This is part one of a three part guest post series on the location independent lifestyle written by digital nomad, Chris Bruno, whilst watching the sunset over the Atlantic ocean and thinking, “where shall I go tomorrow?”.
You can keep up to date with all of his adventures on his website, www.chrisbruno.co.
So it’s been over a month now that I’ve been away from the “normal” lifestyle.
On the 10th December I left my house in France, headed to the UK to see some friends and catch up on some business and since then, I haven’t been “home” as such.
My Location Independent Lifestyle… So Far…
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What have I been doing?
Well, catching up with friends in the UK was really nice. Spending some time in West Sussex, back in north London and seeing clients in the city gave me some time to remember what my old normal life was like…
Jumping on the tube to get from place to place, seeing the masses of people, all in a hurry to grab a sandwich and get back to their hamster wheel cubicles made me realise something.
It’s great to be free!
Don’t get me wrong. I work! Everyday I work. I look after clients around the world when it comes to social media and digital marketing. But the one thing I don’t have in my life is having to be anywhere in particular.
I can be here, there or anywhere to do it. My laptop and the internet are my biggest ally in this quest to ditch what I felt was an unsatisfying and poor use of a life.
So far I’ve been in the UK, then the Alps for Christmas, then back to the UK for an impromptu new year’s eve with friends, then away to Gibraltar to sort out some work projects, then on to Tarifa to visit a great friend who’s been here on and off for over a decade now.
For over a month, I haven’t really spent a great deal of time in any 1 particular place. I haven’t had to depend on somewhere specific to sleep, to work, to eat… To live!
It’s a feeling that for me so far is unmatched by anything I’ve ever experienced before.
It’s a feeling of not knowing where, why or when.
It’s a feeling of adventure, of discovery and best of all, knowing that anything is possible!
I’ve been researching and reading a lot about the Digital Nomad lifestyle for probably more than a year now. Although I’m not a massive fan of the term itself, what it stands for is incredible.
My decision to finally embrace it and embark on this lifestyle shift was aided by the Brexit referendum in the UK in June 2016. I watched my business take a massive hit, as companies panicked and flailed around like fish out of water.
Not knowing what to do, we watched as project after project was either put on hold or canceled. I watched over £20,000 in revenue disappear in less than a week.
I took a decision.
I took MASSIVE ACTION. I had to. I didn’t have any other choice.
So I left to France, reduced my overheads by nearly 100%, reduced spending and outgoings, shut the office, got rid of pretty much any full time staff I had at the time.
I did all of this, before realising that I was going to end up being a nomad.
As business came back to normal… As clients started projects again… As money started to come in, I was able to start to breathe and plan this coming year.
A “normal” year?
Not for me thanks.
I’ve bought the nice apartment, driven the nice car, had the debt that holds you in a particular lifestyle chokehold and this year I want nothing to do with it.
I left my house with 2 bags – 1 with clothes, the other with my laptop and work notebook.
That was it.
I haven’t looked back and so far I have no intentions to. Not only am I no longer burdened with stuff and things, that serve no real purpose, other than short term satisfaction at the time, but I look at everything differently now.
I’ll stop and ask: “Do I need that? What for?”
If it comes to a choice between living, working whilst traveling, or buying some fancy new television, I know which one I’ll choose every time.
I’m still in Tarifa, after 10 days and enjoying the lifestyle. The chilled out nature of the place… The great community and interesting people from all over the world, in different stages of their journey, coming together in a place that judges no one…
Getting the chance to ride electric skateboards along the Atlantic sea front…
Being able to sit in a beach bar, at 4 in the afternoon in a t-shirt, sipping a coffee and reading a book…
Playing with 9 foot kites on the beach, in an attempt to get to grips with how a kite works before trying to kite surf.
Doing all of this, whilst getting a tan, being able to earn a living and best of all in January, when the UK is suffering through ThunderSnow.
Which lifestyle would you choose?
All of these things have happened since being here. They’ve only happened because I decided to let go.
I choose what is important to me this year. My life. My experiences. My memories, created by taking that chance and living an adventure in 2017.
It’s been an amazing journey so far and it’s going to continue.
If you’re out there doing it, keep on going. If you want to do it but keep finding excuses, STOP! Do it now, before it’s too late.
Stay tuned for part two in the location independent lifestyle series, coming soon!
Now it’s over to you! Leave your thoughts in the comments section below…
Are you looking into the location independent lifestyle and would like some more insights into how it’s being done? Leave your questions below and we’ll help you out!
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