Boundaries around the world have been more blurred now than ever, and technology is quickly allowing us to exist in multiple places at once. This has made it very possible to live and work from anywhere.
While some people just take advantage of this by working from home, others have taken it to the next level by setting up a new home base across the ocean. This paradigm shift in worldview is clearly reflected in global law with Estonia as the first country in the world to offer a Digital Nomad Visa in 2020.
Today there are 49 Countries and counting that offer Digital Nomad Visas to entice freelancers, self-employed workers, and remote workers to temporarily reside within their borders. This list includes Digital Nomad Hubs like Indonesia, Thailand, Croatia, and Mexico.
For some people, it already takes guts to travel overseas for vacation – can you imagine how much courage it would take to say goodbye to everything you’ve known and live abroad?
We can imagine all we want, but it’s a different story if you DO it.
So we caught up with some incredible people living our dream. Read on for the true stories and enlightening experiences of digital nomads living the Flip Flop Life.
Meet the Nomads
Lulu Lundt
Lulu Lundt is a German freelance journalist, mum of two, wife and Digital Nomad since 2019. She is the author of the book “Become a Digital Nomad in 6 Months: A step-by-step guide to preparing your Digital Nomad journey, building a sustainable work-travel system, and starting the life of your dreams!” as well as the blogger behind the website https://nomadmum.com/. She documents her family’s adventures on her Instagram.
Kenneth Martens
Kenneth Martens is a digital nomad and full-time traveler who enjoys exploring the world with his wife Jessica. He is a Human Resources and Accounting Manager who originally comes from the US and now spends most of his time in Spain. You can follow their adventures on his Instagram and his wife’s blog – https://www.roadjestraveled.com/
Flip Flop Daily: Where do you usually work from now?
Lulu: “When we started the digital nomad lifestyle in 2019, we traveled a lot and stayed a maximum of 3 months in one place. But for one year, we would rather describe ourselves as slowmads. Our base is currently in Koh Phangan, Thailand. We have two daughters who can go to school and kindergarten here.”
Kenneth: “My wife and I typically spend most of our time in Spain. As far as work goes, we prefer to work from home rather than cafes and restaurants.”
FFD: Why did you choose to give up the corporate grind?
Lulu: “Life in Germany simply wasn’t healthy. We lived in a system with so many limitations: 9-8 jobs, a very limited number of holidays, long kindergarten hours for our daughter, and not enough time for family and relationships. And the worst: the cost of living was so high that we had no other choice but to work, work, work.”
Kenneth: “We realized that money does not equal happiness, especially when you are dedicating most of your time to work and do not have much time to enjoy things with friends and family. We have found that we can sustain ourselves working approximately 30 hours a week and are in a better place because of it.”
FFD: What is the best part of being a digital nomad?
Lulu: “The freedom and confidence you gain. When living the conventional lifestyle, you truly believe that you have to do things a certain way. Being a digital nomad taught me that you can create life on your own terms. And that feels so good! Imagine waking up, doing sports on the beach, and then starting to work for your clients at noon because the time difference allows you to have working hours like this.”
Kenneth: “The best part has to be the freedom and flexibility to do what you want. My job does have certain time commitments so depending on where we are, I may need to get up early or stay up a bit late but the flexibility to work from anywhere can’t be beaten. We have had times where we spontaneously book a trip for the same week and do it all while still working. This is something we never could have done before and don’t want to give up.”
FFD: How do you balance work and play?
Lulu: “As parents, you have to be effective. So, we plan everything thoroughly. We have fixed work hours and fixed hours for couple or family time. In phases with a lot of work, we split up – one person can focus on their tasks for the full day, the other person takes care of the kids.”
Kenneth: “This is something I am still learning. Spain especially has a lot of holidays so there are times I have to work while people are out and about because of a holiday. One way I balance things is to work more on a week leading up to a time that I want to take off. So I do not have to take any PTO from work but essentially front load my hours to be able to do something I don’t want to miss out on.”
FFD: How can readers invite more freedom or adventure into their regular routine?
Lulu: “Prioritize it! I think, it’s very easy to make plans and then postpone them again and again, so my tip is to prioritize them. You want to go for a hike on Wednesday morning? Then talk to your boss about being available later that day. Or if you want to be able to make more flexible decisions in general, then negotiate flexible working hours or reduce your weekly hours to have more time for adventures.”
Kenneth: “A part of freedom is inside of you. So if you are in a season of stress and working a lot, don’t forget to set aside moments to simply breathe. Don’t get too caught up in the stress of the moment. One thing that helped me on my path to freedom is simply asking my employer if they were open to me traveling and working from a laptop. I was scared to ask but the worst they could have said was no. Turns out they were ok with it and I gained freedom because of a simple question. So if you are wanting something from work in regards to more freedom, it could be a good idea to start by asking your current employer.”
FFD: What does “flip flop life” mean to you?
Lulu: “Flip Flop life means to me to take life easy. Not having the obligation to fit in somewhere but being able to stay comfortable and casual. Here, where I currently live, we do everything in flip flops: parties, work and even weddings.”
Kenneth: “Flip flop life to me means to not take things too seriously all the time. Enjoy time with family, traveling, etc. and do your best to prioritize life outside of work rather than putting work first.”
It’s time to Do Life Right!
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