“Have you really been working on the road for four years? But… how? Does your cat never run away from the RV?!” Welcome to my Instagram inbox.
Since 2021, I, Chantal, have been living and working as a digital nomad in an RV, together with my red office cat Ollie and for the last 1.5 years with my boyfriend Donny. Who, by the way, I met on the road. By now we have visited 32 countries, we spent a day in China last week and will continue on the ancient Silk Road through Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in the near future. A road trip of epic proportions and high altitudes (up to 4600 meters), but with work shifts, a laptop and starlink at the ready-and the occasional cat that lays down on your keyboard and accidentally sends an email.
Combining travel and work as a digital nomad
I am currently writing this blog on my chair in front of my self-built camper, overlooking the seven bull rocks in Kyrgyzstan (see below). Sounds romantic doesn’t it? It often is. But trust me: the tropical coconut hammock where you laughingly finish your to-do list is usually far from it. This life is also: protecting your work rhythm while also planning a trip including all the visa stress, searching for an hour for a basic need like water, arranging the internet in a deserted valley in Tajikistan and motivating yourself while everyone around you is ‘just vacationing’.
So time to bust the myth of the digital nomad existence in a camper van, and give you an insight into how we do it – with practical tips, hilarious fails and maybe even inspiration to explore Central Asia.
Let me introduce myself: who am I?
My name is Chantal, also known online on socials as @chanti.and.ollie. I’m a freelance online marketer and copywriter specializing in SEO and storytelling for travel and pet businesses. My clients? Small and large companies, with weekly shifts, one-time jobs or monthly assignments. On my own, as long as I have good internet and enough power on the solar panels, I can work wherever I want!
When corona killed my world travel plans in 2020, my then-boyfriend and I decided to change course. We bought an Opel Movano, converted it into a camper and…. I was sold. Not just because travel is great, but mostly because I could take Ollie with me – my red cat, best travel buddy and now seasoned world traveler.
What began as a one-year adventure quickly became a lifestyle. For the first few years I did mostly seasonal work in the winter, hosting a chalet in the Alps for two seasons. Meanwhile, I live full-time and work part-time in a camper. Together with Donny, we converted our current Volkswagen Crafter into a tiny house with pop-up shower, roof terrace, solar panels and … a composting toilet (glamping!).
How does that work, working in an RV?
My workplace? It changes weekly. Sometimes it’s a mountain meadow in Armenia, other times one under the only tree in the blood-warm steppe in Kazakhstan, and occasionally a practical supermarket parking lot. But the basics are always the same: a stable Internet connection, enough power, decent temperatures and a little peace and quiet.
Essentials for the RV office:
- Internet: Until Georgia, I worked with a mifi router With local prepaid card (usually unlimited data). That was fine. Now in Central Asia we switched to the somewhat more expensive starlink. The Starlink mini is standard mounted on the roof and we have the world subscription.
- Solar panels + household battery with considerable power. We have maximum solar panels and a lithium battery. We also charge the household battery while driving.
- Desk at the wheel (Yes, really – a wooden blade that I hang from the handlebars) Although in practice I actually work mostly on the bed.
- Noise-cancelling headphones so you won’t be distracted by the mooing of cows outside the RV.
The secret is in preparation. Before driving into a new country, we check mobile network coverage, buy local SIM cards and make sure water, gas and groceries are in order. Because trust me, nothing is more frustrating than starting your work shift and finding out you’ve run out of water for your much-needed cup of coffee.
Life on the ancient Silk Road – freedom and resourcefulness
From Greece, we traveled through Turkey, Georgia and Armenia, through Russia, toward the “Stan countries”: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. A route full of mountains, tea invitations, endless landscapes and endless border crossings. The biggest challenge with traveling here, compared to my previous years in Europe, is all the planning and arranging. Visas, permits, figuring out itineraries and more. In addition, the distances are all much greater, so there is also, if the roads are somewhat good, work while driving.
The Silk Road takes us along ancient caravan roads, through one of the highest roads in the world – the Pamir Highway and to camping spots where no humans, only a few camels, can be found. Here, remote work actually means working: remote.
But there is much in return:
- Sleeping under the stars in the Kazakh steppe
- Waking up to hot air balloons over Cappadocia
- Skyping with a client while watching your cat fight with a snake in Armenia (really happened!)
- And thousands, thousands of moments when you gratefully realize: I’m just really sitting here
But. how do you motivate yourself?
