In about two weeks, it will be exactly one year since Angelo and I took the first flight back to the Dominican Republic! Back then we spend two weeks traveling around and picking back up our lives as travel ambassadors and bloggers. Of course, we all know how that trip ended. A month and a half later, we were packing 60 kilos of luggage and starting our lives abroad. Today I take you through a day in my life as a Digital Nomad.
Don’t call it a dream, call it a plan
It was totally unexpected but one of my best decisions ever. Because I’ve never had so much free time as I do now. I can take plenty of time every day to relax, enjoy myself and most importantly do what I love. And how this all works out is a question I do receive on a weekly basis. Therefore, today I will give you an exclusive look into how my day mainly goes. From getting up until when I go to sleep.
We only work in the mornings
This is no doubt why this decision was made. Only in the morning we work from 8 until about 1.30 in the afternoon. This is much less working hours than in Belgium where my day often started at nine and only ended around eight in the evening. Of course, the workload is not less. Much more needs to be completed in fewer hours. But thanks to the sufficient rest we take afterwards, we can continue to work focused every morning.
Why do we only work in the morning? Because that’s when, Belgian time, our customers are the most active. It is then about 1 p.m. and when we stop at 1.30 our time, it is evening in Belgium and the offices are closed. We will, of course, remain available for emails and questions sent in by our clients and Blogzine Academy members. But we will only plan personal coaching in the morning only.
What’s even more fun about these mornings is that we get the chance to work at fun breakfast spots. Since April, we’ve been picking a unique spot every Friday here in the capital of the Dominican Republic. And together with a hot cup of coffee, a healthy breakfast, and our laptop next to us, we work a little longer until it’s officially the weekend!
Go where you feel most alive
Taking time to relax and do what you love is extremely important. Also for me personally and especially after my burnout that I developed at Zara after working there for seven years.
After a working day of about 5 hours we close the laptop and take the time to go for a workout, we get some groceries, possibly plan a shopping trip in our favorite shopping mall, go for a swim or we get our nails and feet taken care of. Everything is possible here!
Of course, we live close to the beach and there are plenty of places here to enjoy the sun and a cocktail. Therefore, every two to three months I treat myself to a short city trip to Las Terrenas. A small town in the north of the island where you can instantly soak up the laid back Ibiza atmosphere and unwind by listening to nature for hours.
What happens when the night falls?
I’m not going to lie. You have great restaurants here with dazzling interiors and menus that will keep your taste buds happy for another week. So it’s not illogical that I love going out to eat. Although, of course, I can’t do that every day (unfortunately). So we often alternate between an evening of Netflix, dinner at a restaurant or cozy cooking at home.
Often the evenings are also the ideal time to continue working for an hour or two on tasks that I like to complete in peace. In Belgium, everyone is asleep at that time, which results in projects that are completed faster after a day of enjoyment. Is that not a double win?
Although, of course, it’s not always all perfect. The pressure to perform sufficiently daily to guarantee your income abroad is sometimes very high. But it still outweighs all the benefits! Do you still have questions? Then contact me privately on Instagram or leave a message in the comments.
