‘Working from abroad is not a holiday’

In

‘In 2019 I had an office job. The work was fun, and yet it was stuffy. Did I have to keep this up for the next 45 years? I felt I spent too many hours in the office and had less time for things that make me happy: running, walking, going to museums, reading the newspaper or a book. That’s not how life was meant to be. At least not as I envisioned it.

“In 2020 I went on a world trip with my boyfriend and I felt everything: I am looking for this freedom. After the trip I made a plan to combine travel with work from now on. I started as a freelance copywriter. I write texts for, among other things, websites, blogs and social media of entrepreneurs and help them determine their content strategy. My friend gets his income from online poker. Both can be done well from abroad.

“Since October 2020, we have been working from abroad for half of the year, and half in Amsterdam. We’ve worked in Bali for four months so far, two months from Cape Town, and shorter periods in Lebanon and Barcelona. Soon we will leave for Bali again.

“This way of life gives me what I was looking for. At the same time, you also have to be realistic: working from abroad is different from vacation. Some people have a very romantic view of it. I understand that, because on Instagram I mainly share the beautiful side. But there is also work to be done. I don’t share a picture of my screen every day while meeting a deadline in a dark hotel room. But that is often the truth.”

Out

‘This way of life costs money. Not only because of the airline tickets, but also because of double charges. We have a nice rental house in Amsterdam that we don’t want to lose, but we are also not allowed to sublet when we are away. That’s a drawback, but it’s worth it to me. Coming home straight from Schiphol and picking up life in Amsterdam again is a luxury I wouldn’t want to miss out on.

“I don’t pay myself a fixed wage. My income and expenses differ too much for that. A fixed amount goes to my pension and investment accounts every month. Once every few months I list all expenses and see where it can be done smarter. Have I not used Videoland for two months? Then I cancel that subscription.

“Since I am in business, I spend more cautiously. When I was employed, I could order clothes for 500 euros. I don’t do that anymore. You never know when things will get worse. A lot of money is only spent on groceries and catering. Recently I listed what I spent on catering. That was too much, I thought. My friend then asked: but how happy does it make you? I came to the conclusion that while it is a lot of money, it is worth it to me.”