alivewithad

alivewithad is a newsletter for Digital Nomads, sharing real stories and advice from experienced nomads to help you make the most of this lifestyle.

Read Time: 8 Minutes

Hey, Shagufta here! Welcome to the 12th edition of alivewithad.

Now, let me introduce today’s guest!

Lights, Camera, and Action 🥁 👟🧗🏻‍♀️

Nomad of the Week is Megan🦘

Let’s hear her story told in her own words!!

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The Nomad Story

1. How did you start your digital nomad journey?

It was the first year of COVID and in a conversation with a friend, I realized that I needed to seize the opportunity in front of me. Given that I work for a company and not myself, the time to work remotely and travel seemed to have a narrow window, or so I thought.

Without too much consideration other than saying this might only be a 6-month journey, I made the decision to not resign my lease in Chicago. As I started to tell people what I was about to do, there was a mix of reactions but the majority of them were supportive. The most memorable one was my Mom, who laughed as she heard me telling someone that it might be only a six-month thing before I would be called back into the office or change my mind. She just smiled and said, "A year minimum".

As time approached closer to my move-out date, I had to make the decision of not only what I wanted to keep but how much to keep. I had been listening to a lot of podcasts, (nothing to do with becoming a digital nomad and more on mindset), and the one about an Abundant Mindset must have been lingering.

For some context, I had moved to Chicago only a few years earlier with very few possessions and built my life, my apartment, and everything there. The thought entered my mind, "I have done it once, and I can do it again." So, I decided to sell everything that was not sentimental or special clothes. And it all sold with ease.

One of the memorable moments of selling my belongings and knowing it was the right call was seriously how easily everything worked out and sold. Keep in mind that I lived in a high-rise apartment in downtown Chicago where moving furniture is a pain. The couple who bought my bedroom set, mattress, frame, and all, lived down the hallway from me. So all they had to do was slide it down the hallway and into the guest room in their apartment.

My nomad journey began as a road trip with my best friend and dog in the States and quickly turned international three months in.

Here we are four years later with so many memories made, places visited, and beautiful friendships.

2. How do you balance work, travel, and personal time?

This is something I am asked frequently as I work for a corporate company/start-up. I am not working for myself and my job is in Sales, so I need to be available for client calls.

When I overlap with US hours, I tend to work normal US hours. that leaves my morning for my morning routine and a nice walk and then my evenings and weekends to explore, make and meet friends, etc.

When I am working from countries that do not overlap with US time zones (i.e. Europe and Africa) my schedule is quite different, and sometimes more preferred.

I have my mornings and daytime to travel, explore, etc., and then I begin work around 3 pm. While this is not for everyone I quite enjoy this schedule. I have many experiences of enjoying the day at the beach, taking a walking tour of a new city, or even catching a hot air balloon experience over the Atlas Mountains in Morocco.

Being a digital nomad and connecting with people has come such a long way in the past four years where there are apps and communities and colivings which make the experience even more enjoyable.

3. What’s your most memorable travel story?

OMG, there are too many to choose from bungee jumping off the highest bridge in Africa, learning to drive on the opposite side of the road on a safari, trekking to the top of Kilimanjaro, taking my niece on her first international trip after her high school graduation, friends surprising me with champagne and birthday cards on a sunrise hike on Lions Head and the other hikers clapping after my wonderful friends screamed HAPPY BIRTHDAY, or singing horribly karaoke songs with friends while skipping down the streets of Sagres.

But here is a memorable story or two for you;

It was my first international destination while being a digital nomad - Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. It was the final weekend there and the final weekend living with my best friend before our nomad journeys were taking us in different directions. We had spent the night before at a local bar with friends we had made, sharing mezcal so that I would have to eat the scorpion at the bottom. Luckily I split the scorpion with another friend and did not have the stinger in my half.

That following day was a bit of a slow start but an enjoyable last full day in Mexico. That evening while we were packing, we decided to take a break for dinner and go to a spot we had passed by multiple times but never ate at. A friend I had met only a week or two before came to join us. The dinner spot ended up being a Michelin Star restaurant and it was their anniversary. We got to chatting away with our server and learned for tonight only there was a seven-course tasting menu with cocktail pairing. We couldn't and didn't say no. So our "quick" little dinner turned into hours long and we did not get back to the apartment until almost 1 am.

