JAZZIE ON ... LEARNING FROM SURPRISES ALONG THE WAY Q: WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE FOR YOU & CHRISTOPHER TRAVELING AS A COUPLE? A: At first, I didn’t think traveling as a couple would be different from traveling solo. But the more I traveled and met other digital nomads, the more I realized it truly is different. Your concerns are just different. If you are looking to make dating connections, you prioritize different things when picking locations. When you’re looking for a mate, you’ll want to choose a place with a better dating scene for you. My husband and I are really in tune with each other. That makes it easy to choose places based on intuition and what we’re looking for. We make suggestions, see what’s “calling” us and follow our gut. When I talk to people who want to be digital nomads but haven’t figured out how to do that yet, I ask what’s holding them back. For most, it’s aging parents, concerns about kids and/or the fact that their spouse is not on the same page. We were lucky in that regard. It was easy for my husband and me. He suggested it. I thought about it for a few days, and then we made our decision. Another difference between solo and couple travelers is the loneliness. Single travelers can struggle with loneliness. But couples often have the opposite. Sometimes I crave solitude. My husband and I run the blog and spend a lot of time together! I have to ensure I still have my own projects. “The key to staying together is to carve out space for yourself. Listen to your intuition. Do things on your own. Make some of your own friends. Make sure you’re healthy as an individual and as a couple.” Q: WHAT’S THE MOST UNEXPECTED THING YOU’VE ENCOUNTERED AS A DIGITAL NOMAD? A: If you live in America, you’re taught that America is the best place on earth. “Why would you ever want to go anywhere else?” people say. People tell you that you live in the most developed country in the world (spoiler alert, not true!). Before I left, I prepared myself for “roughing it.” I took cold showers, switched off the air conditioner and told my husband we had to practice frugality. This was so unnecessary! The truth? My quality of life has just shot up! Everywhere I’ve been, every single apartment has had A/C and hot water and been amazingly clean. You can get so much more for a lot less. ● Jazzie and Christopher ● From USA ● www.blackdigitalnomad.com ● Holistic health coach and graphic designer ● On the road since 2017 ● Currently in Vietnam ✈ ✈ ✈ Q&A BEFORE FIRST ARRIVAL 1. How good is the Wi-Fi? 2. What are the visa requirements? 3. What’s the nomad community like? “We book an Airbnb before arriving and then choose our medium-term housing when we’re there. In the first month, we lock down our visa and network with other nomads/expats.” ✈ ✈ ✈ DIGITAL NOMAD MINDSET “For me, it’s all about detachment and flow. You have to appreciate the moments, live in the now because that’s all you have. People will come and go in your life and you need to be mindful of that but also understand the art of letting go.” 16
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