The life of a digital nomad is elusive and mysterious. You may be wondering, who ARE these people, and how did they get themselves into this situation? What do they do for work and what did they study/what experience do they have that got them there? Where do they come from? WHY on earth do they choose to live out of a suitcase? What spawned that decision in the first place?
Well, if you're wondering any of the above things, or just have three minutes to kill, here are five facts about me :)
1) I do marketing and social media strategy for a tech startup, but I never go into the office.
That's right,I'm fully employed (benefits and everything) and stick to US hours no matter what time zone I'm on. When I'm in NYC, I work 9-5pm. When I'm in Guatemala, I work 7-3pm. When I'm in Lisbon, I work 2-10pm. When I'm in South Africa, I work 4pm to midnight. It's crazy, but I have learned to love working odd hours because it gives me MORE free time either before or after work to focus on ME. And I love that :) Since I started working for this job, I have telecommuted from South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa!
2) I've got a degree in Journalism, which helped me get my previous jobs in Digital Marketing, Public Relations, and Magazine Editing
I only say this is a fun fact because a lot of young people, especially college students, ask me what I studied so they can study it too and become digital nomads once they graduate. I am a believer that almost any job will eventually be able to be a remote position, but for now I would say Journalism is still a good choice. Pic of me with the first magazine issue I ever published!
3) I was born in Boston & lived in (a dark apartment in) NYC for 3+ years after I graduated.
I loved (I will always love) New York, and when I was in my young twenties it was the best place on earth that I could imagine. Eventually though, I started noticing more and more that my apartment was dark and my job was just OK... See #4:
4) In 2013 I left everything behind to go teach English in Thailand
The best part about this fun fact, is that I never taught English. Shortly after I arrived (I'm talking, like, within two weeks of job hunting) I scored a job as the Editor in Chief of an English-Language real estate magazine. I loved it so much I ended up working and living in Bangkok for two years. I believe I got the job because I was in the right place at the right time, and while that may sound like luck, actually I attribute that to being brave enough to just F*ing going out there. No, I didn't stay there forever, but I consider it the best experience of my life.
5) I am very, very serious about my bucket list.
I made it when I was 20 after I drunkenly dove into a pool, hit my head, and broke my neck... As a result of that stupid move, I had to wear a neck brace and was depressed for months. It was definitely a tough time to go through, but I made the bucket list when I started to feel okay again, and I can now say that overall, the injury changed my life for the better, 100%. Follow me on Instagram to see more! http://www.instagram.com/christabellatravels