My boyfriend, dog, and I recently moved to Playa del Carmen, Mexico. In January of 2018, we officially became “Digital Nomads” [as I groan at the buzzword].

Having the opportunity to work for a fully-distributed company, I am able to work from anywhere in the world that has a solid Internet connection (and has at least some overlap with EST). As soon as we decided we were ready foray into the life of living abroad, we had a tough decision of where our new temporary home would be. The world was our oyster!

We had some things to consider:

• Climate: Wanted somewhere hot & by the beach!
• Internet connection: Had to be at least 10mbps down (we’ve now discovered the minimum for video calls is 20!)
• Direct flight: Luckily, since we lived in Toronto, almost anywhere had a direct flight! Since it was our dog’s first time flying, we didn’t want to risk having a stop-over.
• Cheaper than home: After living in a big, expensive city like Toronto, we wanted somewhere that was slightly more affordable.
• Timezone: Somewhere we could comfortably work 9am to 5pm ET.

We spent about 2 months researching different places, and we settled on the incredibly picturesque resort town, Playa del Carmen.

For most of the people we’ve met here, the life as a Digital Nomad is a lot more flexible when it comes to which hours you work during the day. We’ve met online business owners, coders, bloggers, and a few travel agents. For some of those people there’s no “shutting down for the weekend”… the upside of that is, if it’s a beautiful day (as it is 340/365 days a year here in Playa) you can take a few hours and hang out at the beach or at the pool. For me, I work a solid 8.5 hours each day (and sometimes more if needed). I am lucky, though, as I (usually) am able to keep my laptop tucked away the entire weekend.

The decision to become a Digital Nomad was an easy one; it had been something we had been thinking about for a long time, and after a few months at my current job, we decided we were ready to take the plunge. I sold 95% of my belongings (furniture, my car, kitchen contents, etc), rented out my condo to a lovely tenant, put the remaining 5% of my belongings in my parents basement, packed a suitcase, and we were ready to go!
If you are considering becoming a Digital Nomad as a way to see the world, my recommendation would be to 1) find a job that allows you the flexibility to work remotely, 2) pack your back, and 3) go.

There is no time like the present!