alone. Photo: Giorgio Montersino / Flickr Creative Commons

In case you need any more motivation to figure out how to work remotely, here’s one more: 50 photos to inspire life as a digital nomad.

Of course, having the dream is the easy part. Wishing for something isn’t the same as working to get it.  If only we had a road map, so at least we would know if we’re going in the right direction.

The good news is that somebody created a road map. Writer and vagabonder Christine Gilbert has a detailed guide up at her blog, AlmostFearless.com:

30 ways in 30 days to redesign your life and travel around the world

It’s one of the most extensive write-ups I’ve read of all the practical steps necessary to become a digital nomad. She even covers life challenges, such as convincing a significant other to come along, dealing with pre-trip anxiety, etc.

Entrepreneur magazine had a handy list of web-based services to help you run your virtual office: Start a business for nothing. Often these services can replace the need to buy expensive equipment.

Digital nomads like to emphasize that work is still work, no matter where you operate. It takes time and sweat to test a market, establish a business, and build up a steady stream of income. In fact, one danger is that you can end up working harder. You’ll face tight deadlines or try to prove that you’re working just as hard as your cubicle-bound friends back home. What looks like an easy life on the surface is actually the result of hard work, thoughtful planning, and laser-like focus on a goal.

Are you a digital nomad? Have advice for others looking to become one? Got a favorite tool that we forgot to mention? Share your advice and experience in the comments.

(Image from Flickr - SashaW)

An interesting post caught my eye yesterday by Nico Crisafulli, a contributor for AirTreks. In it, he highlights a number of useful tasks that might need to take place before leaving on an extended trip. As we are 2 months away from our own 3 month journey throughout Southeast Asia, we’re deep into our own todo lists of securing home and cat care, airfare watching, budgeting, and itinerary planning.

Nico’s run-down includes some of the more obvious action items, such as;

• Autopay your bills
• Get your visas
• Book some (but not all) accommodations

I was pleased to see some that didn’t seem quite as obvious that we’re already doing;

• Get in the habit of washing your hands
• Organize your life
• Talk to strangers

However, there are a number of new (to us) ideas that have now made it onto our already expanding queue;

• Wash your laundry by hand once or twice
• Copy your passport and save it online
• ..and my personal favorite, Increase your capacity for frustration

I’ll also note that another non-obvious idea, “Get a travel mascot!” was inspired by Adam Groffman, who was one of our first Vagabonding Case Studies, now exploring the Middle East.

I got stopped by the police last night because my flashlight was at half-power. Specifically, my car had a headlight out. I couldn’t see the whole road, and the road couldn’t see much of me.

The officer wanted to make sure I knew, because people often overlook their lack of illumination. It’s easy to do. You can get by with one headlight, streetlamps mask the outage, or it’s not fully dark yet.

Travelers and would-be travelers: Are both your headlights working? Are you seeing the whole road? When one goes out, who can you trust to tell you?

(And hey, if you’re on a motorcycle, it’s even more important to keep that headlight shining…)

Photo by marfis75 via Flickr.

Becky Ances

http://www.beckyances.net

Age: 34

Hometown: Peterborough, NH

Quote: “Most of our problems arose from our connections to our hometown. On the traveling side we had problems every now and then, but it is just easier to roll with it.”

How did you find out about Vagabonding, and how did you find it useful before and during the trip? I originally heard about it from Tim Ferriss’ book, The Four-Hour Workweek. It is very inspiring for anyone dreaming and planning to take the travel plunge!

How long were you on the road? One year so far and still going!

Where all did you go? China. We live in south east China and have spent time traveling all around, especially the southwest part.

What was your job or source of travel funding for this journey? We saved up a lot of money for about 1 year prior (I got a second full-time job) to pay our bills in America while we were gone (student loans, mortgage, etc) and both my husband and I work as English teachers at a Chinese university. We don’t get paid a lot compared to an American salary, but money goes a lot further in China!

Did you work or volunteer on the road? No. We have on previous trips, such as working in hostels for free board, but we didn’t do it this time.

Of all the places you visited, which was your favorite? My favorite place is where we live, Lin’an, China, but as for travel destinations I think I liked Dali, China the best. We went in wintertime and the weather was incredibly mild, and the town very small and historical with green mountains on one side and a huge blue lake on the other. The air was crisp and clean (which is a rare thing in China) and the locals were friendly.  The area is also home to some of China’s minority groups, so it was good to learn about other cultures in China.

