Becoming a Digital Nomad by Alicia Pierrou

At the turn of the year 2020/2021, I did what I usually do. I sat down and wrote down the goals I wanted to accomplish for the year. I work very actively with setting goals and this resulted in about 70 goals. One of them was: "To have a work situation that enables me to travel to Bali for at least 1 month and work remotely from there.” Yes, I was like everyone else tired of the pandemic but above all fed up with the Swedish winter. I am not a skier or outdoor person during the winter so I have a very hard time living in Sweden during the winter. I don´t enjoy it at all. 

I was in Bali during the winter of 2016 and have since then longed to return but for various reasons, it has not been possible. For many years, my colleagues have heard me talk about wanting to go back there and practice yoga. So when I discussed this with my boss and told him about my goal, he immediately said yes.

Working from home during the pandemic has had its benefits and having a hybrid office has worked well for us as a company. So my thought was, why not try and see if Bali is an option? It could be an incredible opportunity for future employees who want to work from a very long distance.

After the approval from my boss, the process began. As the manager of a team of 4 people, both I and my boss realized that some of my tasks would be difficult to handle remotely. Some of these tasks are better to handle when you are at the office and in the same time zone. This resulted in one of my colleagues getting promoted to handle these assignments. 

So the first step was to educate her on how to handle those tasks and then think about which tasks are better suited as an independent job for me in Bali. After a few meetings back and forth, the tasks and responsibilities were set for all of us, and the rest of the team was informed. I was ready for my 3-month adventure!

And now I am currently in Bali and have been working here for 4 weeks and I can tell you that I absolutely love this lifestyle! I start the day off by doing yoga, eating a smoothie bowl for breakfast while reading a book.

Then I put a few hours into tasks that I feel inspired by before I enjoy a vegan lunch. Then I work a little more and then make my way to the pool to relax and hang out. When it is the afternoon for me, Sweden wakes up and that is when I usually have a meeting with them. In the evenings I’ll go and have dinner with friends I just met here, go and work out at the gym or go for another yoga class.

I feel more inspired, calmer, and happier than I have done in an incredibly long time. I meet exciting new people on a daily basis from all over the world who inspire me through their views on life, work, and lifestyle. I am loving each day I spend here especially as there is no such thing as a grey, boring Tuesday. 

It goes without saying that my standing goal is to always have the opportunity to travel here during the winter months. 

Thank you so much for reading this article and I would love to connect if you have similar thoughts or experiences!