c/digital-nomad-life

Sat in a coworking space in Medellín and noticed something odd about how I spend my mornings

Last month I was at a coworking spot in El Poblado, Medellín, and I realized I start every day checking emails and Slack before I even look out the window. It hit me that I've been doing this for three years since I went remote, and I can't remember a single urgent message that changed my life. Meanwhile, I saw this guy next to me reading a physical book over coffee for a full hour before he opened his laptop. I asked him about it and he said he's been doing that since he started traveling two years ago. It made me think about how much of my "efficiency" is just automatic behavior I never questioned. Has anyone else found a small morning habit that actually shifted how they work and feel during the day?

Panama City last month taught me why coworking spaces matter

I was in Panama City last month working from my hostel lobby. The WiFi dropped every 20 minutes and I had a client call at 2pm. I scrambled to a coworking space called Selina on a whim. Paid $15 for a day pass and got fiber optic internet plus a quiet room. Has anyone else had a last minute coworking save a deadline?

Why does nobody talk about how bad 5G can be in smaller European cities?

I used to assume fast internet was a given everywhere in the EU until I got to Porto last month and my mobile hotspot dropped to 2 Mbps during a Zoom call with a client. Now I check coverage maps before booking any Airbnb, not just the listing's claimed wifi speed. Has anyone else found a reliable way to test real-world speeds ahead of time?

Got drenched in a monsoon in Chiang Mai while on a Zoom call with a client

I set up my laptop on a covered balcony thinking I was safe, but the rain blew sideways and soaked my keyboard mid-sentence. The client just watched me panic unplug everything while pretending nothing was wrong. Anyone else have a work setup fail spectacularly because of weather?

Finally had a flawless digital nomad day after 6 months of chaos in Medellin

Last Tuesday I woke up at 6 am, hit my 4 hour deep work block before lunch, had stable WiFi at a cafe in Laureles for once, and finished a project two days early, so how do you celebrate those rare perfect days without jinxing the next one?

Coworking space hype finally got me, and it actually worked out

I spent 6 months working from cafes in Chiang Mai before I gave in and tried a proper coworking spot like Punspace. Turns out having consistent wifi and a quiet desk cut my work time by almost 2 hours a day. Has anyone else here been burned by a coworking space that was all hype?

Just changed my mind about coworking spaces after a conversation at a cafe in Chiang Mai

TIL coworking spaces aren't for me after a talk with a freelancer in Portugal

I was in Lisbon last month at this big coworking spot called Second Home. Been doing the digital nomad thing for about 2 years now, always in cafes or hostels. This guy named Marco sat next to me and saw me struggling with Zoom calls in a loud room. He told me he rents a tiny apartment with a desk and a fast router for $400 a month instead of paying for coworking. Said his productivity went up 50% when he stopped trying to be social while working. I tried his method for a week and actually got more done. Anyone else ditch coworking spaces for a quiet room instead?

Pro tip: stop booking the cheapest hostels for coworking

For the first 2 years of this lifestyle, I always grabbed the 15 dollar dorm bed so I could save for nice dinners. Last month in Chiang Mai I finally splurged on a 40 dollar private room with a desk. Turns out I was spending 3 extra hours a day hunting for coffee shops with good wifi, which was killing my 5pm deadline. Now I finish work by 2 and actually explore the city. Anybody else find that cheap sleep costs more in lost time?

Just learned nomads are averaging 3.2 cities per year now

I was reading that new State of Digital Nomads report from last month and it said the average nomad moves between 3.2 cities yearly now. That surprised me because back in 2019 when I started, most people I knew were staying 3-6 months in one spot. I guess coworking passes and coliving spaces made it way easier to bounce around faster. Anyone else feel like the scene got way more transient compared to a few years ago?

Spent 6 hours trying to print a boarding pass at a cafe in Chiang Mai

The wifi kept cutting out every 2 minutes and the printer jammed on page 3. By the time I got it, my coworking day pass had expired. Anyone else waste a whole afternoon on simple admin tasks abroad?

Got kicked out of a cafe in Chiang Mai yesterday and it changed how I work

I was at this quiet spot near Nimman, had been there 4 hours, and the owner just came over and told me I had to leave because I was "taking up a table for too long." I had no backup plan, so I spent 45 minutes wandering with my laptop trying to find a place with wifi and a seat. Ended up at a coworking space for 200 baht and honestly, the internet was way faster and I got more done in 3 hours than I had all week. Has anyone else had a cafe owner call you out like that?

