With travel becoming cheaper, less expensive and more people on the move now than ever before there has been a rise in travel-related gadgets to help make your journeys more relaxing and enjoyable. From

[easyazon_link identifier=”B00WU3XWC8″ locale=”US” tag=”nerdtrav-20″ popups=”n”]portable battery chargers[/easyazon_link] to

[easyazon_link identifier=”B0082E9K7U” locale=”US” tag=”nerdtrav-20″ popups=”n”]portable speakers[/easyazon_link], there are many devices to choose from. But today we are going to be delving into travel pillows.

Travel pillows have been around for a while and when you say the word travel pillow all most people think of is simple travel pillows, like the one pictured above. While there is nothing wrong with them and if you are on a budget and looking for a cheap travel pillow that is reasonably comfortable then something like 

[easyazon_link identifier=”B004UB056E” locale=”US” tag=”nerdtrav-20″]Travelmate memory foam neck pillow[/easyazon_link] can be a good choice. However in the age of travel gadget innovation we live in, there are now a lot more innovative and comfortable travel pillow options to suit your travel style.

Ostrich Travel Pillow & Ostrich Pillow Light

First on the list of best travel pillow has to be one of my favourite travel pillow design’s The Ostrich Pillow & Ostrich Pillow Light. With its revolutionary design, the Ostrich Pillow aims to let you nap in any location. Offering its wearer’s a little bit of private space within a public one, giving them a chance to unwind i the busiest of places.

Although Ostrich Pillow might look a bit alienesque with its two holes on the top. It’s built for function, allowing the wearer to rest their hands snuggly inside when having a nap on a desk, or aeroplane tray table.

For those a little intimidated by the Ostrich Pillow’s cumbersome otherworldly appearance, there is a small more lightweight version called the Ostrich Pillow Light which has less of an alien vibe.

Sporting a variety of wearable options from an adjustable neck support with the elastic drawstring to an oversized sleeping mask. It’s even filled with soft silicon covered micro-beads to help reduce outside noise and help you get some much-needed slumber while on the road.

 

Pros:

• Multiple applications (Head pillow/eye mask, neck support/scarf, Hand warmer)
• Noise reduction from silicon beads.
• Snug & Cosy, like a hug for your head
• Great talking point when travelling helping you meet new people.
• If an alien invasion happens, you will be able to blend in.

Cons:

• Looks a bit alienesque, especially the non-light version.
• Bit bulky compared to other travel pillows, especially the non-light version.
• Price is a bit higher compared to other travel pillows
• Not made for ostriches like the name suggests

Available on Amazon for $100 for the

[easyazon_link identifier=”B00B4S6SLW” locale=”US” tag=”nerdtrav-20″]Ostrich Pillow[/easyazon_link] & $45 for the

[easyazon_link identifier=”B00NM9HO3W” locale=”US” tag=”nerdtrav-20″]Ostrich Pillow Light[/easyazon_link]

Cabeau Evolution Luxury Memory Foam Travel Pillow

Next on the best travel pillow list is a geeky gadget lovers dream. The Cabeau Evolution Luxury Memory Foam Travel Pillow not only has super comfy memory foam that supports your neck and head.

The pillow also has a handy pocket to hold your phone or mp3 player so you don’t have to worry about it crashing to the floor when you fall asleep. When not in use it compresses down to 1/4 of its size and fits in a small water repellent bag. It also comes with a free set of ear plugs to block out unwanted noise.

Pros:

• Removable washable cover
• Free Earplugs
• Water repellent storage bag
• Comfortable memory foam
• Great neck support
• Pack’s down small when not being used.

Cons:

• Hard to use with big headphones
• Memory Foam can get hot compared to inflatable pillows
• Pouch doesn’t fit some bigger modern phones
• Even when compressed down to 1/4 of size it’s still bulky compared to other travel pillows

Price: The

[easyazon_link identifier=”B004ZIDXK2″ locale=”US” tag=”nerdtrav-20″]Cabeau Evolution Luxury Memory Foam Travel Pillow[/easyazon_link] is available on Amazon for $39.99

TravelRest Ultimate Inflatable Travel Pillow

Next up on our hunt for the best travel pillow is one of the inflatable variety. The TravelRest pillow is a travel pillow with a twist. Not only can this be used as a pillow but it is the only pillow to also provide full lateral support for your upper body. Meaning there is less chance of the pillow slipping, allowing you to relax and fall asleep longer.

