How does the life of a digital nomad look like during the Covid-19 outbreak?
I fell in love with the lifestyle of digital nomads – Being able to work from anywhere proved so simple; all it takes is a laptop and a stable internet connection! Being free like the wind. That was always my dream, presumably a feeling of other people too.
Facing the unknown
At the onset of the Covid-19 crisis, I found myself in Tbilisi, Georgia. One after the other, European countries began to impose border restrictions, shutting down points of entry and limiting movement. At the time, I was staying in a gorgeous Airbnb apartment, with a huge terrace and a beautiful view of the entire city; a bargain deal that cost me ten Euros per night.
Soon after, I was supposed to fly to Lisbon, a city that is another of my favorites. However, due to the unfolding Covid-19 outbreak, all of a sudden my plans changed altogether.
I merely had one day to make a big decision!
Should I fly to Lisbon or rather remain in Tbilisi or perhaps fly to Budapest with the aim of returning home to Bratislava, Slovakia? (I purchased a flight from Tbilisi to Lisbon with a stopover in Budapest, so all these options were possible).
How bad could this be? I had a few hours left to decide where I will spend my next few (possibly many more) months. In the meantime, my country, Slovakia, decided to close all its airports. I was nonetheless hoping that Budapest would not follow the same path as otherwise I would have to stay in Tbilisi.
Being a digital nomad is one of the best things that have happened in my life. However, to be completely honest, being in Tbilisi, I was feeling extremely insecure. I was in Tbilisi by myself, I did not have many friends there and did not have a clue how bad the Covid crisis could turn out to be. At this point, I had roughly twenty hours to decide what to do. Tbilisi, Lisbon, or Bratislava?
Probably for the first time in my life, I made the decision to go with the safest option – to go back home to Bratislava.
Perks of a nomadic lifestyle
During my travels, many people ask me what I love the most about being a nomad. For some nomads, the best thing is the possibility to travel, to stay in new places for months without breaking the bank, or to be able to work whenever they wish. For me, the best part of being a nomad is meeting new, inspiring people. In my opinion, the best way to meet these people is to go to coworking spaces.
Coworking spaces are shared offices with good internet and above all developing the sense of a community; something nomads truly miss whilst on the road. A community of like-minded people, a group of nomads that have a similar lifestyle. This is the main reason why we, at CoworkBooking.com are committed to improving the experience of digital nomads through an up-to-date search and book platform of coworking spaces all over the world.
Related read: Is the digital nomad life for you?
Unfortunately, the coworking digital nomad community is one of the most affected due to the Covid-19 virus outbreak. Therefore, we have decided to organize an online fundraiser for our business partners and coworking spaces with the aim of helping them overcome the current crisis. If you would like to know more about our initiative, please click here.
Nomadism in pandemic times
So how does my life look like right now? The Covid-19 virus outbreak forced digital nomads to slow down for the foreseeable future. I do not think this is necessarily a bad thing. I miss traveling a lot, however, after many years of being on the road, I for once enjoy the time that I am spending at home with my family.
I go to a forest almost every day, I practice yoga and I have started with kickboxing. It is a lot of fun.
Surprisingly, I talk to my friends even more often than before the outbreak. Unfortunately, our communication is only online – via skype or zoom, but still, due to the fact that everyone is socially isolating at home, we all have more spare time. I speak regularly with my two good friends, both of whom are digital nomads too.
I greatly miss the excitement of being on a flight, heading to a new destination, trying new meals, discovering new places, going to coworking spaces. I miss all of this because I am a very social person that loves to go out.
However, thanks to all of this spare time, I am slowly discovering my passions, focusing a little bit on myself and on what I would truly like to achieve in my life. To be completely honest, I am happy to be stuck at home; not in some remote place that I barely know.
The future of my digital nomad life
And what are my plans for the future? Honestly, I have no idea. I was supposed to move to Lisbon, right before the outbreak. The nomad capital of Europe, the city I love so much. I can not get enough of that city, I used to live there already twice and I am looking forward to spending more time there once the outbreak is over.
Well, honestly, I was missing all the crazy things that you do as a nomad, all the traveling and uncertainty that actually a few days ago I did one of the craziest things I have ever done in my life.
While I was staying at home, I started to talk to an old high school friend. What started with one call, turned out into something much bigger. We started to call each other regularly, discuss everyday issues, laugh together, even watch youtube videos together… This is how dating during the Covid-19 crisis actually looks like. I wanted to meet up with him, but the situation here in Slovakia was still not very stable, so the only thing we could do till the last week was chatting via skype.
I felt like I was fifteen again and surprisingly, it was not a bad feeling. A few days ago the situation got better and we decided to give it a chance. Yesterday I packed up my luggage (once again) and currently I am writing this article from his sofa.
Will this love story have a happy ending? It is far too early to tell. However, what I can say is that after a long time, I met somebody that I can talk to for hours, and that makes me feel good. As my good friend loves to say: we humans have a strong desire for both freedom and a sense of security.
We want to belong – somewhere, to someone.
The question still remains the same: how can we satisfy both of these feelings simultaneously? Can we have it all? I have not been able to find the right answer yet, but I have no doubt that I shall find it one day.
Keep reading:
- The Spanish Lockdown Diaries
- Riding the Pandemic Wave South of the Border
- 10 Destinations to Visit After the Pandemic
Kristína Lukáčová is a Key Account Manager, blogger, and digital nomad. She enjoys good food, good wine, and good vibes. Furthermore, she loves dancing, writing poems, traveling, exploring different cultures, and meeting inspiring people.
Originally from Slovakia, she feels like a world citizen. Her motto? Live your dream, do not dream your life.
