c/digital-nomad-life

Pro tip: my laptop died in a Chiang Mai cafe and I had to finish a project with just my phone

I was in the middle of a client video edit with a tight deadline when my three year old MacBook Pro just shut off and wouldn't turn back on. I had to use a free app on my phone to do the final cuts and upload the file from a spotty mobile hotspot, which took over two hours. What's your backup plan for when your main gear fails in a random city?

Tried working from a 'luxury' coworking space in Bali for $300 a month vs. a $5 beach warung with decent wifi. The warung won, hands down.

Pro tip: I just hit 30 countries and realized my phone bill was still under $50

I was looking at my budget from Chiang Mai last week and saw my mobile line has cost me $48.50 for the last six months straight. I've been using a local eSIM app in each place instead of my old global plan, and it just clicked how much I was overpaying before. The real win is having a local number for food delivery and ride apps without the crazy fees. Has anyone else found a better way to handle phone service without getting locked into a contract?

Vent: My laptop battery died in a Chiang Mai cafe and I had to work from my phone for 3 hours.

I used to think a power bank was just extra weight, but that day I missed a deadline because my phone couldn't handle the video call software. Has anyone found a good, light power bank that can actually charge a laptop?

Just realized how much a good co-working space changes the game in Medellin

I was working from a cafe in El Poblado last week, and the wifi kept dropping every 20 minutes. I moved to a co-working spot called Selina for about $15 a day, and the difference was huge. I got a solid connection, met two other people working on apps, and actually finished my project. Has anyone else found a specific spot in a city that totally fixed your work flow?

Just saw a stat that 40% of digital nomads stay in a place for under a month

I found this on a blog post about nomad trends from 2023. I usually book places for at least two months to feel settled. Does moving that often actually help with productivity or is it just more stressful?

Appreciation post: My worst work week in Bali taught me the best lesson

I had a full week of power cuts in Ubud, with the internet dropping for 4 hours every afternoon right during client calls. I was scrambling for cafes and felt totally stuck. It forced me to finally set up a proper mobile hotspot backup and plan my deep work for the mornings. Has anyone else had a place that broke their bad routines like that?

A chat with a cafe owner in Chiang Mai about 'slow travel'

I was talking with the guy who runs the coffee shop I work from here, and he said something like 'you all move so fast, you see the place but you don't feel it.' He wasn't being mean, but it hit me that after three months here, I still hadn't visited the temple at the top of the mountain. I'm thinking of staying put for six months instead of my usual two. Has anyone else made a switch to staying longer in one spot and found it changed things?

Finally cracked the code on getting a solid SIM card in a new country

I landed in Lisbon last month and my usual plan of just grabbing a tourist SIM at the airport totally failed, the line was insane. I spent my first two days basically offline, which is a nightmare when you need maps and to check into your Airbnb. I was venting to another nomad at a cafe and he told me to just walk into a local grocery store, like a Pingo Doce, and buy a pre-paid card from the little phone kiosk inside. I tried it, spent 15 euros for a month of data, and the guy at the counter set it all up for me in five minutes. It was SO much cheaper and faster than the airport scam. I've done this in two other cities since and it works every time. Why don't more people know about this trick instead of wasting half a day at the arrival hall?

Three years in Bali and I still can't decide if slow travel is better

When I first got here, I moved every month chasing new cafes and beaches. Now I've been in Ubud for six months and my work is way better, but I miss the thrill. Has anyone else gone from fast to slow and found a middle ground?

A talk with a hostel owner in Medellin about his first year

I was staying at a small place in Laureles last week and got coffee with the owner. He said his biggest mistake was trying to work 10 hour days from the common area, thinking he had to be 'always on' for his remote job. He switched to blocking out 4 focused hours in a private room and his work got better. It made me see my own packed schedule differently. How do you all set work hours when you're in a new spot?

Unpopular opinion: The 'perfect' nomad spot in Bali was a total letdown for getting things done

Last month in Canggu, the cafe everyone raves about had such bad wifi I couldn't even load a basic spreadsheet (which, you know, is kind of important). Has anyone else found a place that looks great online but completely kills your work flow?