Being an inflatable pillow this makes for the perfect choice for suitcase conscious travellers who are short on space,

Pros:

• Super light weight and compact
• Offers full upper body support unlike most travel pillows
• Supports both your head and neck
• Gives you something to hug when alone on those long bus or plane journeys.
• Easy to inflate (3-4 puffs)
• Can be used in many different positions

Cons:

• Doesn’t cover your eyes or ears unlike the Ostrich Pillow
• Can sometimes be hard to keep in place.
• Pillow is one sided
• Can be a little bit bulky when fully inflated compared to other travel pillows

Price: The

[easyazon_link identifier=”B001DYDAEK” locale=”US” tag=”nerdtrav-20″]TravelRest Ultimate Inflatable Travel Pillow[/easyazon_link] sells for $29.99 on Amazon

Trtl Travel Pillow

Up next on the best travel pillow list, Is it a pillow or is it a scarf? The Trtl travel pillow takes a different approach than most conventional U-shaped pillows, offering great neck support and scientifically proven to hold your neck in a better position than traditional U-shaped pillows, resulting in a better sleep without the stiff neck that usually follows from sleeping while in transit. It also has the added benefit of being super light and keeping your neck warm and cosy on those cold long haul overnight flights or buses.

Pros:

• Very small and lightweight compared to other travel pillows
• Easily washable
• Doesn’t slowly compress, or deflate like memory foam or inflatable travel pillows
• Great neck support
• Can place scarf over nose and mouth to limit breathing in germs.
• Customizable to support your neck height.
• Can use it to look like a ninja

Cons:

• Can require a little tweaking to setup
• Can be uncomfortable with big noise cancelling headphones.
• Acrylic fabric it’s made out of  can get hot

Price: The

[easyazon_link identifier=”B00LB7REFK” locale=”US” tag=”nerdtrav-20″]TRTL Travel Pillow[/easyazon_link] sells for about $24.99 on Amazon

Hoodie Pillow

Last up on this best travel pillow roundup is the Hoodie Pillow. Part inflatable pillow part hoodie, this travel pillow hybrid made out of sweatshirt material combines all the comfort of a travel pillow with the coolness of wearing a hoodie. The hood with it’s two adjustable drawstring helps to give you a little privacy and comfort around your head while the U-shaped inflatable pillow supports your neck.

Pros:

• Compact and lightweight
• Hood can be used to cover eyes
• Gives privacy
• Not as hot as other memory foam travel pillows
• Can match your sweatshirt for the fashion conscious

Cons:

• Inflatable pillow isn’t as comfortable as other foam pillows
• Reports of the pillow being a bit small
• Sweatshirt material is prone to get holes more quickly than other fabrics
• Can’t remove the cover, to wash.

Price: The

[easyazon_link identifier=”B00BZLYVSU” locale=”US” tag=”nerdtrav-20″]Hoodie Pillow[/easyazon_link] is on Amazon for $19.99

Overall

So what get’s my vote for best travel pillow? That’s a tough one, for short term trips and everyday use I love the

[easyazon_link identifier=”B00NM9HO3W” locale=”US” tag=”nerdtrav-20″ popups=”n”]ostrich pillow light[/easyazon_link], it’s cool alienesque design is something I really dig and I think would make a great talking point. That and its noise reduction abilities from its silicon beads is a great feature.

However seeing as I travel carry-on only when going on long trips, so having things small and compact is very important. I’d have to say that it’s hard to go past the

[easyazon_link identifier=”B00LB7REFK” locale=”US” tag=”nerdtrav-20″ popups=”n”]Trtl Travel Pillow[/easyazon_link]. Not only is it small and lightweight but it could also keep my neck warm when on long overnight bus’s and flights which I take a lot. Just couple it with

[easyazon_link identifier=”B004K09H32″ locale=”US” tag=”nerdtrav-20″ popups=”n”]noise cancelling earbuds[/easyazon_link], some killer tunes and an

[easyazon_link identifier=”B00GSO1D9O” locale=”US” tag=”nerdtrav-20″ popups=”n”]eye mask[/easyazon_link] and you’ve got a great combination for a good nights sleep.

Thanks for sharing this on Pinterest

What do you look for when choosing a travel pillow? What’s your favourite travel pillow when travelling? I’d love to hear what you all think in the comments below!

Disclaimer: This post has Amazon affiliate links in it, meaning that any purchases through these links will help to the running of this site and to deliver more amazing nerdy content to you all.

So you’ve got your backpack packed, and a bunch of cash in your bank account and are ready to go on a long epic adventure that rivals that of Frodo Baggins journey to Mordor to destroy the one ring.

