A week in Berlin: a taste of life as a digital nomad

Today’s post is by Vickie Binz, Marketing Manager at Do What You Love.

I wrote this article while sitting on the floor at Berlin Schönefeld airport waiting to travel back to London. My plane may have been delayed for 5 hours but I felt lucky…

1. This was a great opportunity to get ahead with work
2. The WiFi at the airport was really fast
3. My computer still had 57% of battery life
4. I was eating a free sandwich bought with vouchers from the airline
5. I had a carry on bag containing everything I needed to be comfortable
6. I could stay with friends in London since my plane was getting in so late – and we love an impromptu catch-up!

Rewind a few days and I was excited to be flying to Berlin to attend the first-ever global digital nomad conference, www.dnxglobal.com. The Do What You Love team works remotely so I was intrigued by the prospect of meeting people who work the same way, or who’ve taken it one step further.

My mission: find out more about digital nomads and their lifestyle to then spread the word about a movement that seems to be well in line with our values: sustaining a happy life while doing what you love.

And because I love to visit new places, experience new things and meet new people, I decided to stay on for a week, and live and work in Berlin as a “local”.

So what did my experience teach me about the life of a digital nomad?

Well first and foremost I learnt what a digital nomad actually is! It’s a term that’s banded about a lot these days, but as my trip showed me, it refers to people who are combining a successful career, doing something they enjoy, with the freedom to travel to their own schedule.

These are some of the other things I learned along the way.

With years of experience under my belt, and a few lost luggage dramas along the way, I like to think I’m a confident traveller. Every trip starts before you leave your home so preparation is everything.

Being a digital nomad is tougher than holidaying for a week in a well-connected European city. Nevertheless, working remotely in a new place really made me think about whether I’m cut out for life on the road.

Lesson #1: Travel light

We all want to be the person who whooshes through security, hops up the stairs, throws their luggage in the overhead lockers and calmly reads their book while everyone else is on the verge of a breakdown.

This is how you do it:

• Get luggage smart: big wheely suitcases are heavy, take up valuable space and get in other people’s way. Swap yours for a comfortable, lightweight backpack.
• Carry on bags ONLY: yes, you can do it!
• No paper: download maps, boarding passes and save information on your phone.

Make yourself at home

Even veteran travellers have their own little habits, things that make them feel at home anywhere, like wearing their favourite t-shirt, or putting up a picture of loved ones. I always prefer staying in an Airbnb flat to a hotel. They tend to have a more personal touch, you can choose somewhere with the right amenities (hint: WiFi!), and you can cook your own meals. As soon as I dropped my bags I headed out to find my future favourite café, look for the nearest supermarket, note the landmarks, and start living like a local.

Lesson #2: Without WiFi you are lost

On the whole travelling while working has a few challenges, however without WiFi, you are nothing! As a digital nomad you rely on the Internet to connect with your clients and your team, do research, activate your work plans – and even just establish where you actually are – it becomes more important than water! Luckily, WiFi is becoming increasingly widespread, and it’s usually free in public places, like cafés.

Lesson #3: You’re never alone when you have a tribe

At the global digital nomad conference there were more than 400 people to learn from. These people were all eager to share their experiences and advice, recommend the best places to work in the city, and offer tips on what to visit and what not to visit. I was even invited to go and work with some of them in a great co-working space they’d found.

They had, most probably, all been there before: unknown cities, new faces – that’s everyday life for the digital nomad. And yet the power of this community hit us all. As people connected you could feel the magic in the air. People weren’t seeing themselves as strangers, rather friends who’d only just met.

Being surrounded by so many like-minded people was an amazing experience. One of the exercises the conference host asked us to do was turn to our neighbour, talk to them for 5 minutes and find one thing in common. Everyone found something.

Lesson #4: It is more than a dream

All the speakers had an amazing story to tell and it was interesting to learn how they had come to this lifestyle, either by chance, by accident or as a result of hard work.

What else did I take away from the conference?

• That digital nomadism is a serious and growing trend (Peter Levels, Nomad List) https://nomadlist.com
• That there are struggles along the way and that you need to feel comfortable dealing with these (Mark Manson, https://markmanson.net)
• That making a habit of stepping out of your comfort zone will open new doors and you’ll discover strengths and skills that you never knew you had (Till H. Gross, https://www.comfortzonecrusher.com)
• That any lifestyle is possible if you are passionate enough to make it work (Natalie Sisson, https://suitcaseentrepreneur.com)
• That you can be yourself and not care about what people think (Joe Löhrmann, https://www.mytravelingpiano.com)
• That everyone has something to offer (Shayna Oliveira, https://www.espressoenglish.net)
• That simple ideas are often the most successful ones (Derek Sivers, https://sivers.org)
• That you don’t need to know everything or be ready to launch (Sabrina Iovino, https://www.justonewayticket.com)
• That being part of a community is very powerful
• That the word is spreading… watch the digital nomad space!

Here’s a short documentary about digital nomads and Remote Year, a project that takes 75 people on a one year remote work experience:

[youtube width=”650″ height=”500″]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbkH_y_EvI4&list=PLe8GPIAc1-T-zzofV33On0G9ZsfsRgblP&index=2[/youtube]

Lesson #5: Organisation is everything

Remote working – my formula for success!

After the conference I got the best out of my week in Berlin, while still being productive at work, by following these simple principles:

1. Research

Online tools helped me find: co-working offices (desksnear.me), nomad-friendly cafés, another digital nomad to hang out with (www.findanomad.com), and nearby networking events. Do your research so that you don’t miss out on a great space or great meeting opportunities.

2. Time management

This trip was not a holiday but I still wanted to experience the city. It helped me to set work times and downtime to sightsee, relax, etc. During my time in berlin I was working with one of our partners, Make Art That Sells, who are based in the US. The time difference worked perfectly as it meant I could explore in the mornings and work the afternoons and evenings during their office hours.

3. Task management

There are times when you will not have access to the Internet. Don’t panic! Instead use those times wisely. I divided my week’s ‘to-do’ list into “online” and “offline” tasks.

For example, my online tasks were:

• Communicate with the team in the US
• Skype call with web developer
• Check / reply to emails
• Online research
• Community management
• Updates to website

My offline list was:

• Take pictures
• Write copy for articles and newsletters
• Draft emails
• Note down ideas
• Make lists!

Lesson #6: It will not always go as planned and it will still be fine

Would I do anything differently?

I loved my experience as a digital nomad, but I definitely could have made life easier for myself. Some of these things might seem small but they had a big impact on the way I worked and travelled around:

1. I over-packed: my bag was way too heavy and I was annoyed that I packed three jumpers when the temperature was, on average, 30°C (see lesson #2 and don’t forget to check the weather in your destination before you pack too!)
2. I should have downloaded a map of Berlin from Google Maps before I left my house. The map I had wasn’t very detailed so when I arrived in Berlin I spent ages looking for my flat when it was just round the corner from the train station.
3. I didn’t have an appropriate bag for my laptop so while I was exploring I had to carry it round in a tote bag, which got heavy and wasn’t very secure. A small rucksack would have been far better.
4. Pack a decent camera – in addition to my phone – instead of my hair dryer!
5. Buying a local SIM card. I was there for only a week so didn’t bother but actually it would have been handy to communicate with some of the people I met at the conference and also be able to check my emails on the go.
6. A week wasn’t long enough to experience real life as a digital nomad!

Happy travels!

Vickie

Are you curious to find out if digital nomadism is for you? Download our free resource and unleash the digital nomad in you!