Been nomading since 2018 and coworking spaces feel totally different now

Back then everyone was just coding or doing freelance writing, but now I swear half the people are running full video production rigs or taking client calls on speakerphone. Has anyone else noticed the vibe shift from quiet focus to chaotic content creation hubs?

Warning: I hit 50 cities in 18 months and it broke me in a weird way

I started out strong. First 20 cities were exciting, new cafes, new views, new Wi-Fi passwords. Around city 35 I stopped taking pictures of my desk setups. By city 45 I was eating instant noodles in my Airbnb because I couldn't be bothered to find a decent restaurant. The number that surprised me was 27 - that's how many times I had to explain my job to a stranger at a hostel. It wears you down faster than you think. Has anyone else hit a travel milestone that made them want to just stay put for a while?

Key broke off in my hostel locker lock in Bangkok last night - had to climb out a window to get breakfast

Took me and two other guests over an hour with pliers from the front desk to fish out the broken piece, and now I'm wondering if I should just switch to a padlock with a flat key instead of those round ones that snap so easily - has anyone else dealt with this while bouncing between hostels?

Took me 3 months to figure out my Wi-Fi was fighting with my monitor arm

I kept losing connection in these random cafes across Medellin. Changed SIM cards, bought a booster, blamed the cafe owners. Finally found out my laptop's Wi-Fi antenna was blocked by the metal arm of my portable monitor stand. Shoved it behind the screen to save desk space. Moved it out 4 inches and boom, full bars. Has anyone else had a stupid hardware conflict like this that had nothing to do with the actual internet?

Bali coworking spaces are overrated unless you like paying $8 for a smoothie

I spent two weeks at a place in Canggu and the wifi dropped three times during a single client call, plus the coffee was worse than what I make at my hostel for free.

Hit my 50th country last week and nobody cared

I crossed into my 50th country last Tuesday while working from a coffee shop in Tbilisi, Georgia, and the only person who noticed was the barista who asked if I wanted oat milk. I have been tracking this goal for nearly 4 years of nomadic life and expected some kind of fanfare or at least a personal sense of victory, but instead I just finished a Slack message and ordered a second latte. Does hitting a big travel milestone feel less meaningful when you are alone, or is that just part of the deal out here?

Bought into the hype about coworking passes in Medellin and now I'm kicking myself

I dropped $200 on a month pass at this trendy spot in El Poblado and the WiFi drops every 20 minutes. Am I the only one who thinks these places are just overpriced Instagram traps?

Spent $250 on a portable monitor for cafes in Lisbon and it was either genius or a total waste

It works great for coding and spreadsheets but I feel kinda ridiculous hauling it around. Are there better setups for working mobile that don't scream 'look at my gear'?

Last week a guy in a coworking space in Chiang Mai told me I was overpaying for my VPN by $10 a month

He showed me his setup with some encrypted DNS thing and a free tier service. I've been paying $15 a month for three years. Has anyone else found a solid free or cheaper setup that actually works for remote work?

Three days to find a printer that worked in a Moroccan cafe

I landed in Taghazout last month thinking I could just pop into any cafe and print some client invoices. Big mistake. The first place had a printer that only worked if you pressed the paper tray at a 45 degree angle. The second place said they could print but then handed me a receipt on thermal paper that faded in an hour. I spent three entire afternoons going from cafe to co-working space to internet shop. Finally found a guy running a corner store who had a laser printer from 2005 that chugged along like a tank. Cost me 20 dirhams and a cup of mint tea to get 12 pages. Has anyone else had to hunt down basic office stuff in random towns?

Showerthought: My cousin the hostel manager said most nomads burn out in 8 months, and I'm at month 7 now

She said they get lonely around month 6 and start chasing flights instead of experiences, now I'm wondering if I should sign a lease somewhere for a few months instead of bouncing again - has anyone else hit that wall and actually stayed put?

Overheard a coworker in a Bali cafe say working from home is the same as being a digital nomad

I was sitting at a spot in Ubud last week catching up on emails when this guy at the next table told his friend that working from his apartment in Chicago is basically the same life as hopping between hostels in Southeast Asia. I nearly choked on my iced coffee. He talked about how he can wear pajamas and take breaks whenever he wants, but he has never dealt with finding a reliable WiFi spot in a random town or figuring out time zones for client calls on the fly. Has anyone else run into people who think being remote and being a real nomad are the same thing?

Overheard a guy in Bali say coworking spaces are dead

Got coffee at a cafe in Ubud last week and some digital nomad told his friend that coworking spaces are pointless now because everyone just works from hostels or cafes. He said he saved $150 a month ditching his desk membership. Anyone else notice coworking spaces emptying out in popular nomad hubs?