A day in the life- Digital Nomad life in CDMX
A day in the life- Digital Nomad life in CDMX
I think I can speak for a lot of people by saying that when I hear the term “digital nomad”, I’m a little confused. Or at least I was prior to becoming one. Who or what is a digital nomad? Well, in short a digital nomad is someone that works remotely. They use Wifi to conduct business anywhere besides your typical office setting. This is often in another country or far from home. Needless to say digital nomad’s live quite an unconventional lifestyle.
The time is 8:30 am- I can hear the trash man yelling “BASURAAAAAA” as loudly as they possibly can. They come around to each building collecting trash, but only as long as you put a measly $10 pesos underneath the bags. The day has begun but I decide to snooze for a bit until my body is ready to get up around 9:30.
10:00- Once I’ve prepared to face the day head on, I’ll venture out to find strong coffee and somewhere to post up. There are so many amazing cafes in CDMX, that it really is hard to choose. Usually, I base it on how much exercise I want to get that day. Once, I’ve picked one, I’ll go and unload all of my stuff, and most likely order a big plate of chilaquiles. The internet connection isn’t so strong in this particular cafe so I will pack everything back up and head to a more reliable location after devouring my delicious breakfast. You’d think I’d be annoyed, but eh no biggie.
11:30- I do eventually arrive at my next location but I take this opportunity to walk through my favorite park instead of rushing. The time zone is ahead of the one at home so it allows me to leisurely get my stuff done.
12:00-3:00- After commandeering a comfy booth in my favorite cafe that has the green juice I crave, I sit and write for hours while sipping on said healthy juice. Because of the street vendors often young children approaching me selling candy, or the mariachi bands playing loudly outside, it can sometimes be difficult to concentrate. But today, it’s relatively quiet and I can focus. I’ll need to prepare a lesson plan for an english class I will be teaching later this evening. Sometimes, the digital nomad jobs don’t pay much therefore 2 jobs are required. But making american dollars and spending pesos is a great way to stretch your money way further than you’d be able to in the States. I’ll take a little mental break after finishing up here. Because hello hard work!
4:15- I arrive at the language school where I teach, and spend about 2 hours with my most favorite student, Mayra! Although, I am the teacher in this particular situation, I feel like I get more out of it. Mayra tells me stories about here life, and facts about the mexican culture. I’ve learned that as a DN, you never really know how long you’ll be in a country so I take every opportunity possible to learn new things.
6:30- Major key alert: invite your students for a beer after class, and force them to provide FREE spanish lessons to you for the cost of a few beers! (60 pesos- 3 US dollars) Us digital nomads have to make wise budget choices, ya know?! And oh ya, order tacos because duh. Tacos are life!
8:00- I’ll head home after having a (not) very long or strenuous day. However, I will get a couple more hours of work in before bed time because the Pica de Orizaba (Orizaba Peak hike) is waiting for me this Friday and I don’t want to be stuck in the city!
10:30- Most every night I lay in bed and despite there absolutely being cons, wondering how I got so lucky to be living this “digital nomad” life.
A day in the life of a DN can differ a lot depending on their location, and the type of work they do. Some of us simply work from a home office in our pajamas, and others you might find living the life working from an ocean view cafe with the wind blowing in their hair. That is one of the best parts about being a DN, you get to choose what your day looks like! All that you really need is a strong Wifi connection… well that and motivation. Believe me when I say that it takes extreme self control and motivation to be your own boss. Especially when that clear blue water or those beautiful mountains are calling your name all day! But if you get all your work done for the day or week, getting to those places is so easy. I really encourage anyone that aspires to become a digital nomad, to do your research, ask your current boss if there is anyway possible to work remotely, or better yet provide them with reasons why you’d be more productive outside of the office, pick a place, and just go! I’ll see you on the road!
“A day in the life- Digital Nomad life in CDMX” was written by Jillian Salazar
Jillian Salazar is an avid traveler from Colorado, USA. She studied abroad in Madrid, Spain and discovered that being on the road long term was definitely for her. In early 2017, she dropped everything, left Denver, and has now been traveling consistently for about a year and a half. Her goal is to show at risk youth, that traveling is an option regardless of where you come from. In October, she will be embarking on her biggest adventure to date- The 500 mile Camino de Santiago. You are welcomed to follow her travels on her personal blog @ ajillianmiles.com.