“Today is the very first day of the rest of my life.
This is the beginning of a new day.
I can waste it or use it for good.
But what I do today is important, because I am exchanging a day of my life for it.
When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever, leaving in its place something that I have traded for it.
I want it to be gain and not loss, good and not evil, success and not failure, so I’d never regret the price I paid for it.
I will give 100% of myself just for today, because you never fail until you stop trying.
I will be the kind of person I have always wanted to be.
I have been given this day to use as I will.”
Poem of unknown origin
You don’t become a global citizen overnight. It is a process of creation that takes months and in my case even years. I also never consciously started being a citizen of the world. When I decided to work location independently, terms like “digital nomad” and “slow traveler” didn’t even exist yet. They were completely unknown phenomena, let alone that I could aspire to them. I wanted to commute between multiple locations in the world and be able to do my work from there. I knew I could achieve that with or via the internet.
The first seed of the process was planted sometime in 2005. The process at times came to a standstill, sometimes it went faster and sometimes even very fast. It really never went backwards. The process was finally completed at the end of 2018. The preparations in material and organizational sense as well as mentally were ready. Just a little push was needed to actually make it happen. The break up of my relationship provided me with the push and the slow traveler inside me set out in February 2019.
At home worldwide
I believe you can work from home worldwide. Let me explain that a little: The corona crisis has taught us that working from home is perfectly possible. After all, you can make a home anywhere in the world. You can at least feel at home there. Home is not related to an address, but a feeling. Working from home is therefore perfectly possible for many. If you can then call several places in the world “home”, all components are present to go on the road. Working from home worldwide is, therefore, a fact!
Do what you like
Statements like “Get to work! Do what you like!” seem like a huge open door and a lame, misguided joke. I believe, it’s dead serious! The basis of the global home worker and slow traveler is and remains work. Work is the engine, the financier of a good life. As a global home worker, you don’t go on holiday! Not at all. All you do is adjust the circumstances of your life and your living environment. That means it is important that you start doing or keep doing what you really enjoy. A boring job in the Netherlands under a palm tree in Bali really doesn’t get any better. It really doesn’t make work any more fun.
Coworking spaces make all the difference
For many coworking is a means of combating isolation in a foreign environment and seeking distraction instead of working from home in one’s own apartment. For the global home worker, it is definitely recommended to find a coworking space.
Ben Kolp from TLR Coworking in Málaga has made a nice explanation of what a coworking space is. I can’t describe it better than he did:
“If coworking was just some desks and chairs cramped into a building, you could go on working from home whilst keeping your monthly cost down, whilst going nuts.
Actually, furniture is the least important thing. People are all that counts. Sharing, thriving and laughing together – that counts.
Imagine a place to share, a place to learn from people speaking multiple languages, people working in different fields like programming, graphic design, translation, accounting, beauty, electric cars, marketing, arts … you name it.
Imagine a place to thrive, a place where others motivate you and keep you going on your way from an idea to a sustainable business.
Imagine a place to laugh, over dinners and beers on Fridays, laugh when being out in nature on weekends whilst creating strong bonds, whilst winning new friends.
Sharing, thriving and laughing together.
That’s coworking.”
Ben Kolp, Co-Founder and CEO of TLR Coworking in Málaga
The name “The Living Room” was not chosen by chance and has more content than just a nice name. TLR welcomes new coworkers as family, also gives everyone family attention and creates a family feeling. At TLR you really have the feeling of belonging, of being one of them. You feel welcome.
More in my book
After various years of living the digital nomad life I wrote a book (for now only in Dutch) to help others develop into a global citizen and work from home worldwide. You can also follow me on my website, where you’ll find a lot of content in English too.
For me, the goals is clear and I, therefore, made it my personal mission to never spend winter in my life again. I choose an existence under the sun! Don’t wait until later. If later comes sooner than you think, then you’re too late. Stop thinking, go do something! Live your dream, don’t dream your life. Your future is now!
About Jan
Jan worked as an organizational consultant in highly competitive and complex environments. Due to stress and physical complaints, he decides to step out of that race and start working location-independently. He has lived in the Netherlands and Hungary alternately for more than 10 years. Since 2019 he has been traveling all over the world as a slow traveler. With the construction and management of websites, sufficient income is generated to be able to live his dream. In this book, he shares his experiences and gives tips on how you can shape your dream life.
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Inspiring Jan !