Was there a place that was your least favorite, or most disappointing, or most challenging? Traveling in China is always a challenge because of the language barrier. What I found most surprising was the lack of English resources in popular travel destinations. Of course in the big cities, like Beijing and Shanghai, it is no problem. But in some smaller, but very touristy places like Lijiang (a UNESCO world heritage site) there were few resources. We tried to buy a train ticket and the only schedule they had was fully with characters which we couldn’t read! Luckily, most young people know a small amount of English from school and people are very friendly with your broken, mangled Chinese.

Did any of your pre-trip worries or concerns come true?  Did you run into any problems or obstacles that you hadn’t anticipated? The biggest problem was one of our cats died while we were gone which was hard to deal with while being so far away, both emotionally and physically. Other small things were a hassle, such as filing taxes. I usually do them by hand and I thought e-file would be easier than it was. We also had a lot of trouble collecting rent from the person who rented our house. We even had to go through the eviction process to get him to pay up! He was clearly taking advantage of the fact that the landlords were thousands of miles away.

Luckily we have 2 very trusted friends who were privy to all our affairs. They were indispensable to handling some things. We even gave them some signed blank checks to pay for emergency things while we were gone and they came in handy! (Like when the tenant was so delinquent on the phone bill it went to collections under OUR name! Or the vet bill for the autopsy and cremation.)

As you can see, most of our problems arose from our connections to our hometown. On the traveling side we had problems every now and then, but it is just easier to roll with it and it doesn’t bother me as much as the stuff at home.

Which travel gear proved most useful?  Least useful? Little things prove the most valuable, like my travel alarm clock, and of course my camera. To be honest it seems like you can get just about anything, just about anywhere so if I really needed something I could just get it. I didn’t have anything that was not very useful. Despite bringing very few clothes I did realize that some of it was unnecessary and I could have brought less. I think that’s something every traveler says!

What are the rewards of the vagabonding lifestyle? There are so many rewards I know don’t know where to begin. When you go traveling, even if it is for a short time, you change completely. You gain confidence as you navigate strange places, your mind becomes more open as you see and meet more people, your horizons widen as you have new experiences. Also, as a writer, I find having new experiences helps with my creativity.

What are the challenges and sacrifices of the vagabonding lifestyle? Obviously the biggest is missing friends and family as well as some big events such as weddings or family reunions. I just remind myself that while I might miss some important events, I am having new experiences that far make up for it.

Also, I own a small business, and there is a lot you can do online to promote yourself these days, but you don’t get a chance to go to business conferences and other face-to-face venue for meeting and getting new customers. Also, I am spending my time on traveling, learning Chinese and meeting new people, not promotion or meeting customers which has hurt my writing business. (But again, I wouldn’t change a thing. The benefits of traveling far outweigh the challenges.)

What lessons did you learn on the road? This is a tough question! I think the most important thing is not being so anxious. I tend to get anxious about plans working out perfectly. They never do when you travel so you have to quickly let the ideal go or go crazy!

How did your personal definition of “vagabonding” develop over the course of the trip? I didn’t change so much over the course of this trip, but I have noticed a change from my last big backpacking trip in 2000. Back then I was a recent college grad, in my 20’s. Now I’m older, married, own a house in America. I find that I am a little more conservative. I don’t want the “If it’s Tuesday it must be Germany,” style of traveling I did when I was younger. I like staying places longer now, to look closer at things and to spend longer in one place.

I also find myself looking for more off-beat/off the tourist track destinations. Maybe because I don’t like going out to bars or clubs, I prefer places that don’t have a huge tourist market.

Also, I almost always get a double in hostels instead of dorms. Before I was willing to do anything to save a little money, but now I prefer my privacy and getting a good night of sleep without other people talking or snoring in the middle of the night.

If there was one thing you could have told yourself before the trip, what would it be? I was recently asked this question by a woman who is coming to teach in China. I told her that I wouldn’t have changed anything. Before we started this trip I told myself many times to not worry and just relax and go with it. Sometimes at home I can plan out my day, or I have expectations in mind, and when the reality doesn’t meet that plan I get anxious. But before the trip I said to myself, “Don’t plan. Don’t obsess, just go with the flow.” It was something I kept in mind for the first several months.

Pre-planning is not big in China. For instance I got my class schedule 4 days before school started. Turns out I was teaching 4 different subjects and had to create the curriculum in 4 days with no help from the school admin. I was nervous as hell, but now, looking back, I think it was the best way to do it. I could only plan one week at a time, and that way I was able to tailor the classes according to the students abilities and interest levels. If that happened to me at home I would have been upset, complained for days to my friends, and whined through the whole thing. But because I told myself to go with the flow I was able to handle it much better!

