Remote working and travel blogging in Greece: here's how Wesley does it

My name is Wesley van Eijk and I live in Amsterdam. I had worked as a speech therapist for ten years, but something was missing. Possibly it was the creativity and the environment was not inspiring enough. I know about myself that I like variety, which is why I was already working as a ZZP’er so I could have different employers and workplaces. Still, it didn’t give me the satisfaction I was looking for. I already knew that I love being in the spotlight and telling people something about my passion. After all, I also have a theater background and a stage is no stranger to me. Travel programs like “3 on tour” and travel bloggers on social media always caught my attention. But then again, who doesn’t want that?

Solo travel and freelancing in Greece

When I told my husband that I wanted to travel alone, there were some strange looks. Especially since I was going away for a period of three months and also during the time of the pandemic. Of course I was able to reassure him and I packed my suitcase and laptop and went for the big adventure.

After going to Greece as a tourist for several years, I discovered the mainland of this country and wanted to share it with an audience. After my first real solo trip of almost three months, it was clear what I really wanted to become: Greece blogger! By now I have 25,000 followers here. Curious about what I do? Then follow me at @greekblue. Meanwhile, I have been doing this work for five years and go to Greece at least eight times a year. Sometimes my partner and dog come along, but often I travel alone.

Remote working and travel blogging is not a vacation

Of course, it sounds like I go on vacation every time. Many people also always wish me a happy vacation when I leave for Greece. But after such a trip, I need to recover for at least two days and my social battery is depleted. When I go to a Greek island by invitation, I am lived every day…. and I love it

Assignments are not there for the taking and like any entrepreneur, I am always looking for the next collaboration. It does get discouraging at times when I have to explain again what my value is to a destination or accommodation and that I am not here to profit and vacation. Of course, my content consists mostly of blue skies and a plate of good food. But the reality is often that I spend 6 hours in a day just sitting in my room behind my laptop or phone. Not to mention the time spent shooting content. It’s like a real a job! Fortunately, assignments also come to me regularly, so I must be doing something right.

Networking produces great collaborations

Surely the best thing about working remotely is the variety of surroundings and the chance to meet new people. As soon as I close my laptop, I am soon back on a journey of discovery away from home. No day is the same and that may also have to do with my susceptibility to FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out): I’m always only in one place temporarily and I don’t want to miss anything! But you have to look for it.

Recently I was in Athens and got in touch via social media with an organization that organized wine tastings at inspiring locations around the city. This resulted in a fun collaboration for me.

The algorithm has no siesta

Siesta is the best time to flip open my laptop. As the sun burns outside and the pace slows down in Greece, I seize my chance to fire up. My social media updates always go on, because the algorithm doesn’t take a vacation. But I often put blog writing and supplementing the information on my website on pause. After all, I am self-employed and decide my working hours.

Wifi & remote working in Greece

It is obvious that wifi is an important search term when finding your accommodation. Although the wifi icon is present in many accommodation descriptions, this is no guarantee for a seasoned digital nomad. In a city like Athens, for example, there are many concrete buildings that can interfere well with an Internet signal. But on some remote islands, I can again be positively surprised at the strength of the wifi. Either way, it is always handy to have a portable 5g modem with you. It is still Greece and although that is also the charm of the country, you only get a guarantee on hospitality and not on WIFI.

So my tip is to ask around at the accommodation where you plan to stay and work. Ask for signal strength and experiences with guests who have worked online. But don’t be put off too quickly either!

Now once I was on a remote estate among olive trees and the next coffee shop was a bakery without wifi, in a nearby village. So in case of an emergency, I could not count on a quick solution. But the owner of my accommodation had a wifi hotspot pulled through from her house, 5 kilometers away. I was online there 24/7 for 2 weeks without any problem. I definitely would have skipped this place if I hadn’t asked ahead of time.

Freedom through remote working

I am aware that the way I started this work is not the way for everyone. I was fortunate to have a husband who was able and willing to keep things running at home. To quit your job and go do something completely different is quite a risk. Because it was at the time of Covid, I thought the world was going to end anyway and had nothing to lose. Still, I would recommend it to anyone to see if you can make it happen. The sense of freedom that travel gives, and the ability to flip open your laptop in an exotic place, is priceless. If it’s not possible to do it as often as I did, try doing it once a year. Or take a week off and take your laptop with you to experience what it feels like. Who knows, you may come up with ideas and solutions.

The future plans for Greek Blue

This year I will be visiting my 50th Greek island. That feels like a lot, but Greece has 6,000 islands, so I have a long way to go. What the island will be is still unknown. It will depend on collaborations and perhaps something that is current this year that may attract a large audience. The convenient thing about working remotely is that it gives flexibility and so sometimes I can take the time to just let beautiful things emerge.

If you want to know more about my Greece discoveries, take a look at my website www.grieksblauw.nl or follow me on social media via Instagram @greekblue