Good question. Because working where others vacation is not always easy. I know very few overlanders (as you call full-time travelers here), who also work. Most have taken several months or years off, or are already retired. Everyone goes hiking, swimming, visiting bazaars or having drinks by the campfire – and you , you have to turn in your blog.
How I approach that:
- Planning work blocks: I plan the week ahead and make sure I know roughly where and when I work. I occasionally have set shifts, my other work I try to plan around that.
- Logistics before work: First arrange water, groceries, wifi and rest area. Only then start workday. Only then can I really get into my bubble.
- Stimulus-free environment: When I’m working in the RV seat in front of the camper, I’m actually distracted every so often by my cat chasing a beetle, a child trotting on a horse, or a local coming in for a curious chat. Before you know it I’m drinking fermented horse milk in a yurt. For me, working on the road really does mean working in an RV with the door closed, in bed, with a wet and dry drink within reach.
- Flexibility: I am a real evening person! Fortunately, because often driving and adventuring during the day is the most fun. And then at night when the mosquitoes come or it gets dark, the camper door closes anyway. So then I often open my laptop. Two days a week I really plan a working day, spread out over the week. My flexibility is what my clients all appreciate as well. I’m also always available and don’t have a busy Dutch schedule next to it or don’t even know when the weekend is.
- Keep it fun: My work is creative. And the very environment feeds my ideas. I often then don’t stay too long sighing and leaning on a blog, but wait for another creative energy wave to surge through me….
- Discipline: Boring (!!!), but I really have to kick myself often. I also hit the physical and mental brakes at least once a month, when the combination of traveling and working is really too much. Especially when we hang out with other RVers who don’t work, for example.
Yes, social media shows the bright side. But behind that Insta picture sometimes there are tears, because I have deadline stress, but also just want to have a drink with the other RVers. Or getting up at 4 a.m. because a few hours later it’s already 41 degrees in the steppe of Kazakhstan. And becoming very good at saying “no, sorry, I have to work”, especially in social context.
Tips for digital nomads with RV dreams
Do you also dream of working from an RV? Here some tips from my experience:
- Arranging customers. Far away from Holland, arranging clients remotely in a field of work in which you actually have no experience is almost impossible. I myself work in a field I already had experience in, and started with some hours for my old employer, for whom I worked before the trip. So I started with what seemed like a few hours, and slowly built up clients and experience.
- Arrange your internet. Mifi router + local sim card or of course starlink = golden combination. Figure it out well.
- Provide power. Solar panels are your best friend. Invest in a good inverter and charge your household battery through your motor as well.
- Keep doing sales. Especially as an entrepreneur, you have to keep thinking creatively. While traveling, you’re often happy enough when you get your work done, but make an agreement with yourself that you take at least two sales actions per month. That can include account management, so just checking in with your current customers.
- Keep your records. Especially if you are self-employed. Just register neatly with the Chamber of Commerce, pay your taxes on time and keep it organized.
- Be honest with yourself. Can you motivate yourself between travel? Are you an entrepreneur yourself and flexible enough? Or would you rather do seasonal work and work your ass off for a few months, so that after that you can just really travel all the way. Take a critical look at yourself!
- Inform yourself well about living/working in an RV. Think about insurance, letter address, and how to manage your banking and tax affairs.
- Don’t travel too fast. Slow travel works better when you’re also working. And you miss less beauty along the way. Says the person who drove to China in 6 months, so I read this line a few times myself!
What about nomad cat Ollie?
Ollie is my constant factor. He has been traveling with me since the beginning and is now used to mountains, sandy plains, snow and street dogs. He has a passport, GPS tracker, his own pillow, automatic feeder and above all a lot of fans in several countries. He knows exactly when we are going to ride, when to put on his harness, and especially in which places he can score a mouse. His favorite spot? The dashboard – 180-degree view in the sunlight. I couldn’t imagine a nomadic life without him.
Finally, when will this vanlife adventure end?
We don’t know. As long as we are healthy, our family and friends are healthy, not too homesick, have jobs, can travel and Ollie is enjoying himself, we will continue. Maybe someday we’ll find a piece of land where we’ll build something new. Or maybe we’ll just keep roaming. For now: laptop recharged, diesel in the tank, cat on lap – we’ll be on the road to the next place in no time. Want to see more of our life on the road? Then follow me on Instagram & TikTok via @chanti.and.ollie
Read more oflife adventures of digital nomads here