I finally understood the importance of a backup SIM card after my phone got pickpocketed in Barcelona and I was locked out of my work email for a full day.

Has anyone else found a solid, cheap way to keep a spare data plan active just in case?

My buddy in Lisbon told me to always book a place for at least a week before committing to a month, and I ignored him and got stuck in a tiny, loud apartment in Medellin for 30 days.

Has anyone else learned this lesson the hard way and have a good system for vetting spots now?

Got locked out of my bank account in Chiang Mai because of a VPN

I was trying to pay for a co-working space in Thailand last month and my bank flagged the login as suspicious since I was using a VPN set to Singapore. It took two days of calls to get it unlocked. What's your go-to method for handling banking security alerts while moving around?

Spent a week in Playa del Carmen and the cafe work scene felt off

Every spot I tried to work from had a 2 drink minimum and the wifi kept dropping. I ended up just going back to my Airbnb after the third cafe in a row had the same issue. Does anyone know a good, quiet place to work from there that doesn't push you out after one coffee?

I thought those portable wifi hotspots were a total scam until I got stuck in a Chiang Mai cafe with no signal for a full day.

My local SIM card died and my $35 GlocalMe device saved a client call, so has anyone found a better backup plan for internet in Southeast Asia?

Vent: I just saw a stat that only 22% of digital nomads actually use a VPN daily

I read it in a survey from SafetyWing, and it honestly shocked me given how much we rely on public wifi. Anyone else have a basic security habit they think more of us should adopt?

I thought the 'nomad visa' for Portugal was just hype, but the process was actually smooth.

Got my D7 approved in under 60 days after submitting everything online from Mexico City. What's a place you were surprised by how easy the paperwork was?

My laptop died in a Chiang Mai cafe last Tuesday, and it was the best thing that happened all month.

I was forced to actually talk to people instead of working, and ended up finding a freelance client over a shared pot of tea. Has a tech fail ever accidentally opened a door for you?

My big mistake was working from the same cafe every single day in Medellin

I spent three months there, always at the same spot with decent wifi. Then I met another nomad who asked if I ever felt like a tourist in my own routine. That hit me. I was paying for overpriced coffee just for a table, missing the whole point of being location free. How do you guys force yourself to actually move around and work from different places?

Tried to work from a 'digital nomad friendly' cafe in Chiang Mai and got a lesson in physics

Honestly, I set up at this spot everyone online said was perfect. About two hours in, a huge tour group came in and the whole place started shaking from all the people moving around. My coffee literally walked off the table from the vibrations. Ngl, I learned that 'good wifi' doesn't mean anything if the table isn't stable. Has anyone else had a work session totally wrecked by something weird like that? What's the most absurd place you've tried to get a stable connection?

Showerthought: my travel bag was 12 kilos in 2019, now it's under 7

I used to pack like I was moving house for a month in Bali, with a full laptop setup and backup gear. After a visa run from Chiang Mai to Laos where I had to carry everything, I switched to a tablet and one pair of shoes. What's the one thing you finally left behind that made travel easier?

A chat with a cafe owner in Medellin shifted how I see my work setup

I was working from a small cafe here for about three weeks, and the owner, Carlos, asked me a simple question. He said, 'Why do you need so much gear to do your job?' I had my laptop, a portable monitor, a special mouse, and noise-cancelling headphones spread out. He pointed out that his nephew, a graphic designer, works from just a tablet and a foldable keyboard. It made me realize I've been carrying nearly 15 pounds of equipment 'just in case' for years, adding stress to every move. I'm starting to question what I actually need versus what I'm just used to having. Has anyone else successfully cut down their core work gear to something much lighter?

This guy in a Chiang Mai co-working space told me my setup was 'sad' because I was using a 13-inch laptop.

He said it with a straight face while pointing at his own massive, three-screen rig, and I've been weirdly self-conscious about my simple MacBook Air ever since, even though it gets all my work done just fine.