What I haven't mentioned yet is that we had booked one last excursion being a sunrise kayak in the bioluminescent waters and were being picked up around 4 in the morning. Mind you, we still had not finished packing. We set a timer for 45 minutes to pack as much as we could before crashing for 2 hours. Plenty of sleep, right? Our alarms went off and our eyes did not want to open, but we sleepily forced them to do so, threw on our swimsuits and shorts, and made it down to our guide’s car.

Our guide quite literally RACED off, speeding down the windy roads to get to our destination so that we would have plenty of time before sunrise. We sat in our seats, eyes closed, not because of his driving but because of how tired we were, and our bodies just swayed back and forth with every turn.

But then we got to the bay with our kayaks. It rained that night and clouds dispersed across the sky where moonlight struggled to even shine through. Not knowing, that made the experience even more magical. As we began to paddle out, each ripple shimmered and sparkled as our disruptions activated the bioluminescent waters. Stingrays moved below and each moment was magnified by the blue sparkles they left behind.

We kayaked under a cave that I had snorkeled through weeks earlier. Our guide encouraged us to jump in since it was pitch black in the cave and it would be the brightest the bioluminescent waters would be, so I jumped in immediately and saw my skin illuminate as if it was covered with tiny little diamonds something I will always remember. My best friend needed a little more convincing to jump in as she could not swim and we were in open, deep water. But with her life vest on, she did and had the same amazing experience.

We were brought back to reality minutes later when she asked why she felt like her skin was getting zapped and I remembered there were tiny little jellyfish in the water. Whoops.

Back in the kayaks and paddling out of the cave, the sun began to rise and we looked out to waves in the not too far distant as a pod of dolphins jumped through them.

4. What’s your biggest challenge as a digital nomad?

Wanting to do it all and see it all. Be present, but always be looking forward. It is easy to get caught up and want to move all the time and explore all the time, but that is the easy way to burn yourself out. I have gotten pretty close to this burnout. But then took a step back. While I am still learning the right flow and amount of time in a place, things to do, etc. I am happy to take a slower approach.

Explore various cultures with Tiqets.

Through the Lens of a Nomad

5. What’s the most affordable country you’ve visited?

Maybe Morocco or South Africa?

6. What’s one item you can’t travel without?

My phone? Honestly, an oversized sweatshirt so that I still have something cozy when I need it.

7. What’s the quickest way to meet people in a new city?

Create a Google map for every city. Mark places that seem interesting, that were recommended, etc. On days you don't know what to do, enjoy the day wandering and open your map to see what is nearby and worth checking out. It is also a nice resource to have to share with others.

8. What’s the best travel hack you’ve discovered?

Only book one-way tickets, you never know when you want to leave.

9. How do you find good Wi-Fi while traveling?

Research, research, research, and read reviews. If you are staying in an Airbnb or an accommodation like that, message first and ask for a speed test. You can also look to see if there are coworking places nearby.

Know Your Nomad (Rapid Fire)

10. Favorite city?

Too many but my top four are; Cape Town, South Africa. Tel Aviv, Israel. Rio, Brazil. and Lisbon, Portugal.

11. Top bucket list destination?

Swim with Great White Sharks

12. Best travel season?

The shoulder season of any destination.

13. Essential travel gadget(s)?

Portable charger - comes in handy

14. Favourite way to travel (plane, train, etc.)?

Plane - I am a Delta girly. The train is second and sometimes more preferred in places like Europe.

15. One word to describe nomad life?

Exhilarating or Fulfilling

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Favorite Digital Nomad Resource/s

16. Please share your go-to app, website, or a resource that helps you stay connected, manage finances, find accommodation, etc.

Facebook groups for Digital Nomads, Airbnb, Tripbff, Nomad Guide, and Instagram (you would be surprised how often that connects me to people or people who make introductions there).

Let’s Wrap Up

17. If you could give one piece of advice to new nomads, what would it be?

Know your style and try it out that way. If you are not an all-or-nothing person like myself. Pick a destination with a good coliving like Outsite (this should be in the app recommendations) and try living in that city for a month. A coliving is a great way to meet people with little effort.

Please follow Megan on IG or TikTok as she is about to start sharing more about being a digital nomad there. @Megalakelly

Thank you for reading the 12th edition, I appreciate your support. ❤

I will keep publishing such interesting interviews every Sunday at 11:00 AM sharp. To not miss any edition, subscribe to the newsletter here. 👐

I see you next Sunday, till then keep traveling and conquering the world!

Your well-wisher,

Shagufta

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