Not all jobs abroad have to be online work. There are also plenty of jobs that are offline. Although you often see mostly examples of remote jobs you can do on a laptop as a digital nomad, this time I especially want to inspire you with jobs where it can be completely different. Without having to sit at your computer all the time. Here are 15 special ways to work from abroad, with inspiring examples from people I personally admire.
1. Run your own B&B
Always dreamed of living abroad, with your own guest house? I honestly have myself and am a diehard fan of Ik Vertrek and B&B Vol Liefde. To run a bed & breakfast, hospitality has to be in you, but then you get to live in an insane place. You meet travelers from all over the world and build your own business step by step in a new country.
2. Develop your own outdoor platform
Those who love to be outside hiking can also turn that passion into a business. You don’t do that overnight, but it can be done. A great example is Hiking Trails by Elmer, whom I know well. It is a large international platform entirely about hiking trails abroad. With expertise, good marketing and a network, you can set up something similar yourself. Then your job is to walk trails, record it and share it on your platform. That way you can work in the middle of nature.
3. Tour guide in unique places around the world
From group tours to spiritual retreats, and from tropical resorts to snow trips in Lapland, as a tour guide you let others experience special places. And have an adventurous life yourself. A good example is Marieke from Onderweg Naar Liefde season 1, who organizes all kinds of great and adventurous trips. You guide groups, arrange everything on the spot and share your knowledge and enthusiasm about the country. A dream job for travel lovers.
4. Photographer or videographer on location
Not all creative work needs to be done behind a laptop, although this job does involve some work on your computer with editing. As a photographer or videographer, you often work outdoors, in the most beautiful places. Think weddings abroad, travel coverage or campaigns for local businesses. You can also try to score collaborations with accommodations and invite yourself there. If you can travel the world in this way for your work, that’s really great.
5. Full-time foodie or cooking influencer
Are you crazy about food? Combine travel with cooking. As a cooking influencer, you can discover local dishes, develop your own recipes and create content for brands or platforms. Think cooking workshops in Tuscany, food tours in Asia or setting up your own culinary concept abroad.
6. Working on a boat
For those seeking adventure, life at sea is an extraordinary way to work. You can work as a crew member, host or cook, traveling from place to place. It’s physical work, but the freedom and connection with nature make it unforgettable. Any other fans of
7. Seasonal work in the hospitality industry
From beach clubs on the Spanish coast to mountain huts in Austria, seasonal work is ideal for those who like to travel and work abroad. You are in contact with people and make new social contacts. You often work intensively in the summer or winter and have the rest of the year free to travel.
8. Pet pass abroad
A growing trend among travelers: housesitting and petsitting. You babysit someone’s house and pets while the owner is away. So you stay for free in unique places and enjoy local life with the peace and quiet of a permanent place. In some cases, you also get paid for this, which of course is even better. Read the inspiring story of Heleen Olland, who travels the world and babysits dogs in the meantime. She is now in the UK and will soon go to New Zealand and Australia.
9. Yoga teacher in a tropical destination
Yoga retreats and yoga schools are springing up like mushrooms all over the world. As a certified yoga teacher, you can teach in the most beautiful places in the world, from Bali to Portugal. Often you work on a freelance basis or in exchange for accommodation and meals.
10. Working on a farm or vineyard
Through platforms like Workaway, for example, you can help out on farms in exchange for board and lodging. Whether you help harvest grapes in Italy or pick olives in Greece, it’s a hands-on way to experience local life and work in a special place abroad.
11. Diving instructor or surf instructor
For water lovers, this is a dream job. Getting paid to teach someone how to dive or surf, who wouldn’t want that. You won’t be the first to fall in love with a fine place and stick around to become a surf instructor. Life there revolves around the sea, sun and sports, not Zoom meetings. A great example of this is Joris with his Kitesurfbus.nl, my date in Greece on NPO3’s TV show Onderweg Naar Liefde. He travels around in his camper van, invites guests to join him for a week and then gives kitesurfing lessons. His office is the beach.
12. Host or manager at a guesthouse
Many small-scale accommodations are looking for people to temporarily help run the day-to-day operations, from check-ins to serving breakfast and arranging tours. After all, you don’t have to set up your own B&B right away to work in such a nice place abroad. It is varied work with a lot of contact with guests.
13. Become walking influencer
Combining travel and hiking is exactly what outdoor enthusiast Roos Freije does, as a hiking influencer who inspires people to get out into nature. This is not a standard online job: much of her work takes place on the trails. Think content creation, trail testing and collaborations with outdoor brands. She has truly made her passion her job. If you have a certain number of followers then you can make good money from collaborations with brands.
14. Presenting a travel program
Everyone wants to become the new Floortje Dessing, Tom Waes or Chris Zegers. At least, I do. They get to travel the world for their work, make beautiful stories and visit unique places. Of course that is also hard work and you make long days, but what a wonderful job you have. The chances of scoring such a great job may be slim, but nothing is impossible if you really want something.
15. Retreat or event organizer
More and more people are organizing retreats or small-scale events abroad. Think workations, writing weeks or wellness retreats. You combine organization with hospitality and work in an inspiring environment. Just make sure you comply with the legal rules for organizing trips and liability, after all, you have great responsibilities in doing so. I still see that go wrong often enough.
Working abroad doesn’t have to be digital
So you see, you can also work from abroad without becoming a digital nomad. While online work offers a lot of freedom, there are countless ways to work abroad without a laptop. Whether you choose a seasonal job, a temporary project or a new adventure at sea. Have you noticed that many of these jobs come from following your heart? After all, turning your passion into your job is the ideal job. I should know, because that’s how Working Remotely came to be. These may not always be the jobs that necessarily make you rich, but wealth is about much more than just money.
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