JULIE ON... BEING A PARENT AND TEACHER Q: WHAT DOES A DAY IN THE LIFE AS A NOMAD FAMILY LOOK LIKE? A: There’s no routine in a nomad’s life! But here’s what might happen any given day: ● No alarm clock, luxury! I start working around 8:30 a.m. ● My husband and I alternate who’s teaching our son each day ● We’ve switched out coffee breaks for a dip in the pool ● When we’re staying at the seaside, we end the day at the beach Q: HOW SHOULD FUTURE NOMAD FAMILIES BEST PREPARE FOR TRAVEL? A: First of all, school. How do you combine travel with education? Do you choose a correspondence course, virtual school or home school? Or do you stay longer in one place and find a temporary school? These answers strongly influence how you’ll travel. Second, location. As a traveling family you have to adapt to your child’s rhythm. Depending on your age, this can be limiting. You need to be able to concentrate well enough to work even when the kid(s) are around. The most difficult part? Finding the famous work-life balance while enjoying the journey as a family. “What’s the point of being a digital nomad if you sit in front of a screen 12 hours a day?” Third, health. It is important to deal calmly with any health problems that may arise. In France, the health-care coverage is super, but, for example, a hospital stay in the U.S. without health insurance will bankrupt you for sure. Q: WHAT TURNED OUT MORE DIFFICULT THAN EXPECTED WHEN TRAVELING? A: Being a teacher and being older at the same time. I felt confident when we left because our son is a good student. But it’s been more complicated than expected. For many families this goes well, but for us it creates some tension. In addition, I’d fantasized we’d meet a lot of people on the way. The first few months we actually didn’t. Of course we had contact with locals, but it’s hard to make conversation when people around you don’t speak much English. It makes conversations repetitive. Plus, as a family you’re less able to be flexible than when traveling on your own. Fortunately, as the months go by, we’ve had more and more gorgeous encounters. In Bali we met a lot of people in just a single month. “Our state of mind has definitely changed – in an unconscious manner. We’ve had to become more open to others.” ● Julie, JM and A1 (nickname) ● From France ● www.nomadicbernique.com ● Blogger ● On the road since October 2017 ● Currently in Bali ✈ ✈ ✈ TRAVEL TIP • Spain and Portugal are great because of the pleasant atmosphere and climate. • Chiang Mai is popular among nomads because of the low cost of living,the many coworking spaces, the good food and the quality of the Wi-Fi and mobile network. A perfect mix of tradition and modernity. ✈ ✈ ✈ BIGGEST CHALLENGE “As a freelancer you need to know exactly where you want to go and what will get you there. There is always something important to do and the boundary between work and private life becomes almost invisible. To work effectively you really need to be a time management expert.” 4
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