I said adios to borders until life surprised me with a cheeky plot twist.
Let's first scroll through digital nomads' glossy Instagram feeds – they're on a beach, sun-kissed, fingers on their laptops. Ah, the dream, right? I thought so, too. I dreamt of being that glowing figure on the beach, sipping my favorite dry white wine as the deadlines rolled by.
This vision crystallized when COVID-19 forced my partner and me to work from home.
But before this shift, I lived in Washington D.C. for 13 years, sharing 7 of those with my partner and his now teenage daughter. When she flew the nest to Europe to live with her mom, shortly after COVID-19 hit, my partner and I found our anchor to D.C. had been lifted.
We felt ready to set sail.
Since we can work from around the globe as international development consultants, we seized the opportunity when it was ripe. So, 3 years ago, we strapped on our wings and became globe-trotting worker bees.
I breathed life into my dream. But, it turns out, it wasn't what I expected.
Here's the unvarnished truth about digital nomad life that tends to stay under wraps: striking a balance between constant exploration and maintaining a routine can be quite a feat.
Zipping through time zones every month or so put my daily rituals on a sabbatical. My workout regimen was in the dust. My diet went into a blender. And my sleep pattern was like my father’s cat, Felipe – constantly changing its mind about when it wants to come and go.
I’m telling you, living without a routine is like trying to catch a fish with your bare hands – slippery and frustrating.
Each city was our playground, and we wanted to avoid going home and doing homework.
We strolled through Athen’s Kallidromiou Farmers' Market while gorging on 60 different olives like popcorn. We feasted on 27-dish traditional Turkish breakfasts in Istanbul daily. We’d usually be out in the sun as if the apocalypse was the next day. And we’d work at night.
When we reached Mendoza in March, my productivity was dipping.
I was mentally in the office while climbing Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Americas. But I was also huffing at my laptop in our Airbnb apartment because I craved more exploration. Either way, I wasn’t present. I’d become frustrated and snappy at my partner. I even thwarted a few of our bodega excursions because I needed to climb my mountain of work.
So, amid all the whirlwind wandering, I yearned for the typical days in Washington, D.C.:
Taking hot showers every morning, wearing no pajamas, and riding my Capital Bikeshare bike to work. Getting into a flow state most days. Breaking my fast with grilled salmon and green beans from the cafeteria downstairs. Reaching 10,000 steps by walking home. And feeding my kefir grain babies at the end of the day.
While it was galaxies away from a nomadic life, I now see the beauty in this “vanilla” routine.
I craved that plain scoop. I realized that self-imposed constraints like working a 9-5 and having a base home could give me freedom. These boundaries liberated me from the dizzying task of discussing the next stop of our itinerary because I already knew we’d fly home for Christmas and the summer.
There was a time to work, and there was a time to play. Most of the time.
But you see, life is a comedy of contradictions. While nomading away, I realized I wanted a mix of both worlds—having a home base with routines and the freedom to sprout wings occasionally.
Our answer to this predicament was a 6-month stay in Berlin until October.
I plan to respect my sacred hours for work in the mornings. To shake and kick at Zumba and BodyCombat at a gym. Take long walks along the Spree River. And wake up in the familiar comfort of our sofa bed daily. And I’m eager to nurture my new German kefir grain babies.
These homey changes will snowball into a routine, returning a healthy dose of balance, productivity, and fulfillment I’ve longed for. By putting down roots in Berlin for half a year, I rediscover my old habits while enjoying the thrilling adventure of exploration.
…Until it’s time to escape again to warmer regions, like migratory birds having two summers a year – a perfect blend of itchy feet and grounded roots.
After all, who said we couldn't have the best of both worlds?
Di, thanks for sharing so openly about the ups and downs of digital nomading - I appreciate your perspective!
Di, your essay beautifully captures the allure and challenges of the digital nomad lifestyle.
Your honest reflection on the struggle to maintain a routine while constantly exploring new places resonated with me and inspires me to continue forging my own, unique lifestyle - It's inspiring to read other's adventure stories. We can indeed have the best of both worlds! :-)