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She wanted to teach in Asia but became a freelancer instead
Freelancing opened doors she never expected
Anirban Das
March 16, 2025
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, Anirban here! Welcome to the 18th edition of alivewithad.
Now, let me introduce today’s guest!
Lights, Camera, and Action 🥁 👟🧗🏻♀️
Nomad of the Week is Dalia 🦘
Let’s hear her story in her own words!!
Say hi to Dalia!
I'm Dalia, I'm originally from the US. I've been living abroad since 2010—first in Canada, then in various European countries as a nomad, and finally in Spain. I work as a remote freelancer, and have worked as an ESL teacher, content writer/strategist, and journalist.
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The Nomad Story
1. How did you start your digital nomad journey?
In 2015, I was working as a content marketer at an agency in Canada. My then-partner proposed moving abroad. We looked into teaching English in Asia, but instead made the decision to start working remotely. I started my freelance career by reaching out to my existing network in Canada, and took it from there.
2. How do you balance work, travel, and personal time?
In 2017-2018, I was moving on average around once a month. At that time, I was focused on visiting tourist sites and exploring the history and culture of the places I visited, and my work-life balance reflected that. Now, I'm more focused on working, starting new projects, and meeting interesting people. For the last several years I've been settled in Seville, Spain, although I'm thinking of moving again soon.
3. What’s your most memorable travel story?
Probably either the time I was attacked by fire ants in Ghana, or the time my plane to Bosnia was rerouted to Hungary, meaning all the passengers had to travel for seven hours by bus in the middle of the night to reach our destination.
4. What’s your biggest challenge as a digital nomad?
In some places, finding decent WiFi can be an issue. You can't accumulate many possessions as a nomad, so you learn to live with less. There's also the issue of navigating different language and cultural environments. You end up picking up a lot of languages.
5. How do you stay healthy while traveling the world?
It's easy to get out of shape when you don't have a gym routine. Still, I was at my fittest when I was moving around the most. Exploring a new place is a great motivation to get outside, walk around, climb hills, and so on.
Through the Lens of a Nomad
6. What’s the most affordable country you’ve visited?
It's definitely Moldova, Ukraine and Syria.
7. What’s one item you can’t travel without?
Phone charger
8. What’s the quickest way to meet people in a new city?
Join some activities (yoga, sports, art, performance, etc.) Or join a local coworking space.
9. What’s the best travel hack you’ve discovered?
If you and your travel partner(s) aren't seated together on a flight, board the plane last. That way, you'll be able to easily see if there are any empty seats or opportunities to switch.
10. How do you find good Wi-Fi while traveling?
Stay in short-term rental apartments rather than hotels (which tend to have spotty WiFi), or find a coworking space.
Know Your Nomad (Rapid Fire)
11. Favorite city?
Istanbul
12. Top bucket list destination?
Greenland
13. Best travel season?
Spring
14. Essential travel gadget(s)?
Waterproof passport case
15. Favorite way to travel (plane, train, etc.)?
Ferry
16. One word to describe nomad life?
Opportunities
Favorite Digital Nomad Resource/s
17. Please share your go-to app, website, or a resource that helps you stay connected, manage finances, find accommodation, etc.
For meeting people: Facebook groups, WhatsApp
For accommodation: Booking.com, Airbnb
For transportation: Skyscanner, Trainline
For finances: Wise, Revolut, PayPal, Splitwise
Let’s Wrap Up
18. If you could give one piece of advice to new nomads, what would it be?
Consider why you want to become a nomad. Traveling while working remotely has a lot of personal and professional benefits. You can learn new languages, experience new cultures, network with creative people, and expand your horizons. But it makes certain areas of life more complicated, like taxes and planning for the future. Think about how "nomadic" you want to be: whether you'll return home eventually, set up permanently in another country, or just see where life takes you.
Thank you for reading the 18th 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 nomad,
Anirban
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