One of No Direction Home's first posts was about 7 traits that make life easier for a digital nomad. At the time, I promised to better explore each one of them. Today is the second of this series.
The expression "shit happens" is even more true for digital nomads.
If you have a regular home-work life, countless troubles can occur. Your boss may be on vacation, and you're working overtime with no extra money. Your car's engine may break down, and you'll need to pay a mechanic. You may have a leak in the bathroom, and you will need to call the plumber.
The difference with a digital nomad is that shit will be even more unpredictable and you have less security and guarantees when it happens. You need to be able to adapt immediately. And you will need to manage crises without despair. Getting nervous won't fix the situation. I'll give you a recent example.
I woke up in the middle of a bombshell less than ten days before my February Airbnb location. The owner canceled the reservation, which had been made more than two months ago. Airbnb gave me a full refund and a BRL 335 (US$65) voucher.
To make the situation more alarming, this happened in a week when I had a lot of deadlines to accomplish in my work.
I started looking for other apartments in the same area I had rented. All absurdly more expensive because of the short deadline. The value of the voucher only covered much more dangerous places in São Paulo, in the middle of Cracolândia, a crack consumption point.
I spent hours resolving it with Airbnb support, a terrible service. The attendant said goodbye to me in the middle of the afternoon on Friday: "We'll be back early on Monday, good luck."
I asked for a BRL 2000 (US$ 389) voucher to cover a new rent in the same region. After much insistence, I only got a coupon for BLR 700 (US$130). After all, I needed to spend money not predicted in the budget.
The ability to adapt and deal with challenges is essential in the life of a digital nomad. This will often happen in another country, in another language, in a different climate, in a new local cuisine, amid a lot of work.
If you have these characteristics, you have taken another step toward the life of a digital nomad. Soon I will write about the other five.
Have a lovely weekend!
Photo: SHVETS production