Globetrotting Gracefully: Embracing the Digital Nomad Life and Conquering New Horizons
1. What inspired you to become a digital nomad and embark on this journey of traveling across various countries?
Traveling has always intrigued me. I've learnt a lot during all my traveling experiences throughout my life. But what truly inspired me was a colleague/dear friend who became a digital nomad during the pandemic. It was the right time to do what I love doing career wise while experiencing the world. I decided to take the leap of faith and pack up my apartment in San Francisco to travel the world. I thought to myself, worst case scenario I’ll get bored of it in 6 months and rent an apartment again in downtown San Francisco, there’s nothing to lose.
It’s been almost 3 years and I have never been happier.
2. Can you share some of the most memorable experiences from your travels through 14 countries in the past three years?
It's so hard to pick some because every place is beautiful in its own way but if I had to pick, here are my top 3 favorite experiences:
Taking a private long tail boat at 5AM to watch the sunrise at Maya Bay in Thailand. I haven’t seen anything as magnificent as Maya Bay. The turquoise blue waters and the soft white sand beach is just dreamy and out of this world. I remember having the entire beach to myself where I meditated for a little bit and journaled about how grateful I am to live this life and experience mama earth the way I do.
Zip-lining the monster in Toro Verde, Puerto Rico. Monster zip line is the longest zip line in America, with a 2.5km (2530m, 8300ft, 1.57mi) cable, equivalent to 28 football fields. It overlooks the beautiful and incredible views of the rain forests of Puerto Rico. What an absolutely amazing, exhilarating and adrenaline filled experience!
Doing the unforgettable bucket list trip to Machu Picchu by taking one of the most luxurious train rides in the world. Hiram Bingham train provides 5-star service, fun, gourmet meals, and expertly handles your entire voyage to Machu Picchu. It was an unparalleled adventure, showcasing awe-inspiring panoramic vistas which has been one of the biggest highlights of my travels.
3. How do you balance your work as a digital creator with the constant movement and exploration of new places?
It was a long process of learning from my experiences and observing what works well for me as an individual. Few things that I have figured out balance a work-life balance are:
I call myself a digital slo-mad because I learnt that moving around too much is never a good idea. I slow travel and immerse myself more deeply into each country/culture I visit. I get an airbnb for a month at each destination and make it my home so I can do focused work and rest well after long days. I also dedicate some days to capturing content and other days to staying away from screens.
I take at least one week to get used to a new time zone before I make any plans. It's important for me to be able to work asynchronously and be fully focused no matter where I am.
Lastly, I have learnt how to spend time alone and be productive. I have mastered using tripods and self-timer to capture content while solo traveling. I also love meeting new people and I don't shy away from asking them to take my pictures/videos with very specific instructions.
4. What are some of your favorite destinations for luxury travel, and what makes them stand out?
Paris, France and Danang, Vietnam are my top two favorites for luxury travels.
Paris is wonderful with all the fancy French food and amazing Michelin star restaurants. The Ritz Bar and Jean Imbert restaurant are my favorites in Paris.
Danang Vietnam, is a beach city in Vietnam that is unlike anywhere I have ever been. The city has amazing nightlife and a gorgeous peninsula overlooking incredible views. The intercontinental sun peninsula resort is my absolute favorite.
5. How do you discover and choose the cafes and food experiences that you share on your platform?
I do a lot of research before I plan an itinerary. Although it feels like one month is a long time, it’s not when you want to squeeze in various different experiences. I research on instagram, refer to a ton of itineraries online, follow the Michelin guide site and the 50 best bars site to decide where I can grab reservations while in a particular city. Aribnb experience is one of my favorite and safest ways to book experiences as well as meeting new people. I have also stayed at Selinas in central and South America for weekend trips and have met a ton of other solo travelers.
6. What tips can you offer to those who aspire to adopt a similar digital nomad lifestyle?
As fun as it looks, the digital nomad life is not easy. It gets lonely very often and it’s tough to detach from people and places as you navigate through different countries. Having a good income rolling in every month is crucial to living this life so the first step would be to find a remote job that you love. Second step would be to take the leap of faith and pack up your apartment so you don’t have to pay monthly rent. Cutting down on your regular costs related to your city life makes the digital nomad life comfortable and justifiable. And finally, embrace the fact that change is the only constant in life. Accepting that fact makes the nomad life really easy and makes one open minded to welcome all kinds of new experiences.
7. How has living in India influenced your perspective on travel and lifestyle?
I grew up in India and moved to America when I was 24. Both these countries have made me who I am today and taught me some really good life lessons. Growing up in India has instilled in me the sincerity and discipline to achieve my big dreams. I trained 8 years in Indian Classical dance as a kid which has helped me find structure and productivity in everything I do. And the past 10 years in the US have taught me that if I combine discipline and sincerity with hard work and clarity, I can achieve pretty much anything I put my heart into. All of this is to say that I work hard and I play hard, that’s the biggest secret to my happy digital nomad life.
8. Can you share some challenges you've faced as a digital nomad and how you've overcome them?
I have been a nomad for almost 3 years and here are some things I stopped doing:
Having the Fomo while being in a new city/country. I learnt the hard way to never make plans during work hours. I love what I do and I want to continue building a stellar career for myself so I need zero distractions. Weekdays are strictly for working and I don’t care if I miss out on some things in a new country.
Staying in unsafe places that are cheap or have bad internet. Both these things give me anxiety and take away the fun of it all. It’s not worth saving money in exchange for your peace of mind so I always make sure I find the safest neighborhood to live while traveling and I always triple check the internet speed before I book anything.
Deprioritizing my health. Health is wealth. Nothing comes in the way of eating my fruits, veggies, proteins and working out everyday. I always find places that have close access to organic groceries as well as a gym on the property or within walking distance.
These are some of the best ways to survive the digital nomad life for the long term.
9. What are your strategies for planning your travels and ensuring a fulfilling yet manageable journey?
I do some pre-planning and post prepping for all my trips.
Pre-planning:
When planning a new destination, I usually start with finding a cozy and comfortable home base for a month. I have a list of 15 questions in my notes that I have built over the years, which I send to a few shortlisted airbnb owners beforehand to make sure it checks my needs. Once I finalize an airbnb, I find out some of the weekend getaways I can do. That way, I can leave all my stuff at the home base and travel with a backpack over the weekends.
Post Prepping:
Once I check in to my airbnb, I unpack everything just like I do in my own apartment. This makes settling in super easy. After unpacking, I’ll usually find a nearby grocery store and stock my kitchen with fruits, coffee, milk and other basic things I need to make my own lunches at home while working on weekdays.
Both pre-planning and post-prepping makes the overall experience very manageable.
10. Are there any upcoming destinations or projects that you are particularly excited about?
YES!! I am super excited to do some of my very first few brand collaborations. I just hit 10K on instagram and so I am grateful to see some of the brands trusting in me and my content making.
Professionally, my startup just got acquired by a big corporate company. It’s been a very rewarding journey and I am pumped to see where it takes me in the future.
And finally, travel wise, I am heading to the Philippines for New year’s eve and early January 2024. And then I am doing a week in Singapore in mid January. Also, planning Europe travels for early summer. I literally CANNOT WAIT!!