But where will you go? While travelling Eastern Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand and North America are very attractive and fun options and can certainly be done in a more budget manner. The reality is you are going to get a lot more bang for your buck if you head to cheaper countries where you get a lot more value for you money and are a lot more suited to long term budget travel.

Some popular budget travel destinations include

Asia
This includes Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, India and Nepal (Just to name a handful)

Cheaper parts of Europe
Especially in the east, including Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, the Balkan countries and even the far northern countries of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to name a few.

Latin America
One of my favorite long-term backpacking destinations, Latin America is great for making your money last, especially if you avoid the most pricey countries like Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Costa Rica.

If you’d like to read more about how cheap it can be to travel on the cheap in Latin America check out some of my post’s from my 5 and half month trip through Central and South America.

Getting About

One of the biggest expenses to any holiday is transportation. Whether you are booking flights, bus’s or trains, being budget savvy in your choices can make a lot of difference in the long run.

Sure deciding to take a 1-hour flight instead of a 7-hour bus for only an extra $50 USD might seem like a no-brainer on a short holiday, but when you are travelling in a cheap location like Southeast Asia where you are spending less than $5-$10 a night for your accommodation and moving between locations every week. Over the course of 5 month’s that $50 is going to add up to almost $1000 and means you could travel for an extra month just by sacrificing a bit more of your time and comfort.

Some great transportation money saving tips include:

Cheaper and longer 
Take cheaper, less expensive modes of transport to cut down your transportation expenses.

Take Night Bus’s
When booking bus’s try to go for the night bus’s, not only will you not waste your day in a bus, but you also won’t have to pay for accommodation that night #winning

Travel like a local
Take the local bus instead of private coaches. Not only will you save a shit load of money but you will also get to experience a bit more of the local culture and get some interesting stories to tell along the way.

Stretch those legs and walk
When exploring a city walk instead of taking a taxi or a bus. Want to visit that temple, but it’s a 45-minute walk away? Instead of taking a bus or taxi just walk there instead. Not only will you save money but you will also get to explore a bit of the city and come across things you otherwise wouldn’t have seen.

Where You Sleep

Another significant expense when travelling is your accommodation. While staying in a luxury 5-star hotel room might be a fun splurge for a short weekend getaway. However on a long trip, your accommodation expenses are going to add up.

When travelling on a budget, I prefer to stay in hostels. Hostel prices are usually 3-5x lower than a hotel, and while you may have to sacrifice your privacy and personal space a bit and share a room with other people, it’s a great way of not only keeping your expenses down but also meeting other like-minded budget travelers.

Another great option is CouchSurfing, which allows you to crash on people’s couches for free.

For when you do need a bit of a break from shared accommodation, booking a private room in a hostel can be a great option or even Airbnb is a lot cheaper than booking a hotel room.

To summarize

• Stay in hostel dorm rooms (The more people in a room, the more you save)
• When you want a private room, Airbnb is a great alternative to booking a hotel.
• Couch Surfing is a great free way to not only get a couch or bed to sleep in for free but also meet locals.

What You Eat & Drink

When travelling for many of us, myself included sampling the local cuisine when in a new country or city is one of the highlights of my travels.

While indulging in a delicious sit-down restaurant style meal with a glass of fancy wine is great, doing that for every meal is going to eat a serious hole in your pocket (ooooh see what I did there)

Some great way’s to keep your stomach and your wallet full while on the road include.

Eating where the locals eat.
Especially when travelling in South East Asia and Latin America, If you avoid the main tourist restaurants and head to local markets or food shacks you are going to save a lot of money and might even meet some locals.

Cook your own food
This has to be one of my favorite long term budget travel tips. Many hostels and Airbnb rooms include a kitchen where you can knock up a quick lunch or breakfast for a quarter of the price that it would cost you to buy it from a restaurant or cafe. It might seem like much but saving just a few dollars on breakfast every day over a five-month trip can really add up and give you extra money to either extend your trip or splurge on a fancy restaurant meal.

Take away is generally cheaper than eating at a restaurant.
Grabbing a slice of pizza, kebab or sandwich from a cafe is usually a lot cheaper than going in for a sit-down restaurant meal.

Drink Smart
When it comes to alcohol, I’d recommend sticking to local beers or spirits as they are a lot cheaper than the imports. There is nothing wrong with a cheeky bit of pre-drinking before you go out on the town to get your night started and keep your drink spending low.

Going on an organized pub crawl is also another way to not only get cheaper priced drinks and free shots but also meet some awesome people in the process.

