Do you have what it takes to be a digital nomad? We revisit a 2022 conversation we had with the following intrepid travellers: Juleen Gentles, who is from Jamaica, but spoke with us from Ghana; Marsiya Issah who is from Ghana, but had been living in Barbados; and Andres Phillips, who is from Barbados, but had recently ended a 10-month stint in Colombia and Mexico. During the episode, Andres, Juleen and Marsiya share: their journey to becoming digital nomads and some of their experiences on the ground; their experience and the challenges regarding internet access and language barriers; and some advice to those who might be thinking of becoming digital nomads.

 

This episode is also available on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music!!

When travel and movement restrictions were implemented during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, many Caribbean countries had to scramble to consider seemingly ‘out-of-the-box ’ alternatives to the traditional travel and hospitality formulae they had been using. One of the options that was seriously considered, and even implemented in some countries, was the digital nomad segment, but with an emphasis on longer-term stay visitors, thanks to the upsurge in remote work and work-from-anywhere arrangements.

Longer-term visitors, particularly those who are gainfully employed or working for clients overseas, tend to need some stability in their travel and living arrangements so that they can fulfil their work obligations. These visitors are also likely to have more disposable income than the typical backpacker, and depending on the length of their stay – especially if they are accompanied by their families – could spend considerable sums in the local economy.

Although some organisations have clawed back on permitting remote work and hybrid work arrangements in recent years, these options can still be explored depending on the employer. For those who are considering the digital nomad lifestyle, it is critical to do your research, identify the factors that are important to you and your safety, and ensure you have covered all your bases.

This episode was first aired in February 2022, but the content still seems fresh and relevant for those of us who have toyed with the idea of working from a country other than where we are currently based.

 

Introducing our guests

Andres Phillips

Andres Phillips is a Technical Writer and Content Marketer. He has been working remotely in the tech space for the last seven years, leveraging Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Engineering to turn complex ideas into easy to understand material, and began his journey as a digital nomad in 2019.

Andres is currently the Head of Content at Wordify and DXPReport.com, a Dubai/London-based content marketing agency and media publication for the headless CMS (content management system) and DXP (digital experience platform) space. He also does freelance writing for start-ups across other disciplines including product management, blockchain and cryptocurrency.

Andres is originally from Barbados. When we spoke with him, he had recently returned to Barbados from Mexico City, where he was based for four months, and prior to that and for six months, he was in Medellin, Colombia.

 

Juleen Gentles

Juleen Gentles is a Schwarzman Scholar and is currently pursuing postgraduate studies in China. At the time of our interview, she was a Digital Product Analyst for a United States-based firm with operations in Jamaica. In 2020, she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Computing, Information Systems.  When we spoke, Juleen was living and working on the African Continent and had spent some time in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Ghana, when we caught up with her.

Juleen has been an advocate for women and the black community in technology, encouraging them to be not only consumers of digital content, but also creators. She has worked with regional social enterprises such as Youth Can Do I.T. and was an Ambassador of Caribbean Girls Hack. Her work and mission have been acknowledged by entities such as Microsoft Windows Insider, the International Telecommunications Union, the Food and Agriculture Organisation, Huawei Technologies Limited, and the National Commercial Bank (Jamaica), to name a few. She is also a is a public speaker and storyteller, who is deeply inspired by her heritage.

 

Marsiya Issah

Originally from Ghana, Marsiya Issah had been in Barbados since March 2020, having arrived just before the first country-wide lockdown was implemented. She is a self-taught Software Developer with knowledge in areas such as Front End and Back End Development, and Responsive Web Design.

When we caught up with Marsiya, she was working as a Volunteer for an international special interest organisation. Before arriving in Barbados, she worked as a Data Analyst for an insurance company in Ghana, though her academic qualifications are in Agricultural Economics. Marsiya has since returned to Ghana and has been working as an AI Engineer.

 

 

Insights into conversations

Revisiting this conversation with Andres, Juleen and Marsiya was a reminder of the invaluable life experience and insight that being a digital nomad offers. Often when we travel, it is for a few days or weeks on vacation, and typically, especially for Caribbean travellers, we tend to be in the care of family and friends. Being on your own and self-reliant in an environment that is outside of your comfort zone can be highly intimidating, but provides an invaluable opportunity for personal growth.

Below are a few of the questions posed to Andres, Marsiya and Juleen during our conversation:

  1. What was the journey to becoming a digital nomad?
  2. What has been your experience with regard to internet connectivity, and what do you look for on that front?
  3. Has the pandemic caused any challenges, new opportunities or adjustment to your digital nomad experience and/or plans?
  4. How important is knowing the local language of the country to which you are travelling?
  5. If someone was thinking of becoming a digital nomad, what advice would you give?
  6. What is next for you? Are there plans to continue being a digital nomad?

 

We would love to hear your thoughts!

Do leave us a comment either here beneath this article, or on our Facebook or LinkedIn pages, or via Twitter, @ICTPulse.

Also, if you or a member of your network is interested in joining us for an episode, do get in touch.

Let’s make it happen!

 

Select links

Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that either were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise, might be useful:

 

 

Images credit: A Phillips;  M Issah;  J Gentles;   Wikimedia Commons;  Victormattei (Pixabay) ; Rob Oo (flickr)

Music credit: The Last Word (Oui Ma Chérie), by Andy Narrell

Podcast editing support:  Mayra Bonilla Lopez