This time you will read the experiences of Myra. Who works from the most beautiful places in the world, completely remote. In this guest blog you can read how she handles this and what challenges this way of working and living brings. She wrote this story delightfully from the plane, on her way to her favorite island and remote workplace: Siargao. 
Exactly one year ago, I took a big step: I quit my job, rented out my apartment and bought a one-way ticket to Asia. Travel has always been in my blood, but the time I could spend on previous trips never felt long enough. Even with 3.5 months of unpaid leave and all my accumulated vacation time, going away for a really long time was not possible.
From salaried to freelance
While traveling through Vietnam, I met a German woman who worked remote. She had the freedom to do her work anywhere in the world and extend her travels whenever she wanted. I was immediately inspired. On an island in South Vietnam, I decided: I want this too. And I’m going to make it happen. Back in the Netherlands, I reported my plans to my then employer and began preparing for my departure. It was an exciting decision, but I never regretted it for a moment. Thanks to my experience as a project manager in marketing, freelancing was a logical step. I could work for Dutch clients, expand my network and at the same time experience the freedom I craved. 
Challenging work locations in Asia and Australia
With my laptop, I left for Malaysia, then traveled on to Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand and Australia. Each country brought unique challenges. In Australia, I had to take into account a time difference of +10 hours, but thanks to tight planning this was manageable. My advantage is that I have relatively few meetings and can do a lot of work on my own time. The real challenge came in the Philippines, where the Internet was often slow and unstable. It was sometimes quite a search to find a good connection, and the chance of power outages during a meeting was high. Yet that was quickly forgotten as soon as I sat with my laptop under a palm tree, looking out on a white sandy beach. Things always worked out.
Having a permanent home
This trip felt different from my previous backpacking adventures. This was now “just” my life as a digital nomad and not a temporary vacation. I discovered that it is important to find a balance. Moving around every few days while working, exercising, and also wanting to see everything on location is simply not sustainable. If you’re going to work completely remote, it’s way too much to combine it all and you have to slow down your travel pace. 
Therefore, I let my travel rhythm depend on my workload. Busy periods I spent in one place. For example, I spent weeks in Da Nang (Vietnam), enjoyed Siargao Island (Philippines) and lived in Melbourne (Australia) for a month and a half. By staying longer in one place, I created a rhythm, got to know the environment better and built deeper connections. Because working remotely can also be quite lonely. You have no colleagues around you and in a rented apartment you are less likely to meet other travelers than in a hostel.
My tip? Use apps like Bumble Friends, look up Facebook or WhatsApp groups for your location, or work from coworking spaces where you can meet other digital nomads.
Enjoying the ultimate freedom
Last year, I met many people who admired my lifestyle. My response was invariably, “Go for it!” Especially if, like me: you are young, have no fixed commitments and enjoy freedom. Then this is the time to discover the world. Yes, you will certainly face challenges, while traveling or in entrepreneurship, but that is exactly what you will learn so much from. That life experience is worth so much more than the knowledge you gain in your 9-5 job. 
Time is already going so incredibly fast. I can hardly believe I’ve been traveling the world with my laptop and working completely remote for a year now. And am far from finished with it. Although I will return to the Netherlands this summer to spend time with friends and family. But my life in the Netherlands will never be like before I left. In fact, I still have the ultimate freedom to book another ticket to a tropical destination in the winter. So I can escape the cold and open my laptop again under a palm tree.
Curious about my remote adventures?
On my Instagram @myramanaged I often share snapshots of my unique workspaces and in my highlights you’ll find tips for good cafes and coworks by location. I also super enjoy sharing experiences about remote working, so you can always connect me on LinkedIn too! There you can also read more about my work as a freelance project manager.
Read more about workations and remote working?
https://workingremotely.nl/een-workation-in-azie-de-ultieme-gids-voor-digital-nomads/ https://workingremotely.nl/een-maand-remote-werken-in-mexico/ https://workingremotely.nl/digital-nomad-reist-9-jaar-door-europa/
