One thing I love about being a professional writer is that I get to do my job from anywhere. I don’t need a massive desk or a richly appointed office. (Although I do surround myself with books in my home office.) I’m a digital nomad.
My mobile office is a Filson briefcase I won about nine years ago where I carry all my essentials. As long as I have wifi and maybe access to an electrical outlet, I can work. As long as I have that, I can work anytime, anywhere.
And while I haven’t achieved a #vanlife level of nomadicity (nomadic-ness?), I still consider myself a digital nomad who can do my job with a 13″ MacBook Pro and a Moleskine notebook.
Here is a list of things I have learned about being a digital nomad and making your city your office.
1. Keep your gear powered up
You would think I wouldn’t have to say this, but I went to a coffee shop with someone who shall remain nameless (but it was my son), and his laptop battery was at 6%. Luckily, we found a plug, and he was able to charge up. When you get home each night, plug everything in for the next day. Monitor your computer’s battery health. I use Coconut Battery to check every month.
Take advantage of free power whenever you can. If you find a coffee shop or restaurant that has plugs near your seat, use the power. Your next stop may see you running on battery for a few hours. Otherwise, plug in as soon as you get home and run any backups on your day’s work.
It also doesn’t hurt to carry an extra power bank. I like the Anker 20,000mAh chargers (affiliate link), but whatever you get, make sure it’s fast-charging. I also like the cordless banks. (There are some with built-in charging cords, but I worry what will happen if the cord breaks.)
2. Have a roster of regular stops
I have several favorite coffee shops, fast food restaurants, and even a pizza place (shout out to Lazy Moon UCF!) where I do my work. I know which tables have plugs nearby, and I plan my work sessions on their traffic patterns and busy-ness. (For example, weekends at Lazy Moon between lunch and dinner are ideal because the place is nearly empty, especially when the University of Central Florida is on break.)
Become a regular if you can, and get to know the staff. Be friendly and chat whenever you buy something. This way, you’ll stand out, and they’ll look out for you as they get to know you better. (Be sure to buy something every 90 minutes to two hours. Don’t just buy a small coffee and camp for eight hours.)
And don’t forget to tip!
3. Participate in the loyalty programs
If you go to the same places over and over, download their loyalty app. You may only get a small discount, like $5 off after 10 purchases, but a little something is better than a big nothing.
Supporting the loyalty program puts money back in your pocket through bonuses and special offers. It may not seem like much, but those freebies are a nice little treat when you’re trying to stretch your dollars. If you don’t like the freebies, then give them to someone else.
4. Shop local as much as possible
You’re a local entrepreneur, so support local businesses whenever you can. If you can go to an indie coffee shop or restaurant whenever you’re out, that’s great. The more you support local businesses, the more they’re going to be around.
5. Meet at indie coffee shops
That not only shows your loyalty to the shop, you’re promoting them on your behalf. You’re helping their customer base grow so they can continue to grow and thrive themselves. I have one favorite coffee and donut place in Orlando that sponsors my local 1 Million Cups chapter. As I’ve gotten to know them, and they continue to provide their fresh-made donuts to us every week, I hold most of my networking meetings there. It’s a nice way to say thank you for their generosity.
6. But you can’t beat cheap
Still, if you’re watching your money, you can’t beat a $2 Coke at McDonald’s. You can sit for a couple of hours and work on just a single drink. I don’t recommend doing this every day since it’s not that good for you.
But if you only need a temporary office for a couple of hours, the Golden Arches has you covered, and they’re all over the place. It’s a great place to stop if you need to send a quick email while you’re on a road trip. Just be aware that many McDonalds don’t have electrical outlets, which is why you need to keep your equipment charged.
7. So join Panera’s Sip Club
First, I hate the word “sip” almost as much as I hate “moist.”
BUT I like saving money. And with the Panera Sip Club, I can go to a different Panera every two hours and get coffee, tea, or soft drinks. Or I can sit in one location and get free refills while I’m there.
