I’m off then (again)…
Our way of working has changed in the last few years.
It has evolved. There’s talk of industry 4.0, tele and co-working. Some have a home office now and no desk at the head office anymore. And there’s talk of digital nomads.
My name is Birgit Wagner and I’m one of them. While you’re reading this blog entry I’m either back in the car heading along the Spanish coast or I’ve set up an open-air office at a sunny spot.
Digital nomadism, that’s multi-local working on the road. It has an air of holiday, but it isn’t exactly one.
Because you have to complete your daily workload to keep your clients happy.
The only and most vital prerequisite: a reliable WIFI connection. For me, still one of the greatest challenges of this endeavour.
And this is a) in Europe and b) in the year 2018.
But that’s another story…
Digital nomadism, that’s multi-local working on the road. It has an air of holiday, but it isn’t exactly one.
Because you have to complete your daily workload to keep your clients happy.
The only and most vital prerequisite: a reliable WIFI connection. For me, still one of the greatest challenges of this endeavour.
And this is a) in Europe and b) in the year 2018.
But that’s another story…
I have moved my life into my car, a Skoda Roomster. My kitchen is reduced to a small transport box.
My wardrobe is a travel backpack. My food is limited to everything that requires no cooling. Oh, and my bed is a simple wood construction measuring 190 x 80 cm, equipped with two self-inflating sleeping mats which make for a comfy mattress thickness of 5.5 cm.
But as uncomfortable this self-chosen minimalism might appear, it really isn’t. At least not for me. I like all things plain.
Simplicity. With every new place where I set up my headquarters I become a small-time MacGyver. Because every situation is different.
My job as a freelancer makes it possible that I don’t have to be with clients, not even in the same country.
That’s why, a few days ago, I left again to indulge in digital nomad life. Because to my clients it doesn’t matter from where I communicate with them, write texts or develop content.
In this sense, my choice of career was quite smart. But it isn’t as comfortable as you might like to imagine.
I have opted for what some people may consider an uncomfortable alternative: comfort zone out, car in.
That’s why, a few days ago, I left again to indulge in digital nomad life. Because to my clients it doesn’t matter from where I communicate with them, write texts or develop content.
In this sense, my choice of career was quite smart. But it isn’t as comfortable as you might like to imagine.
I have opted for what some people may consider an uncomfortable alternative: comfort zone out, car in.
My route this year takes me along the Spanish and Portuguese coast to Lisbon. From there, to Galicia and along the north-western coast of Spain across the Pyrenees and South of France back to the Mostviertel (Lower Austria) where my comfort zone is located. For this tour I have planned three months; so, I should be back by the end of July.
My travel companion or, should we say, means of transport and home on four wheels is my Skoda Roomster which will soon have 100,000 km on the clock. And for the last roughly 2,500 km it has been equipped with DEZENT light alloy wheels from the house of ALCAR. Since mid-April, just before my departure, the Roomster is adorned with the latest DEZENT model: TX graphite. They come in sporty and yet exude elegance. The matte look flatters the rims – and the Roomster. I’ve always found my car cool, but with the TX graphite, the Roomster is a tad cooler now. And that suits my car just fine down here in the south .Hats off to DEZENT. They’re really good at producing beautiful rims with a great value-for-money ratio. Their products are geared towards quality-conscious car owners who might not want to invest a fortune but still ride in style. On top of it, the rims are produced in Europe, which is another positive aspect to opt for ALCAR, or DEZENT. I’m not a car freak, but I have to say that these rims look really good on my travel companion. And also, the lost hubcap issue is off the table once and for all. The tyres are from the house of Nexen.
But before I headed off on the 6th of May, I had a long to-do list to complete. So that the trip is an enjoyable one and not chaotic. It was particularly important for me to carry out a vacation check-up for my car. And good that I did it because the Skoda Roomster needed new brake pads and the silencer also required replacement. Heading out as a digital nomad with damaged brakes is just as silly as riding on a poor wheel-tyre combination. So, thank you DEZENT for the support and probably also in helping me to save fuel!
There’s only one thing left to say: Adventure, here I come!
My travel companion or, should we say, means of transport and home on four wheels is my Skoda Roomster which will soon have 100,000 km on the clock. And for the last roughly 2,500 km it has been equipped with DEZENT light alloy wheels from the house of ALCAR. Since mid-April, just before my departure, the Roomster is adorned with the latest DEZENT model: TX graphite. They come in sporty and yet exude elegance. The matte look flatters the rims – and the Roomster. I’ve always found my car cool, but with the TX graphite, the Roomster is a tad cooler now. And that suits my car just fine down here in the south .Hats off to DEZENT. They’re really good at producing beautiful rims with a great value-for-money ratio. Their products are geared towards quality-conscious car owners who might not want to invest a fortune but still ride in style. On top of it, the rims are produced in Europe, which is another positive aspect to opt for ALCAR, or DEZENT. I’m not a car freak, but I have to say that these rims look really good on my travel companion. And also, the lost hubcap issue is off the table once and for all. The tyres are from the house of Nexen.
But before I headed off on the 6th of May, I had a long to-do list to complete. So that the trip is an enjoyable one and not chaotic. It was particularly important for me to carry out a vacation check-up for my car. And good that I did it because the Skoda Roomster needed new brake pads and the silencer also required replacement. Heading out as a digital nomad with damaged brakes is just as silly as riding on a poor wheel-tyre combination. So, thank you DEZENT for the support and probably also in helping me to save fuel!
There’s only one thing left to say: Adventure, here I come!
Checklist:
Car check-up to avoid possible breakdowns
Check insurance – for the car and yourself
Check credit card limit (limit and validity) or re-charge prepaid card balance in time
Deactivate GeoControl for debit cards (should be possible for all banks at online banking)
Scan personal documents such as passport, identity card, vaccination certificate, driver’s license, so you have digital copies in case of an emergency
Collect important phone numbers and addresses (even if it’s just for sending a postcard back home from far away)
Create ICE or IN contacts on mobile phone
Check toll stickers and toll charges
First-aid kit (e.g. broad-spectrum antibiotic)
Check mandatory documents for traveling by car in Europe
Instagram @fraeuleingitte
Website (blog) schoenschreiben.com/category/blog/
Check insurance – for the car and yourself
Check credit card limit (limit and validity) or re-charge prepaid card balance in time
Deactivate GeoControl for debit cards (should be possible for all banks at online banking)
Scan personal documents such as passport, identity card, vaccination certificate, driver’s license, so you have digital copies in case of an emergency
Collect important phone numbers and addresses (even if it’s just for sending a postcard back home from far away)
Create ICE or IN contacts on mobile phone
Check toll stickers and toll charges
First-aid kit (e.g. broad-spectrum antibiotic)
Check mandatory documents for traveling by car in Europe
Instagram @fraeuleingitte
Website (blog) schoenschreiben.com/category/blog/