Tours and Activities

When it comes to sightseeing and activities, there are many ways to keep your expenses down, while still seeing a lot of what each destination has to offer.

These include

Going on group tours instead of private ones
While being on a private tour generally mean’s you get a lot more personalized experience and can see more things, it usually comes at a much higher price. Going on a group tour is a lot cheaper, and you might even meet some cool people along the way. Also, when it comes to booking tours try to book directly through tour operators and not through your hotel or hostel at the cheapest rates.

Go on the free walking tours
In a lot of cities, especially those in Europe there are free walking tours. It’s a great way to see the city for cheap and although they expect a small tip. It works out a lot cheaper than going on a paid tour.

Book tours when arriving in a city not before
While booking in advance online or through a tour operator may give you peace of mind. Booking in advance or through a third party is more expensive. For the lowest price’s wait until you are in the city or to the last minute to book your tours. This will give you a lot more bargaining power and often result in getting tours at a lot lower prices. Another great tip is to try and get a few people together from your hostel and get a group discount.

 

At the end of the day, a long term budget travel is a bit of a balancing act, and everyone has different preferences on what to skimp or splurge their money on.

I know for me I’d rather sleep in a 30-bed dorm room in a hostel if it means having a bit more extra money to spend on drinks at the bar. Where other people prefer to splurge on a private room and cut back in other areas.  The most important thing to remember is at the end of the day it’s your holiday, and how you spend and save your money is completely up to you, it’s your holiday after all.

I’d love to hear from you all what are your top long term budget travel tips to make your money stretch further.

However, unfortunately, this did not come without sacrifice. Although I had found work and was earning enough to support myself. The reality was that I pretty much spent the entire time doing 50-70 hr weeks living in coffee shops and stressing about money, work and what I was going to do next. Ultimately this left me completely unbalanced and burnt out.

Digital Nomad Life 2.0

Learning from My First 3 Months As a Digital Nomad, This time round I am doing things a little different.  Firstly I am taking more than two month’s money (Over 5 months worth) . While sure it is true that you don’t need much money to start out as a digital nomad (especially in Asia), and it is true low money can be a great motivator to give you that push you to need to hustle and do things you otherwise wouldn’t. However it goes both ways, You can have all the freedom in the world but if you don’t have any money the reality is your options will be very limited, and you will probably be stressed out and worried about trying to make money short term instead of focusing on your longer passions.

On this next trip I want to focus on balance. This is something I have struggled with my whole life, especially over the last few years. I seem to either be on long extended backpacking trips, relaxing on the beach and being carefree or I am stuck working 50+ hour weeks at a desk job I dislike.Even during my time in as a digital nomad in Chiang Mai where I was surrounded by amazing sights and people I was working 50+ hr weeks and lived my entire week stressed in a coffee shop in front of a laptop.

Future Plans & Finding Balance

Which brings me to my next adventure, I’m really excited to be heading to DNX digital nomad conference in Bangkok in early March where I can reconnect with my digital nomad tribe and catch up with  friends and work more on the online money making side of things. I even managed to fit in a 24 hr stopover in Singapore on the way.

After Bangkok, I have no set plans. However, I know that I want to take a break and get back in touch with travelling again. I have loose plans to check out India for a couple of months and focus on my spiritual and adventurous side (I have been really getting into yoga and meditation lately).

However as always these plans are completely open to change. For me the true beauty and fun of travel and life as an independent location nomad is just taking life as it comes and going with the flow.

I look forward to sharing my future adventures with you all and I have an exciting new post on the way about how I’ve downsized from 60L main pack + 33L day pack to travelling with a 38L carry-on only.

Wow! it really is surreal looking back at this list of adventures and achievements. It’s sometimes so easy to forget how far you have come and what you have achieved until you take a chance to stop, take a breath and reflect.

The Bad Times

But although there were lots of good times there have certainly been lots of not so good times along the way. So often when reading travel blogs and articles online as readers we see glamorous stories of how X person left their 9-5 job to travel free around the world  experiencing all the amazing things in life with no real struggles or negative aspects. As great as these positive stories are and while they are motivational, most of them don’t feel don’t feel real and a lot of the time only show the positive side of travel with no reflection of the sacrifices made, or both the external and internal struggles people face and have had to overcome on these journeys.

When I started this blog, I always said that I would be honest with my readers and not only post about my victories but post about my defeats as well. Because for me going through and dealing with the bad times has helped me discover more about myself and grow more as a person than any of the good times.

One of the biggest persistent struggles I have faced since I embarked on a journey of constant travel and nomadism is not having a consistent group of close friends or one true place that really feels at home, resulting in my fair share of loneliness.