Any advice or tips for someone hoping to embark on a similar adventure? There is not a lot of advice aside from just getting out there and doing it! When you are home, planning, it seems like there is a lot to think about. But once you get rolling you see how things start to fall in place much easier. Even simple things, like packing your bag everyday, become a new habit and take minutes. The longer you go the easier it all is!

When and where do you think you’ll take your next long-term journey? We’ll be in China for the next year and after that, who knows? Teaching English has been an amazing experience for us, and China is not the only country that has English teachers so we might look into another Asian country such as Vietnam or South Korea. Or we might have enough money saved up to travel without working for awhile. To be honest, our doors are wide open at this point!

Are you a Vagabonding reader planning, in the middle of, or returning from a journey? Would you like your travel blog or website to be featured on Vagabonding Case Studies? If so, drop us a line at casestudies@vagabonding.net and tell us a little about yourself.

While there’s not much you can do about mattresses that feel like plywood, when it comes to sheets and bedding, many vagabonds opt for some sort of travel sheet — a layer between you and whatever might be lurking on the “clean” sheets.

Cocoon recently sent us one of its Coolmax Travel Sheet to test out and I’m happy to report that — provided you’re the sort of traveler who worries about these things — it’s a very nice, affordable option.

The Coolmax material has two chief advantages over traditional cotton: it’s much lighter (ans stuff smaller) and it’s breathable — a godsend if you’re headed to equatorial regions.

One thing I really liked is how stretchable this sheet is — if you’re restless sleeper the Cocoon Coolmax sheet allows a pretty decent range of movement. That said, it is essentially a mummy bag (though not tapered toward the feet). You slip into the sheet and all three sides are sealed — there’s no kicking your leg out in the middle of the night, and getting up to use the bathroom involves a bit more effort.

Having traveled with a couple of people that used roughly the same sheet I can also say that it dries much faster than cotton — especially in relatively humid climes — so washing it shouldn’t be a problem.

My only gripe with the Coolmax is that it’s awfully thin. Because Coolmax is porous, it’s questionable how much dirt and grime this sheet will actually keep at bay. Still, unless you’re in a particularly sketchy hostel, it should be sufficient to put your mind at ease.

If you’re looking for a travel sheet that’s lightweight, doesn’t take up much room and will make you feel better in those less-than-stellar accommodations you managed to score for $1 a night, the Cocoon fits the bill.

The list price for the Cocoon is $40, though a quick Internet search turned up several on sale for well under that price.

As with all our gear testing, we’re giving away our sample copy. Just post a comment below telling us about your worst dirty hostel experience and we’ll randomly select a winner.

Finally, if you’d like to creep yourself out, check out this video, which takes an ultraviolet light to some hotel sheets with discouraging results. It’s worth pointing out that, while travel sheets like the Coolmax offer some psychological comfort and it will keep you from sleeping in anyone else’s, ahem, bodily fluids, it isn’t going to stop bedbugs or any other creepy crawlies from getting to you.

I have a painting of a peacock feather, all gold and blue and tiny jewels, that I plucked from a windswept art fair at Burning Man the first year I went by myself.  I have a curvacious photo that I took, developed, and printed myself, of the naked cyanotyped bodies of women who are no longer my friends.  I have fifteen boxes of books that were what remained after furious weeding of my collection: the ones that are irreplaceable and most important.  I have twenty years of journals, most of them handbound, that contain the names of people who have forgotten me, the places I explored.

I have a life worth of mementos, beautiful artistic displays of affection, and they are all sitting in boxes in my mother’s closet.  I have nowhere to put them, because it seems dangerous and childish to pack my bags full of artworks and graphic novels, as I backpack through SE Asia or settle in Australia.  What of the dress my father bought me to wear to his film premiere? Unnecessary and only werable for special occasions…practically it makes more sense to leave it packed away.

But now I am facing the possibility that I may live a life over the next few years at least that means collecting some neat stuff, things I love, with nowhere to put it.  I have only temporary bursts of recognition at the objects that are small and important enough to travel with me from my past lives.

So let me ask you, Vagabonders: what are the things you miss?  What are the objects you wish you had?

These days, finding a job abroad in Europe means either cultivating a marketable skill and hoping your current company will have a place for you in their office overseas, or mastering a language and insinuating yourself into the world of language acquisition studies. However, au pairing provides you with a way around both of these options.

Working as an au pair puts you right into the home of families abroad. It is an easy and instant way to begin learning about life in Europe, the family dynamic, and the culture and politics of the country. Au pairs usually get a firsthand look at education in Europe, as they usually take care of school-aged children, or enroll themselves in the area University to brush up on the local language.

