At first glance, traveling can seem like a luxury — reserved only for the rich and famous who can afford the high price of flights, dining out daily, and taking precious time off. In today’s reality however, traveling is now more accessible than ever and the best part is you don’t have to give up work to travel and chase your wanderlust.
Whether you consult for a major company or want to finish your new novel, working while traveling can be as simple as finding reliable Wi–Fi at a rental apartment or freelancer-friendly cafe. Depending on where you travel and your line of work, the key to a successful trip is to do your research before you book your tickets. For example, in a country like Iceland, one of Travendly’s popular destinations, approximately 95% of households are connected to the internet, meaning locating a hotspot is as easy as reserving a room in the capital city of Reykjavik or investing in a mobile data plan.
Travel and Work Anywhere
For artist and author Lauren Hom, packing up her bags and hitting the road was an easy sell. “After two years of working from home, I realized that if I could do it from New York, I could probably do it from anywhere else in the world. New York would always be there if I wanted to come back, and my curious nature took over. I started traveling in February 2016 and have plans to continue through the summer.” Hom gave Travendly an inside look at how she juggles freelance illustrating, public speaking, and producing new books, all while roaming through Asia, Europe, and South America.
How to Make It Work
“I work remotely doing freelance projects for companies and brands in the United States. When I’m working, I treat the day like a normal work day, although I don’t have a set schedule. Traveling and working is so much different than traveling just for fun. The mindset I adopted is a positive one that lets me go with the flow.
When work is slow, I take it as a sign that I should relax, so I spend my days wandering around cities and playing tourist. I’m fortunate that work has always been steady for me. Because of this, I was able to save up a good amount of money, so that gives me the freedom to not worry about taking days off.”
“Traveling has positively affected my ability to work because I’m so energized and inspired by new places. While safety is super important, one thing I have learned is that the world is not as big and scary as it seems. I’ve met so many warm, friendly, and welcoming people all over the world. We mostly hear bad stories in the news, but for the most part, people want to be good to each other.”
Busting the Biggest Misconception
“I think the biggest misconception is that the lifestyle of a digital nomad is always glamorous and perfect. No one can work at the beach — it’s too sunny and there’s no Wi–Fi. Freelancing and traveling can be exhausting sometimes, and most freelancers I know spend most of their time working in cafes and at home anyways. The aspirational beach shots are few and far between.”
Don’t Give Up Work to Travel
“If you want to live a remote lifestyle, you should absolutely try it. You just have to know yourself well enough. You’ll give up the comfort of your bed, favorite local restaurants, and familiar social life in exchange for the challenge of navigating new cultures, constant motion, and seriously breaking outside of your comfort zone. Know that there’s no right or wrong way to travel too; I’m still figuring out what works for me.”
Yi-Jin Yu
Yi-Jin is a web editor, digital producer, and writer based in New York City. Her writing has appeared in various outlets including Stylecaster, The Huffington Post, and Yahoo. In her spare time, Yi-Jin loves to bake, catch up on her endless reading list, and travel the world.