I sometimes stop in, grab a table, and drink some coffee while I enjoy the free wifi. In fact, I know a guy whose neighborhood Panera is his office, and he’s literally there six or seven hours per day. (I’m not kidding.)
I just joined the Sip Club last week — it costs $15/month or $99/year if you pay annually — and I often go to the Panera near my house. I’ve already spotted several regulars who park at their same tables all day, every day, so it’s a viable remote location.
I know it’s not a local shop, but honestly, the redacted Club pays for itself in five visits. (And if you sign up via the app, you can get the first two months free.)
8. Get a VPN
Public wifi is wildly unsecure. You need to protect yourself, and a VPN is the best way to do it. Several years ago, I bought a lifetime subscription to VPN Unlimited for $69.99. It’s normally $199, but you can get it for $69.99 right now (non-affiliate link).
Note: One thing I have noticed about McDonald’s wifi is that whenever I visit a web page, the page refuses to load the first time, so I have to reload it a couple times. This has happened at several McDonald’s, so I think it’s a McDonald’s thing, not my computer. (Especially since a Speedtest.net test shows that their wifi is plenty fast.)
One day, I saw that when my VPN was on, the pages loaded normally. This makes me think McDonald’s is monitoring everyone’s web traffic to make sure we’re not up to anything sinister or bad, but it causes issues on our web browsers. I can use my VPN to not only protect my personal data but to improve their wifi performance.
9. Work on your local machine, store it in the cloud
The problem with being a digital nomad is that we’re dependent on wifi. When I first joined the Sip Club, I couldn’t get online in any of the stores. I was able to fix it eventually, but it was enough to almost make me quit the club.
Luckily, I was still able to work because I can access all my articles on my laptop before I upload them to clients. Even this article is being written in Apple Pages before I upload it to my blog.
While a lot of people like working on Google Docs or Microsoft 365, that’s difficult if you don’t have wifi. Yes, you can connect to your phone as a wifi hotspot, but it’s slower than dial-up.
On the other hand, by storing everything in the cloud, you can access it if you ever need to use a different computer. On my laptop, I back up all my in-progress documents on iCloud and back everything up to an external hard drive.
Then, I can access files using my iPhone’s Files app and work on them with a Bluetooth keyboard. Or if I know I won’t have my computer, I’ll save a version to Google Docs and use my iPad and Bluetooth keyboard on the road.
10. Learn how to use Google Drive offline
If you prefer Google Drive, there is a way to use it offline. I can’t tell you how because it’s been years since I tried it. (Find out how to do it here.) When you get back online, everything syncs up between your local files and your Google Drive.
It’s a convenient system if you’re focused on keeping costs down, but I’ve been using Apple’s word processor since it was called MacWrite in the 1980s, and I’ve used every version in between. I have no plans on switching now.
But if you’re an offline Google Drive user, let me hear from you in the comments below. What do you like about it? What makes you stick with it?
11. Set up “office hours” with fellow nomads
The one thing I don’t like about being a digital nomad is the loneliness. Sometimes, I miss working in an office because I miss being around people. (Not enough to go back, of course. A bad day working for myself is better than a great day working for someone else.)
Set up a working meeting with other nomads and work together at the same table for a few hours. You won’t get a lot of work done, but you’ll be able to socialize, get to know a few other people, trade ideas and resources, and it can help you find future collaborators to work with.
Take turns visiting each other’s favorite places and sample new restaurants and coffee shops. You never know when you might find a new regular spot for your journeys.
Being a digital nomad is actually a fun way to work. I get to visit different parts of the city and meet new people. I even created a map of all the indie coffee shops around Central Florida so I can decide where I’m going to spend a good part of my day.
Not to mention, if I ever go on a business trip or vacation, I can pack my briefcase and work from any hotel, restaurant, or coffee shop, no matter where I am. And if I ever just wanted to do a quick bit of work, as long as I have a Bluetooth keyboard and my phone, I’m all set.
Do you have any digital nomad tricks of the trade? Share them in the comments.
Photo credit: Erik Deckers
