Katie Macleod
- Katie Macleod has traveled to 79 nations as a digital nomad.
- The 28-year-old graphic designer desires to go to 100 nations before turning 30.
- She explains how she finds work utilizing freelance platforms.
This as-told-to article is predicated on a transcribed dialog with Katie Macleod, a 28-year-old digital nomad who desires to journey to not less than 100 nations before turning 30. It has been edited for size and readability.
I left my job as a graphic designer for an promoting company in London in 2018 to pursue my ardour for journey.
I used to be in Sri Lanka when the pandemic struck, making my goal of visiting 100 nations before turning 30 a bit more of a problem.
I reduced my workload to attempt to hit my goal. Although the pandemic hindered worldwide touring, I used to be capable of keep on the highway after changing a van.
Van life
Katie Macleod
As quickly because the pandemic’s restrictions began easing, I went to Iraqi Kurdistan, Turkey, and Jordan.
Traveling provides me freedom and being a digital nomad means adapting your environment to swimsuit you. If the hotter local weather is now not serving me, I transfer. If a gaggle of people now not make me comfortable, I relocate.
The most tough a part of being a nomad is the shortage of a routine. Surroundings are continuously altering, as are the people, local weather, delicacies, and our living circumstances.
That means nomads have to be decided in the event that they need to keep any sort of routine for consuming, sleeping or understanding. Otherwise you may simply burnout. It would possibly look like one large vacation, however continuously touring could be exhausting.
Finding work and the right stability
Katie Macleod
There are loads of on-line freelancing platforms like Upwork and Fiverr. I’ve also discovered that networking on-line and within digital nomad hotspots is also useful. It’s also develop into a lot simpler for the reason that pandemic.
Plus, I’m not restricted to working in any specific space, so there are lots of timezones, industries, and cultures to select from.
I used to search out it difficult drawing a line between work and journey, nevertheless, particularly when my hours have been versatile. Perhaps I also felt like I needs to be doing more work and subsequently incomes more. Now, I make it possible for I only journey to some locations for a trip versus working too.
Before the pandemic, I discovered that 15 to twenty hours every week was a very good stability between working and touring, and also provided me with sufficient of an revenue. During the pandemic, this went as much as about 40 hours as I wasn’t on the transfer.
I had been to most European nations with family after I was youthful. My van is ready for me at dwelling so after I go back to Scotland. I like the Scottish Highlands and Islands, and go back the each year.
I attempt to go dwelling in the summer season so I could be in the van for a couple of weeks, and even months, at a time.
I’ve visited 79 nations and my goal stays go to 100 before I flip 30.
My end goal is not that “happily ever after.” Rather, I need to benefit from the adventures alongside the way. That doesn’t suggest that I ever have to calm down, however I’ll accomplish that one day. Right now, I can not think about living some other way.