Digital Nomad Diaries: What I Gained, What I Missed, and Why I Decided to Put Down Roots
From Sailboats to Solitude: A Copywriter's Journey
I wrote a blog post on past life regression from a sailboat in the Canaries. It was golden hour, the marina shimmered, and a neighborhood cat stared mesmerised at the fish below. As I settled into the captain’s cabin, I thought: You couldn't write this stuff.
But is digital nomading the dream lifestyle it seems?
If you’re a creative who needs a change of scene to get your prefrontal cortex reactivated and you’re curious if digital nomading is the ticket, read on. I’ll share the highs, the lows, and what I learned - creatively and personally - so you can decide if this path might work for you.
Yay: Creative Fuel on Tap
New places spark new ideas. That’s not just a feeling - it’s neuroscience.
Being in unfamiliar environments activates parts of the brain that routine numbs out. Escaping London’s December drizzle and landing under bright Euro skies gave my creativity a glow-up.
My vitamin D intake soared, and so did my mood. I found ideas floating to the surface that I never would’ve conjured hunched over a desk in a grey office with crappy coffee. I was more open, more curious, more relaxed and more my authentic self.
Boo: Creativity Needs Roots Too
But constant motion? It can easily drain you. Every month meant a reset: new digs, new cafés, new routes, new routines. That’s energising - in theory. Then comes the admin, the planning, the hauling an increasingly dishevelled suitcase through airports while mentally rehearsing your to-do list.
You’re cream crackered by sunset and you haven’t even written your first draft.
👉Pro tip: block out landing days for logistics and grounding. Even doing a bit of inbox work-outs in the airport lounge can create a calmer entry point into your new daily grind.
Yay: Empathy Through Exposure
Digital nomading throws you into people’s lives you’d never otherwise meet. In just four months, I chatted about aliens with conspiracy theorists around a bonfire in Portugal, rescued a lamb in Crete (same week I felt an earthquake as I hiked along cliffs), took a sailing race lesson in Lanzarote - in Spanish - and mingled with global AV tech giants in Barcelona.
These experiences didn’t just give me stories. They gave me a deep, human understanding of how different people think, feel and what they ultimately want.
As a copywriter, that’s gold.
Boo: Sociable by Nature, Solo by Circumstance
I’m a social butterfly. I feed off chats, laughs and connection. But remote work and travel can be isolating. I found myself doom-scrolling, missing my crew (the FOMO was tenfold), wondering if I’d forget how to hold a proper conversation.
Eventually, I learned to love being alone. I journaled. I detoxed from tech in the mornings. I sat in silence. I became my own motivator, boss, and brainstorm buddy. If solitude teaches you anything, it’s how to own your time - and protect your energy.
Yay: Problem-Solving on the Fly
Cape Town: Cliffside apartment. The tumultuous Atlantic below. Coastal breeze. Bliss. Until the hum off electricity went silent: power cut. No Wi-Fi, no charger, no SIM. No idea when it’d come back. I had to tell a client I’d missed a deadline because I didn’t know about load shedding.
That day was a crash course in humility and resilience. Digital nomading pushes your resourcefulness to the limit.
You will get knocked sideways. If it doesn’t, you’re not doing it right. If you can work around the knocks, you can build your adaptability. And if like me you’re a copywriter, adaptability is your winning formula.
Boo: The Work Doesn’t Stop Just Because You’re Somewhere Lush
There’s this idea that working remotely from paradise means sipping cocktails by noon. Truth is, you’re still juggling deadlines, feedback, strategies, updates and client calls - sometimes at midnight, thanks to time zones.
The trick is building routines that travel with you. I split my time between deep focus sprints and dreamy pen-and-paper ideation sessions. Whether I’m in a café in Lisbon or a coworking hub in London, I have techniques to find my flow.
Why I Decided to Put Down Roots (For Now)
Home Doesn’t Deprive You of Freedom - It’s the Launchpad
I love people. I love stories. I love asking the right questions. That’s why I’m fitted to copywriting - and why I realised I needed a stronger in-person community.
Now, based in a city that pulses with creativity, I can collaborate face-to-face. I can talk to business owners without calculating when I need to pack my bags again. Ironically, it took months of isolation to realise how vital real, local connection is.
My balance between working remotely and big city living has made me focus better. Enjoy the lessons. Get grounded. But still daydream of adventure.
Would I Do It Again? Hell Yes. But remember…
🧍 You’ll be alone - but that can be a superpower if you set boundaries and routines.
📦 It’s disorganised - unless you’re organised. And disciplined. And a thrill-seeker.
🌱 You’ll grow in ways you didn’t expect - and that’s the whole foundation.
Tips for Aspiring Digital Nomads
🤝 Build in social anchors: Schedule weekly calls with friends. Join coworking or expat groups. Or find a coworking space.
📶 Prioritise strong Wi-Fi & backups: Embrace the power cuts and have backup non-digital tasks.
✨ Create rituals: Morning pages, language classes, local food experiments - consistency keeps you sane.
Digital nomading made me sharper, more empathetic, and more resilient. Now I bring those lessons into every client project. I’m grounded, but still curious. Still moving - just in a more intentional way.
Let’s Chat
Whether I’m writing from a sun-drenched sailboat or a buzzing London café, I bring curiosity and connection into every brand story I tell. Check out my About Page to see how we can make your brand shimmer and shine.