While it’s true that I have made countless friends in my travels around the world, all of which I hold very dear to me and am grateful for. However, the reality is that most people you meet while traveling you will only get to know them on a surface level before having to part ways on your own separate paths. Sure you stay in touch over Facebook, and you catch up when your path’s cross. But it’s still not the same as having that close-knit group of close friends that know you well like you are used to having when you are based in one place.

Money and lack thereof. Over the last few years, money has been an ever constant worry and obstacle. While travelling on a budget definitely does help your money stretch further the reality is when you’re travelling for an extended period of time and even living a nomadic working lifestyle money really becomes your biggest obstacle. On more than a few occasions in the past few years, I have been down less than $50 USD to my name. While these have mostly been as a result of taking more chances and trusting that things would work out.  However it can be hard to enjoy your travels and amazing people around you when your concerned how you are going to eat next week.

The path towards digital nomadism and a non-conventional travel lifestyle is a hard one. As appealing as it sounds to live the life of working remotely from your laptop in an exotic location while you get to lounge on the beach and sip cocktails.  While this is true to a certain extent in that being a digital nomad does grant you the freedom to travel to many amazing locations. But the reality for a digital nomad especially starting out, at least in my case is that you will be spending ALOT of time stuck in your room or a coffee shop in front of a laptop. During my first three months as a digital nomad in Chiang Mai I was struggling for money and having a real internal struggle trying to find out what digital path I wanted to pursue. This resulted in me spending between 50-60 hours most weeks on my laptop working for very little pay or actively seeking work.

More freedom = more choices = paralyzing indecision

Anyone who know’s me will know that I am possibly one of the most indecisive people you will ever meet; this is intensified when travelling on a completely open schedule. While having the freedom to travel almost anywhere and follow whatever career pursuit you so desire is an amazing thing.  It certainly makes’s the whole decision-making the process a lot harder. Especially when posed with the frequent decision on where to live, where to travel to next and what to do career wise. While this certainly is a very #FirstWorldProblem, it’s something I have been constantly wrestling with on my adventures.

What I’ve learnt

Good and bad times aside what I’ve learnt and come to appreciate about the last few years is that through all those amazing destinations I have visited and experiences I have had (even the bad ones). They wouldn’t have meant anything if it wasn’t for all the truly amazing people I have met along the way and have been by my side. From the hundreds of fun, adventurous backpacker friends  I have met in hostels. To the fellow travel bloggers and digital nomads I have met at conference’s and through this blog, who not only have helped guide me on my path towards my dreams of a life of digital nomadism. But also been there for me as friends through some of the rougher times.

And lastly, of course, all of the amazing followers and people who have followed and visited my blog over the years. I know I have not been the most consistent travel blog writer, but I feel so blessed to have you all along for this crazy journey, Thank You

What comes next

So what come’s next for Nerd Travels and me?  Well after three month’s dipping my toes into the world of digital nomadism in Chiang Mai and the TBEX travel conference in Bangkok Thailand I have returned to Australia for a few month’s to have some long overdue catch up with friend’s and family. As well as a little bit of a top up on the savings over the Christmas period while I gear up to hit the online freelance scene strong early next year and hopefully launch into full-time travelling and working as a digital nomad. While I try to focus more on self development and improving and growing so not only can I become a better person but also provide better support and give more to those around me.

I look forward to bringing you more exciting updates and travel tales on the blog as well as getting a bunch of backlogged posts about some of the amazing adventures I had in Europe and Morocco which I have been yet to write about.

First of all I want to apologize for the massive delay in between posts; The last three months have been one hell of a crazy ride. Between frantically searching for freelance work, searching for my purpose in life, adapting to the digital nomad lifestyle, new career focus, and, of course, many long, long days working on my laptop. I haven’t had much time to concentrate on writing here.

So when I last left you, I had just arrived in Chiang Mai and moved into my amazing studio apartment. After 2.5 years mostly living in hostels, this was a welcome change. I really have enjoyed the lifestyle here in Chiang Mai. For less than  $300 USD, I have a scooter motorbike and my apartment including utilities. #Ballin

The Quest For Online Income

So upon arriving in Chiang Mai, the biggest stress and problem I’ve had is that my money was very limited. I knew I had to find a way to make online within six weeks, or I was going to run completely out of money.  I talked to many digital nomads and researched into the many ways to make money online. From creating e-commerce stores (Dropshipping), FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon), building up my blog and making money through affiliate posts. While all of these did have a potential to make me money, most of these required an initial investment and also were more long-term money makers.

