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How I thought I wanted to become a digital nomad

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Re: How I thought I wanted to become a digital nomad

#161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>>And the thing is that when you are in a new place, there is a large number of decisions to make about petty things like where is the nearest supermarket, where can I work out, how do I get proper internet etc. Whenever I've set up in a new place, my productivity suffers severely for a week or two. After that, I'm okay but if you travel a lot, that becomes a real price. And it's not rewarding the same way that other…

"Boy you guys, wouldn't it be neat if a software development career entitled you to a concubine on top of everything else?"

Not just a concubine, but a personal assistant and housekeeper, too.

Frank Reynolds is not supposed to be a role model, people: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1028239/quotes?ref_=tt_ql_3

Re: How I thought I wanted to become a digital nomad

#162
post #134
post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah for me they're ideal, they've got lots of guesthouses so there's plenty of competition and finding rooms for a month should be easy and pretty damned cheap. Tons of restaurants meaning you can more or less walk out the front door and find somewhere new to eat everyday cheaply. I kinda suspect you're looking on the wrong continent or as you say you're just not suited to it.

I've been in Phnom Penh for the last 3 weeks. It may not be as relaxing as Sihanoukville or somewhere else smaller but for me it's been the perfect place to work and focus. I found a nice (enough) apartment for 120$/month that is extremely close to the largest market in PP and Olympic stadium, where I exercise daily. Right outside my front door I can find excellent meals cooked by my friendly neighbors for less than…

Nice, I've been in Phnom Penh for 2 years now. What type of work are you doing? I'm always looking for good freelance devs.

Re: How I thought I wanted to become a digital nomad

#164
post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems like there is no perfect place. New Zealand or Australia? they are in a difficult time zone. One alternative is having two fixed locations and moving on winter.

Cagliari, on the southern coast of Sardinia, a southern big island in Italy, is the perfect place: startups, astonishing sea, tens of beaches, hot summers, max 2 winter days at near zero (Celsius). I live there, I know how it is ;)

As a Sardinian expatriate, I must say that this would be a practicable course only when you have a stable and steady cachet of clients; and then only if you are content with having almost "remote-only" technological collaboration. While I recon this was the premise of the article, I still feel that this "isolation", lack of support and lack of recognition for your professional figure stunts most of the excitement.

There is almost no technological nor entrepreneurial growth in the area; although pioneering in diffusion and disruption of internet technology (Tiscali), and although many well-intentioned, huge (and ultimately empty) technological poles graciously built in the area[1], there is little interest in investing, outside of just grabbing the inviting national/european development grants and then leaving the island.

There is no real service or attraction to speak of. The very few attractions (mainly wooden kiosks at the beach) have been made close down or subject to numerous certification delays for "sonic pollution" in maybe the most frequented beaches in Cagliari proper. Endless diatribes consume most of the land in similar way, even though you'd think this place could otherwise easily top many of the most famous places worldwide.

Sardinia is a dream place if you're a scholar, or like cities full of down-to-earth and warm people; it's a microcosm of influences and it's hard to take even just a few steps outside the most modern places, and not be able to recognize traces of the many cultures that walked that very soil. The tradition is rich, and every few steps you encounter a different dialect or new colorful customs. It's a magical place.

I would get back there in a moment if I could. But it's the epitome of Italian waste. I had been so angry at it, and everyone, but it also seems that the majority of the people really prefer to just soak it up, and then forget about it, or else spreading outside of the city to start the n-th unauthorized small town in the middle of nowhere, which is of course in a bad location that puts a strain on the few available transportation resources (almost entirely buses), with majors that play for power with/against neighboring towns, derailing the plans for highways (the "new" 125 anyone) which however is nothing compared to such jewels as the "A3 Napoli-Reggio Calabria".

Sorry for the impulsive rant but this touched a nerve. I would really, really love to go back to

[1]: I am happy for those. I worked there for some time, and these were nice, big buildings, with a nice internet connection, space for growth, and they were immersed in that classic beautiful bitter-sweet sardinian splat of vegetation. But while they were built for grandeur and all, no-one really came there, then various powers competed in the area, which resulted in this temple being connected to the rest of the world by a small dirt road which floods periodically with almost no public service to speak of.

Re: How I thought I wanted to become a digital nomad

#165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even staying in one place for 2-3 months means having to continuously find those stores, amenities, etc. Sure, it's more stable to stay a few months but having to constantly settle in new places is tiring...I can't imagine having to do it every week or two!

