Alexis has been a remote worker since 2019, traveling whilst teaching English online from all across the globe. She also has her own blog, The Soul Traveler in which she shares helpful advice and inspirational stories with her followers

Q.  Tell us your journey on being a digital nomad. What made you decide to take the leap?

I first became a digital nomad in the summer of 2019. I was traveling and teaching English in Europe for the summer, but I still had a lot of private students that wanted to continue working with me while I was traveling. So, I moved a lot of my teaching online and have been teaching mostly online ever since.

In the wake of COVID-19, I have also been taking a lot of this time to also create my own business as a travel storyteller and expat blogger! I love it.

Q.  What is the best thing about being remote?

Hands down, the freedom and flexibility I get from working online is amazing and I am so thankful to have a job that lets me work from anywhere in the world. As an online private teacher, I have taught online from Europe, South America, and now Southeast Asia. Being able to choose my hours, location, and what I teach has made my life so much easier and allows me to travel so much more. I am very thankful for this lifestyle and my job.

Q. What is the most challenging part of this lifestyle?

Time zones.

As an online private teacher and an up-and-coming content creator, time zones are everything and determine a lot of my day. Many of my students and clients live in the United States while I live in Bali, so with the 12 to 15-hour time difference, I am usually up at 6 am and up until 12 am teaching and creating projects with a break in the middle of the day. This throws off my sleep schedule a lot, but I have created a routine to help and those mid-day naps or massages are everything! I also make sure that I have at least two days off a week to enjoy life and catch up on some much-needed sleep.

Q. What countries have you visited?

I have been traveling my entire life. I was born in Canada and immigrated to the United States with my family when I was three. I have visited over 50 countries across 7 continents and have even circumnavigated the globe in a span of 4 months by ship.  And now I am currently living in Ubud, Bali.

Q. Favorite destination(s) for remote work and why?

Indonesia is honestly the first place that I have been able to really explore the digital nomad lifestyle. Before, I was traveling and backpacking a lot, and most places I wouldn’t even stay a week before I was on to the next place. 

Now that I have lived and worked in Jakarta and Bali for extended amounts of time, Bali would definitely be at the top of my list so far. I love the chill vibes, nature, and culture here. I constantly feel at home and energized to work and create anywhere I go!

I am excited to see what places I live next after the pandemic. I’m currently thinking about New Zealand or Australia, but who knows?!

 Q. When travelling, how have you been able to make friends and connect with others?

Dancing. I am a passionate Latin social dancer. I love taking classes while traveling to brush up on my skills and go out in the evenings to events and dance and meet people. I’ve met some of the most amazing and like-minded people during dance classes.

If you are in Ubud, I highly recommend checking out Ubud Studio to get your Latin dance fix or try something new. It’s a great place to learn basic dance steps and meet some new friends!

Q.  Tell us your most crazy travel story.

Riding in the back of a police truck to the local station to write an accident report after getting into a motorbike accident in the Philippines with a couple of kids. The accident was our fault and one of the kids had to go to the hospital with a broken arm. This was my first accident abroad and my first time riding in the back of a police car.

Q. If someone was interested in becoming a digital nomad, what would your advice be to them?

My number one advice for anyone thinking about starting the digital nomad life is You can do it!

I am so serious. The first step to any big decision is believing in yourself and your dreams. If you believe you want this lifestyle and can do it, you are already there! You just need to find the destination and get yourself there. And you could even start it in your current home until you feel comfortable to move around more and try out the nomad life.

Q. What would you like to see more of from the digital nomad experience post-Covid (such as more (or less) people travelling, more safety measures, more of a community base in each country)?

I would love to see more people traveling responsibly and consciously, especially digital nomads. I would also love to see co-working spaces promoting safety and health measures to promote nomads to continue their work safely and in a productive environment.

I believe that the survival of the travel industry all over the world will be in the support of small businesses and the local communities. So many countries rely on tourism as a major source of their GDP and this pandemic has hurt them and the people so much. I would love to see a shift towards more community-based travel and moving away from larger corporations who can survive much more easily. Give back and book with companies who are actively supporting the local area and causes you believe in!

Stay connected and follow Alexis:

@_thesoultraveler / Blog