days on end, too. Sometimes you need an afternoon of banking and watching Netflix to recharge. Many digital nomads feel like they’re missing something if they’re not doing anything. After all, they’re in this beautiful location, which can make them feel pressured to constantly go out. I think that with time you get a better sense of what kind of daily rhythm works best for you. “It’s also important to remember that life as a digital nomad is not one endless vacation. A digital nomad may not be a profession, but digital nomads are often freelancers working on various assignments independent of location.” This means we just have to make sure to finish our work. Because if we’re not working, then we’re not getting paid. And that’ll end the adventure really quickly. Q: WHAT IS YOUR VIEW OF HOW LONG TO STAY IN ONE PLACE? A: If you want to explore a country when traveling around and working, I recommend staying in one place for at least a week. This lets you better combine workdays with time off without getting stressed because you still have work to finish. I think two to three months are ideal for getting to know a city and its people. You can maintain a better work-life balance and divide your days into days to work and days to explore. In comparison, when you’re on the move a lot, you can see more, which can be motivating on a creative level. Living in one place is nice because it offers more peace and quiet. You can leave your belongings there and get to know people for a longer period of time. Plus, you’re not always having to seek out new local supermarkets, gyms and good restaurants. It’s also often difficult to know how much it will cost to move from A to B. So, in addition to peace of mind, it’s also better in terms of budget to stay in one place for a little longer. ● Jessica ● From the Netherlands ● www.cornersoftheworld.nl ● Writer, photographer, filmmaker ● On the road since 2015 ● Now in Italy ✈ ✈ ✈ GAME PLAN FOR NEW CITY 1. Explore where to eat & sleep and how to get around and practical things like the cost of living 2. Get a sense of the place by reading travel blogs 3. Network with local residents via Instagram (so you’ll integrate better and know the city) 4. Familiarize yourself with key coworking hotspots ✈ ✈ ✈ MY TOP SPOTS “My favorite city is Madrid. But I also love Seville, San Sebastian and Tel Aviv – easy to get to and tons to do!” 12
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