I could write 100 affiliate posts in 2 months, but that still wasn’t going to make me any money before I went broke. So I focused most of my efforts in my first month on securing online freelance work. I searched online job sites, created a Upwork and Elance profile and began applying for pretty much any job that I thought I could do. This ranged from Social media management, Writing, software testing to VA jobs.

After a month of frantically applying for countless jobs, asking other digital nomads in Chiang Mai and on my social networks. I wasn’t having much luck. Besides a bit of software testing that paid really badly and a bit of affiliate income, I really wasn’t making more than $50 a month.  With only one month left the clock was ticking down, I  really needed to get some income sorted stat.

However luckily for me about that time I was contacted by another digital nomad I had met in a cafe in my first week of arriving. Turns out they were running a new startup focused on coworking spaces, and were looking for someone to work full-time for two months, helping out with content and social media. So just like that I had a full-time online freelance job. Woohoo!

 

The Reality Of a Digital Nomad’s Day To Day

When many people think of digital nomad’s, they think of people lounging by a pool or on a beach with a laptop,  sipping a cocktail while they get in a few hours of work in a day before going off to party. Or a lifestyle where you get to be on holiday most of the time. While this may be true when your very well established and earning a lot of passive income. However For most people this is far from reality, This is not a holiday it’s a lifestyle.

Most digital nomad’s especially those with little money and just starting out, end up spending most of their days sitting in coworking space’s, coffee shops or their apartment on their laptop. Searching for the next freelance contract, or working on their online business.

For me, between working full-time hours on my freelance job and working on other side projects. I would say that I’ve spent on average 50-70 hrs per week on my laptop in the last three months.

Although this has been a lot of hard work, I feel like I’ve learned an incredible amount about freelancing online and self-motivation when it comes to working and am working towards a future in which I work less and earn more.

Community

One of the things I have enjoyed most about my first three months as a digital nomad has to be the community. Sure over the last few years traveling and going to travel blogger conferences I have met a lot of digital nomads. But it’s not till you truly live as one and are part of the community that you realize what an inspiring and vibrant community it is.

I’ve met so many inspiring and motivated people over the last three months , each with their own unique story to tell and the way they make money online.  From the many networking events, seminars, personal development workshops and nights out with other nomads. I’ve grown and learned more about being a freelancer and digital nomad in the last three months than I have in the previous three years combined.

However, unfortunately it’s not all flowers and sunshine. As nomad’s love to travel the community is very transient. With friends constantly coming and going. In my first five weeks in Chiang Mai, I was attending a going away party every week. While it has been great meeting such a large amount of people. I do find it very hard to form deeper level connections or friendships with people within the nomadic community. Which is something that I know a lot of nomad’s struggle with long term.

Luckily however with social media and lots of digital nomad and travel blogging conferences around the world, it’s easy to organize to meet up with friends again during your travels.

Finding Myself And Purpose

When I first created this blog back in 2012 and put my backpack on for the first time and embarked on my first long backpacking trip of Latin America,  I have always been on a journey not only to visit and experience new places, but also to learn more about myself, grow and discover what happiness is to me.

My journey into Digital Nomadism hasn’t just been one of finding a way to make enough money to support myself online. But more one of finding what makes me happy in life and trying to find a balance.  I’ve tried on many hats over the last few years. From being a full-time travel blogger, jumping from one travel conference to the next, chasing down writing work during my time in Europe. Looked at getting into full-time vlogging and video production, Content writing, software testing and digital marketing to name a few.

However, although I have enjoyed my time working on these, that deep passion I crave was never really there.  At the end of the day though I feel I’ve learned more and more that I’m in love with the digital nomad lifestyle more than any particular field of work. Having the freedom of location to move about,  being able to experience different countries and culture and meeting amazing people from all around the world is what makes me happy.

Moving Forward

So what does this mean moving forward?

Well after three months in Chiang Mai I’ve realized that writing professionally is not for me, I will still continue writing this blog for fun, and hopefully get more regular content out.  But in terms of career focus, I’ve decided to stick to things that I’m good at and passionate about. For me, that means Social Media Management, as well as getting back to my roots.

Coming from a video game background with an animation degree. I have decided to pursue more actively a career freelancing in Motion Graphics Design. This will mostly focus on creating animated text (Kinetic typography), Infographics and other cool stuff that I can combine with my social media work.

