RoamingRushka

This week’s blog post is a little different from the usual travel update. I want to pull back the curtain on the logistical side of this digital nomad life Paloma and I are living. Before we set out, I had a deep hunger for knowledge on how others manage this lifestyle, so I hope to provide some inspiration for anyone else looking to embark on a similar journey.

When we hit the road, it was important for us to keep things minimal and manageable. All our belongings fit into our trusty compact car—a Honda Fit. Believe it or not, this tiny car holds everything we need for our journey! We each have just a few duffel bags for clothes and three essential Rubbermaid boxes. One box is dedicated to jackets (especially necessary as we transition into colder climates), another to kitchen gear (because living on the road doesn’t mean giving up home-cooked meals), and the third to my office setup—specifically, desktop monitors that I rely on for remote work. One note about the kitchen gear – I am a kitchen snob, and if the rental unit has dull knives or gross pans, that will not fly with me. The kitchen in our month-long Denver rental did not have the best pans so I am grateful that I had it. 

There are also some auxiliary bags: I have one for my electronics and another for rock climbing gear. Paloma has her own small box filled with art supplies and books she uses for her studies and another small bag for toiletries like soaps, lotions, band-aids, and perfumes.

The key here is minimalism. We don’t have the luxury of space, so we’ve embraced a lifestyle that revolves around packing light and making do with fewer items. It works for the most part, though I’ll admit, we’re getting a little tired of wearing the same clothes over and over again. But the trade-off? No massive wardrobe to lug around, and no unnecessary clutter weighing us down as we explore.

For anyone curious about taking their life on the road, here’s a tip: less is more. Start by paring down your essentials, and remember that you can always adapt along the way. You don’t need to give up your passions (whether it’s art or climbing), but traveling light will make the journey much more flexible and enjoyable.

The Art of Strategic Travel Days

Another important logistical element of our nomadic life is the need for strategic travel days. Since I need to be set up for work from morning to evening, staying stationary during the work week is essential. I’ve tried working from the front seat with a hotspot before, but it’s not for me—I get carsick. To avoid that, we do our best to schedule our mid-term rental check-ins and check-outs on the weekends, allowing us to drive without interfering with my work schedule.

Occasionally, the drive may be long enough that it will need to be broken up over a couple of weeks. For example, on the leg from Denver to Portland, Maine, we took almost three weeks to complete the journey. The first leg was from Denver to Omaha, Nebraska, where we stayed for a night. After that, we drove to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where we were able to stay the week with Paloma’s cousin, who has a spacious house. I set up shop in their guest bedroom and worked from there Monday through Friday. The week flew by, and I got to enjoy the beauty of Milwaukee after my workday, as well as some relaxing morning walks to grab coffee before clocking in.

The following Saturday, after our week in Milwaukee, we packed up and headed straight to our next stop: Sandusky, Ohio. This cute town on Lake Erie was a nice surprise. We grabbed some great pizza, then headed back to our hotel to rest up for the next long day of driving.

The next leg took us all the way to eastern Pennsylvania—East Stroudsburg. Since I’ve already written about our time there in my last post, I’ll keep it brief, but logistically, we arrived Sunday night and stayed for the work week. As always, reliable Wi-Fi was a must, so I could jump on Zoom calls and handle emails.

The next part of the trip was a bit different from our usual strategy of traveling on weekends and staying stationary during the week. It was Paloma’s birthday, and she wanted a bit of that classic New England vacation vibe, so we splurged on an Airbnb in Ogunquit for a few nights (thanks to her dad, John). This created a minor dilemma for my work schedule. We had to check out of the Airbnb on Wednesday at 11 a.m., but we couldn’t check into our next rental until 2 p.m., leaving me “stranded” without my remote work setup. Fortunately, we found a cozy coffee shop in Portland, Maine, where we could hang out until we made it to our new home.

Speaking of lodging, we’ve been very grateful for Furnished Finder, a website that caters to digital nomads, traveling nurses, and other traveling workers. It’s been a lifesaver, offering great deals on furnished rentals without the hefty markups you often find on Airbnb.

Stay tuned for more insights as we continue our adventure across beautiful landscapes and exciting cities. Until then, keep dreaming of your own road, wherever it may lead.

Here’s a short from Paloma’s YouTube channel:

-RoamingRushka