This is a sponsored post written by the FreelanceMyWay. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and does not necessarily constitute the views or opinions of Fulltime Nomad.

Want to freelance and travel and live the digital nomad lifestyle?

One of the biggest advantages of working as a freelancer is the fact that it offers you the ability to travel whenever you please. When you can take your work with you wherever you go, traveling frequently becomes much more feasible.

However, while working as a traveling freelancer is no-doubt a dream for many, it does come with its own challenges and considerations.

If you would like to embark on a new career full of travel and adventure, keep in mind these ten tips.

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1. Be Mindful of Your Internet Connection

Before you pack your bags, one of the first questions you should consider is how available (and fast) the internet connection is where you are going. A safari across the African savannah may sound like a great destination, but internet-dependent freelancers aren’t going to find it very accommodating to their career.

There are plenty of places where staying connected might be an issue. Not every country has the internet café culture you find in the United States, so do plenty of research ahead of time about where you are going and what the best way to access the internet there is.

2. Figure Out Where and How You Work Best

If you’re going from working from home or working from an office to working wherever your feet land, it can take some adjustment. You’ll need to figure out where and how you work best.

Are you able to be productive working on an airplane? Do you work better alone in a hotel room or in a public space? What hours do you want to dedicate to working and what hours do you want to set aside for sightseeing? Questions such as these and more are all important to answer.

3. Buy Some Noise Cancelling Headphones

Peaceful, quiet work environments may be hard to come by when you’re working and traveling at the same time. To help tune out some of the outside noise, invest in a pair of quality, noise cancelling headphones and download a work playlist on your phone.

The first time you find yourself working in a bustling internet café you’ll be glad you did.

4. Buy International Outlet Adapters

If you’ve never spent much time traveling abroad, you may not realize that outlets vary depending on the country you are in. Obviously, this could come as an unwelcome surprise if you realize you’re suddenly unable to charge the laptop you rely on to work.

Before you leave, look into the type of outlets that are present in the country you intend to visit and make sure you have the right adapters.

If you plan on traveling often, you may want to invest in a kit such as the Apple World Traveler Kit that Apple offers for Mac users which contains all of the most common adapters.

See also: Digital Nomad Travel: The ULTIMATE Checklist for Planning Your First Trip

5. Be Upfront and Flexible With Your Clients

Working as a traveling freelancer is going to require you to be somewhat flexible. After all, the time zones you will be working in may change often, and even aside from this the schedule that goes along with working and traveling at the same time is rarely stationary.

In most cases, it will fall to you to figure all this out and ensure that you are available and reliable to your clients. At the same time, it may be beneficial to tell your clients upfront that you will be working and traveling at the same time.

Many times, they will be happy to accommodate your ever-changing schedule so long as they understand the reason behind it.

See also: Finding Good Clients: 9 Must-Have Qualities of Your Perfect #Freelance Client

6. Have a Home Base

Even if you plan to travel and work year-round, it’s still comforting to have something of a home-base that you can return to.

Sometimes, traveling can become overwhelming, and it’s nice to have a place that you can go back to and recharge if you ever need a break.

If you have a home that you don’t intend to sell, this problem takes care of itself. If not, you may consider making arrangements with a friend or family member back home that you can stay with from time to time or securing a short-term apartment that you can rent off and on.

7. Subscribe to a Few Travel Blogs

If you have a successful freelancing career, you probably already recognize the benefits of learning as much as you can about your field.

Once you transition to a traveling freelancer, though, freelancing blogs will no longer be the only valuable resources for your career.

Traveling blogs are chock-full of all kinds of useful tips and advice for frequent travelers that you can put to use to make your travels more affordable, convenient, and enjoyable.

To save time and pick up some extra cash, you’ll want to take advantage of freelance job sites that have plenty of jobs for you to bid on.

8. Learn to Take Advantage of Time Spent Waiting

Traveling often inevitably entails spending a lot of time waiting. Whether your flight has a layover, you’re waiting on a train, or you’re waiting for anything else at all, learn to take advantage of these waiting periods and turn them into time spent working.

This may take some getting used to, as these waiting periods vary in time and are often hectic in their own right.

However, if you can learn how to plug in and be productive no matter where you are or how much time you have, there will be a lot of opportunities to work that you will be able to take advantage of.   

9. Remember That it’s not a Traditional Vacation

Far too many traveling freelancers fall prey to the vacation mentality. When you arrive somewhere new and exciting, it can become all too tempting to get caught up in the excitement and fun and forget that you’ve got work to do.

Keep in mind the reason that you’re traveling and learn how to stay motivated even when the distractions are numerous and appealing.

Otherwise, your career as a traveling freelancer may quickly turn into little more than an extended vacation.

See also: Productivity for Digital Nomads: 10 Habits to Get Work Done on The Road

10. But Have Fun!

While you’ve got to keep in mind the difference between working as a traveling freelancer and going on vacation, it’s still important to enjoy yourself while you travel. After all, this is the whole point of working as a traveling freelancer.

There’s not many reasons to travel all the way to Paris, or Australia, or anywhere else if you spend the entire time in a hotel room working – after all, four walls and a computer screen look the same in these places as they do at home.

Make sure you stay productive and on top of your career, but, when your work is done, take the time to go out and take it all in as much as you can.

These are the experiences you will remember for a lifetime and the ones that make working as a traveling freelancer all worthwhile!

 

Written by

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John D.

John D. is a serial entrepreneur and writer. Connect with him on FreelanceMyWay.

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