Travel wise I am leaving Chiang Mai in a weeks time, bound for Bangkok to attend TBEX travel blogging conference. Where I am looking forward to catching up with many travel blogger friends.  From there I have a 1-2 month period where I’m not sure whether I will spend some time being a nomad in South East Asia or whether I will go back to Australia, to save some money and recharge before getting ready to hit the open road again indefinitely in early 2016.

As Always I will go with the flow and see where this crazy journey takes me.

Thanks to all of you for following along and putting up with my tardiness when it comes to writing and producing content

Located just an hour drive by car (49.2 Miles) The Dark hedges is quite possibly one of the most picturesque and photographed natural phenomena in the country, and most recognizable game of thrones locations in Ireland. In the show, this  stunning road lined with beech tree’s is the Kingsroad, North of King’s landing.  Where in season 2 episode 1  Arya Stark escapes the city with other people to join the night’s watch.

2. Castle Ward (Winterfell)

Castle ward is a great place to visit and even offer’s a Game Of Thrones Archery Movie Set Experience. So if you’re feeling adventurous you can pick up a bow and arrow.

3. Downhill Beach (Dragonstone)

Next up in Northern Ireland we head 1 hour and 30 minutes north of Belfast (63 miles) to Downhill beach. This beautiful 7 mile stretch of beach offer’s it’s visitor’s many great opportunities for nature walks to waterfalls, and dunes, water sports the Mussendon Temple is one of the most photographed building’s in Northern Ireland.

In the Game of Thrones universe, this beach was transformed into Dragonstone, Where the Seven Idol’s of Westeros where burned by Melisandre and Stanis Baratheon wielded the flaming sword.

 

Apart from Game of thrones this location has also been used in a few other popular movies such as The Count of Monte Cristo and Clash of the Titans.

11. Fort Manoel (Great Sept of Baelor)

Next on our Game of thrones malta locations list is Fort Manoel, Located on Manoel Island in Marsamxett Harbour. Originally built by the knights of Malta between 1723 and 1755. This location was used in Game Of Thrones for king’s landing in season 1 before they switched to using Dubrovnik. This location is most famous for being the Great Sept of Baelor where Joffrey Execute’s Ned Stark in front of everyone at the end of season 1.

 

Fast forward now almost 3 years later I have travelled over 26 countries across 5 continents. I’ve trekked through the amazonian jungle in Ecuador, Climbed the ancient ruins of Machu Pichu in Peru, walked the deserts of the Sahara in Morroco. Wandered the ancient streets of Rome in Italy and that guy that had never stayed in a hostel before? He has lived in hostels the last 20 months. (Crazy right????)

It certainly has been one hell of a crazy few years, And even looking back at it now as I write this from a coffee shop in a foreign country. (no Spooiiiiilers) I still feel like I’m going to just wake up back in my bed with this past few years all have been some crazy dream. But while I have had some truly amazing experiences and adventures it has not come without sacrifices and hardships.

To name just a handful:

• Living a nomadic lifestyle means your always on the move and constantly saying goodbye to new friend’s.
• I have had to live in hostels in shared accommodation 2.5 out of the last 3 years to save money.
• I’ve gotten more 15-30-hour bus journeys instead of a 2-hour flight just to save $50 (USD)
• I haven’t seen my family in Australia in almost 2 years.
• Due to constantly moving and living and working cheap, I have very little possessions and savings. Mostly just what I can fit in my two backpacks.

But you know what I wouldn’t change it for anything. I’ve met so many amazing and truly inspirational people in my travels, many of them while living in hostels who I would have otherwise not met. I’ve bonded with many travellers and locals on long bus rides and even ended up living  with 200 hippies in the Guatemalan Jungle for a week all because I got on a bus. While  most encounters were brief, I feel like each person has had an influence on me in some way and helped guide me on my path. Even though I may not be rich in money I feel spiritually richer than I ever have before in my life and that the last few years I have grown beyond measure as a person. And I don’t think you can put a price on that.

 

Which bring’s me to my next exciting chapter. Ever since I started my travel blog and was thrust into an amazing online community of bloggers, backpackers, adventurers and digital nomads. It’s  truly inspiring to see so many other people out there following their dreams and living location independent lifestyles.This in turn has ignited a fire inside me a drive to one day live, travel and work as a digital nomad.

I took my first big step towards this at the end of 2013 when I attended Blog house Dublin where I was taught by some great veteran bloggers and nomads like, Pete and Dalene from Hecktic Travels, Michael  from Go See Write, Ayngelina from Bacon is Magic and Michael and Lynda from the Indy travel podcast. I also got to live in a castle with many other aspiring travel bloggers and nomads, Many of whom I am still great friends with today. Over the next two years that followed I spent my time in Europe travelling around and attended another 6 travel conferences,  two Tbex‘s World Travel Market in London, Travel Blogger Destination in Italy and two traverse events in Kingston and Newcastle.