I wouldn't do it every week or two, but every few months is doable if you travel slowly, since you can reuse a lot of your knowledge in other cities. Once I got reasonably comfortable with Copenhagen, for example, getting comfortable with Malmö or Helsingør was a quick incremental adjustment, since many things are similar.

Malmö region guy here. Any digital nomad who wants to hang out, feel free to contact me. Email in profile.

Re: How I thought I wanted to become a digital nomad

#166
post #3

Far as I can tell, the argument here boils down to "can't concentrate on coding while traveling". When put in a simple statement like that it becomes very obvious that the statement depends entirely on the person. Many people have little difficulty opening up their laptop and forgetting the rest of the world for an 8 hour stretch, and this would be the type of person who would do well as a digital nomad. If you need…

Pretty much agree with most of what you say above but this: "Many people have little difficulty opening up their laptop and forgetting the rest of the world for an 8 hour stretch" I haven't come across anybody who can in-the-zone code a straight 8 hour stretch during the daytime (nights are obviously very different). I'd love to hear from people who've managed to do this.

I'm not sure how 'in the zone' you mean, but i've done that many times (just getting up to pee, etc). I do suffer from mild-moderate OCD though so I think that's likely a symptom of it.

Re: How I thought I wanted to become a digital nomad

#167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cagliari, on the southern coast of Sardinia, a southern big island in Italy, is the perfect place: startups, astonishing sea, tens of beaches, hot summers, max 2 winter days at near zero (Celsius). I live there, I know how it is ;)

As a Sardinian expatriate, I must say that this would be a practicable course only when you have a stable and steady cachet of clients; and then only if you are content with having almost "remote-only" technological collaboration. While I recon this was the premise of the article, I still feel that this "isolation", lack of support and lack of recognition for your professional figure stunts most of the excitement. Th…

http://www.startupcagliari.it/ and yes, yours is a rant :)

Re: How I thought I wanted to become a digital nomad

#168
I have been working on, gotten funded, and grown my DYI'd startup while living as a digital nomad. Since being funded I have worked with a number of collaborators. I try to only hire people that move a lot. because I live that way it feels good that the people I get to work with share that lifestyle. We are actually currently doing our first group face2face powwow now for 2 weeks. It's great to be in person together but everyone, myself included is such a lone wolf that working together in person is awkward. We all disperse to our corners and work.

Hanging out having cigarettes and chatting about development, that's where the value in being together is it seems.

We are hiring again now. Anyone know the best forums to find digital nomads (term is getting worn out) looking for work. It would fit our company's culture to bring on another traveling developer.

Re: How I thought I wanted to become a digital nomad

#169
I would like to take different approach, get my gf to some calm place. Have a nice house, good internet connection which is now not a big problem even in country side. Lead simple life far from city, have my "home office" room. Country side is cheaper and a lot nicer, I could get great coffe doing it by myself instead of working from "shops". Traveling would be needed also because it is easier to work with someone you met at least once face to face, or going on vacations but without work. That would be life of digital hermit :)

Re: How I thought I wanted to become a digital nomad

#170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Cagliari, on the southern coast of Sardinia, a southern big island in Italy, is the perfect place: startups, astonishing sea, tens of beaches, hot summers, max 2 winter days at near zero (Celsius). I live there, I know how it is ;)

As a Sardinian expatriate, I must say that this would be a practicable course only when you have a stable and steady cachet of clients; and then only if you are content with having almost "remote-only" technological collaboration. While I recon this was the premise of the article, I still feel that this "isolation", lack of support and lack of recognition for your professional figure stunts most of the excitement. Th…

Aha! This describes nearly everywhere I've ever lived and worked! The brilliance of working exclusively online is that you can live in places like this - you take your work with you. I would never have gotten to know Ponce, Puerto Rico otherwise - or reacquainted myself with my hometown of Richmond, Indiana.

From an economic standpoint, I couldn't have come to Budapest, for that matter. Finding a well-paying job here would be very difficult. (Not impossible, but difficult.)

If you do want a technical community around you in meatspace, I agree that these sleepier corners of the world are not for you. But they are definitely for me. I'll consider Sardinia. (I know a really nice Sardinian lady in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico - she loves it and hates it simultaneously, just like you.)

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