Most families provide housing for their au pairs, allow them to reasonably use the family vehicle, and of course provide a small income. It doesn’t pay extraordinarily well, and there is certainly a preference for female au pairs, but it priceless way to immerse yourself in the local culture.

There are lots of websites out there that make it easy to connect with families abroad who are looking for an au pair. On sites like AuPair.com, GreatAuPair.com, or AuPair-world.net and many others, it’s as easy as creating a profile and searching for families or letting them come to you.

Have you worked abroad as an au pair? How was your experience?

Horseback riding to Salto El Limón. Smack in the middle of the Samaná Peninsula, the Salto El Limón (Lemon Waterfall) is a 170-foot cascade that falls into a swimming hole, giving people a welcome reward at the end of a long trek. The trail winds through the jungle, and most visitors go on horseback from local paradas (“stops,” but in this case, the word refers to horseback tour outfitters) located conveniently along the road that cuts across the peninsula. My horse and I started out from Parada Basilio y Ramona (Tel. 829-661-4137) with our guide, and after a long route through the jungle and across the Río Limón, I plunged into the waterfall pool to cool off. After the ride, I had a typical Dominican lunch at the home of Basilio and Ramona—chicken, rice, beans, salad, plantains and Presidente beer.

Parque Nacional Los Haitises. Take a boat ride across Samaná Bay to visit Los Haitises National Park—rich with rock islands, mangrove estuaries and caves with Taino pictographs. Amilka Tours is one outfitter among a handful that make the half-day trip easy. Finish your voyage with a swim, and you’re ready to spend the rest of the day on the beach.

27 Waterfalls of Damajagua. See how extreme you can be in a scramble up 27 waterfalls, only to turn around and slide or jump back down to the beginning. This canyoneering adventure is located in the forest near Puerto Plata, and your admission fee helps to maintain the natural monument as well as fund community projects (such as providing a school bus and constructing wells and community centers). Go it alone, or hire a tour company, but if you want to go to all 27 waterfalls, the Iguana Mama eco-tour operator is the only one to do so.

Snorkel or scuba in Sosúa. Halfway between Puerto Plata and Cabarete lies the town of Sosúa—considered one of the best dive sites along the North Coast. Dive in the ocean along the coral reef, in a mangrove forest, or in a freshwater lagoon. Snorkeling sites abound as well, and my favorite snorkeling moment was being surrounded by Sergeant Major fish as I floated above a rock outcrop covered in coral. More than a few dive companies offer services here; I took a three-hour snorkeling trip with Northern Coast Diving.

Have you been to the North Coast of the Dominican Republic? Did you hang out on the beach or head for the hills? Give your best tips in the comments section.

I was in the Dominican Republic as a guest of the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism, but the opinions in this post are my own.

From the Shanghaiist Halloween Party 2008. Photo: Jakob Montrasio / Flickr Creative Commons

The novelty of being a foreigner can lead to unexpected job opportunities, as this article in The Atlantic explains: Rent a white guy. The shady nature of the job and over-the-top pay could be a symptom of a bubble economy, reminiscent of 90’s Japan. Or at least racial stereotyping. CNN did a similar story, along with a video of interviews: Chinese companies ‘rent’ white foreigners.

Why do Chinese companies rent white guys?  The articles cite various reasons.  Many like to have a foreigner present to make their business appear to be more international, prestigious, and successful. Since China is notorious for its counterfeit products, having a Westerner on hand lends a veneer of credibility. If a company has foreign clients or foreign executives, Chinese will believe that company is doing something right.

In exchange for this, these temporary faces receive cash, free travel, and complimentary meals. There is a danger to this easy work, however. In these situations, the foreigner could easily be implicated as an accomplice to fraud.

Entertainment is a more legitimate realm. Every expat has a story of breaking into acting, modeling, etc. without really trying. Or they know someone who did. I was once working at an office in Taiwan when I suddenly got cast in a radio drama, because they needed a native English speaker at the last minute.

An English girl I knew was traveling around China and got asked to be in a ‘documentary.’ Although the scripted nature of the job made her suspect it was really for a film. A Canadian friend got drafted to don a suit and tie and serve as a news anchor for a Buddhist TV channel.

Most expats treat these incidents as fun adventures and great stories to tell their friends. Some take it more seriously and build a long-term career out of it.  Other expats get so addicted to fame that they’re unable to let go of it and return to their home countries. It can be a big comedown to go from being a hot dating prospect overseas to an ordinary citizen at home. You don’t necessarily need to be on TV either.  Being the only foreigner in a small village can turn a regular person into a superstar.

Have you gotten the star treatment or know someone who did? Please share your stories in the comments.