During this time, I have met so many amazing bloggers and nomads. Attended countless seminars and networking events. Giving me a greater understanding of the travel blogging industry and better preparing me towards my own dream of being a digital nomad.

However, although I was gaining all this knowledge, I still had very little money and no freelance work so going nomadic was not an option. However luckily I have a working holiday visa for the UK and got a job in my favorite UK city Edinburgh doing  game testing for major video game company. Although this job did not allow me with much spare time to work on my blog. It did, however, provide me with the money I needed to invest in additional camera equipment and a new laptop that I desperately needed.

Which brings me to the last two weeks, with my 2-year working holiday visa in the UK rapidly coming to an end (expiring in September) and my work contract was not getting renewed. I was left with one of those big life choices that I’ve had to deal with multiple times before. What comes next? I had very limited money,  I could stay in the UK and get another job for my remaining month’s till my visa expired. I could return back to my home of Australia and settle down and be responsible and get a proper job.

OR…….

Follow my dream of being a location independent digital nomad. I knew that money was going to be an issue which meant that staying in Europe wasn’t really an option. So the day my contract expired I booked a one-way ticket from Edinburgh which had been my home for 16 months to Chiang Mai in Thailand. This gave me 6 days before my flight to plan and pack everything.

First on the list was downsizing my life  back to two backpacks, It’s amazing how much crap you manage to accrue in such a short period of time.(16 months)

At the start the task seemed almost impossible. But after a couple of days and being ruthless I managed to ditch about 90% of the clutter and crap out of my life and get everything down to two backpacks.

Next was sorting out a visa for Thailand. This was a lot easier than expected. A one day visit to the Thai Consulate in Glasgow and less than $150 USD later I had a 60 day triple entry visa for Thailand. (woooo)

Then after a lot of heartfelt goodbyes to the friends I had made in Edinburgh I jumped on a plane to start my 3 flight 27 hour journey to Chiang Mai to begin to my life as a digital nomad. I knew it was going to be tough as I had never properly worked freelance before and I had less than 3 months of savings to my name but figured having a little bit of pressure would help.

I’d love to tell you that as soon as I got on that plane I had a pure feeling of joy and freedom, and while I did to a certain extent, although it might seem like as an experienced traveler I would be used to situations of constant change. But to tell you the truth it doesnt get that much easier at least for me. I think it’s only natural  to be scared of change, fear failure and worry if the decisions we make are the right ones.

But despite all of that I feel like this is something I’ve been building towards the last few years, Few great things in life happen without taking a bit of a risk, a leap of faith as it were. So here I am writing this post to you in a coffee shop in Chiang Mai Thailand where I have been the last few days. I have already got an awesome little apartment with a pool in the complex (High five for not living in a hostel anymore).I’m slowly adjusting to the life of a digital nomad being on my laptop in coffee shops, All while I race against the clock to find some freelance income before my money runs dry.

There are good days and there are bad days. This may work out or it may not, But at the end of the day it’s one of those things that I know I’m never going to look back on that time I gave it my all and tried to make it as a digital nomad here in Chiang Mai Thailand.

I look forward to sharing my amazing adventures in Chang Mai and digital nomadism with all of you over the next few months.  Special thanks to all of my amazing followers, friends and fellow bloggers and nomads who have encouraged and inspired me along the way. I wouldn’t be here today without you.

 

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One of the most interesting activities I encountered was Castell, The art of building human towers.This tradition which dates back as early as 1700’s in Catalonia.

During many festivals in Catalonia, it is common to have teams of acrobats or colles castellers building these phenomenal human structures.

While I was in Girona I was lucky enough to get the chance to visit the training centre of Marrecs De Sel, a local castel group  where I got to witness their training in action. I made this video above to give you a glimpse into what kind of training it takes to build these human structures.

Each human tower structure is thought out and planned with people assigned to parts of the tower where their strengths lay. Generally the stronger bigger people are at the bottom of the structure and the small children climb all the way to the top.

I even got to try being part of a mini human tower myself, it was hard enough to maintain concentration with a wall support and just one small child on my back, It really is impressive how everyone can work together to support each other to create these towers.

But it’s not just about building the tower up, To be successful a casteller must be fully built and deconstructed without falling apart. The current record for highest castell is 10 floors with 3 people on each level.

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