Living on the road can be an exciting and fulfilling way of life, but it can also present unique challenges when it comes to achieving work-life balance. With no fixed schedule, it can be difficult to separate work from play and maintain a healthy balance between the two. In this article, I’ll explore some tips and strategies for finding that balance and living a fulfilling nomadic lifestyle. From establishing a consistent work routine to picking up a new hobby, I’ll cover practical advice for maintaining your physical and mental well-being while enjoying all that living on the road has to offer.
Establish a Routine
As a digital nomad, it’s easy to fall into the trap of constantly working or constantly exploring, without any sense of structure or routine. This can quickly lead to burnout and make it difficult to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Establishing a routine can help you stay focused and productive while also allowing time for rest, relaxation, and exploration.
Determine Your Priorities: Before establishing a routine, it’s important to determine your priorities. Do you prioritize work, travel, or mental wellness? By understanding what’s most important to you, you can create a routine that aligns with your goals and values.
Set a Schedule: Once you’ve determined your priorities, it’s time to set a schedule. This should include designated work hours, time for personal activities, and time for rest and relaxation. Try to establish a consistent schedule to help you stay on track and avoid burnout.
Create a Morning Routine: Starting your day with a routine can help you set the tone for the rest of the day. This could include activities such as meditation, yoga, journaling, or exercise. A morning routine can help you feel more focused, energized, and ready to tackle the day ahead.
Take Breaks: Taking breaks throughout the day is important for maintaining focus and productivity. Make sure to schedule regular breaks for rest and relaxation, as well as opportunities to explore your surroundings.
Embrace Flexibility
Living on the road often requires flexibility when it comes to work. You may need to adapt to changing schedules, work in different environments, or even take time off to explore new places. Here are some tips for embracing flexibility:
Be Open to Change: Embrace the unpredictable nature of living on the road, and be open to new opportunities and experiences. This may mean adjusting your work schedule or taking on new challenges that come your way.
Make the Most of Your Surroundings: Take advantage of your surroundings and use them to your advantage. If you’re working in a beautiful location, take breaks to go for a hike or explore the area.
Set Realistic Expectations: Be realistic about what you can accomplish while living on the road. Don’t overcommit to work projects or underestimate the time needed for travel or leisure activities.
Prioritize Self-Care
Living on the road can be exciting, but it can also be stressful and exhausting. It’s important to prioritize self-care to maintain your physical and mental well-being. Here are some tips for incorporating self-care into your routine:
Exercise: Exercise is a great way to relieve stress and improve your overall health. Find ways to incorporate physical activity into your daily routine, whether it’s through hiking, yoga, or a quick workout.
Meditation: Meditation is a great way to reduce stress and improve your focus. Set aside time each day for meditation, even if it’s just a few minutes.
Downtime: It’s important to take time to relax and recharge. Set aside time each day to read, listen to music, or simply do nothing.
Personal Hygiene: Make sure you have a way to clean yourself and your living space regularly. Nothing beats having a clean body and environment when things get stressful.
Create Boundaries
Creating boundaries between work and play is essential for achieving work-life balance while living on the road. Here are some tips for setting boundaries:
Designate Work Spaces: Designate specific areas in your vehicle or campsite for work. This will help you establish a work routine and make it easier to switch off from work when you’re done for the day.
Avoid Overworking: It can be tempting to work long hours to get ahead, but this can quickly lead to burnout. Set realistic work hours and avoid overworking.
Disconnect: Make a conscious effort to disconnect from work when you’re not working. Turn off your phone and computer, and avoid checking email or taking work calls outside of work hours. This will help you create boundaries and ensure that you’re able to fully enjoy your leisure time.
Embrace the Adventure
One of the most exciting aspects of living on the road is the adventure of it all. It’s important to find a balance between work and play while still making time for exploration and adventure. Here are some tips for embracing the adventure:
Plan Ahead: Plan ahead to make the most of your time on the road. Research destinations and activities that interest you, and plan your work schedule around them.
Embrace Spontaneity: Living on the road allows for spontaneous adventures and opportunities. Don’t be afraid to deviate from your plans and embrace new experiences as they arise.
Make Memories: Living on the road is a unique and special experience. Take the time to make memories and document your adventures, whether it’s through journaling, photography, or video.
Balancing Work and Play on the Road
Achieving work-life balance while living on the road can be challenging, but it’s essential for maintaining your physical and mental well-being. By establishing routines, embracing flexibility, prioritizing self-care, creating boundaries, and embracing the adventure, you can enjoy all that living on the road has to offer while still achieving your work goals. Remember to take time to recharge, explore, and create memories along the way. With a little bit of planning and a lot of flexibility, you can achieve the perfect balance between work and play while living on the road.
When people think of camping, they often picture pitching a tent in a designated campground and enjoying s’mores around the campfire. However, there’s a different type of camping experience that’s gaining popularity: overlanding. Overlanding is often confused with car camping, but the two are actually quite different. Both offer opportunities to escape the daily grind and connect with nature, but overlanding takes camping to the next level. In this article, I’ll explore the differences between overlanding and car camping to clear up any confusion and help you understand the unique characteristics and benefits of each type of camping.
What is Overlanding?
Overlanding is a type of self-reliant travel that involves exploring remote or off-road areas using a rugged vehicle equipped with camping gear, food, and water supplies. Overlanding can involve traveling through various terrains and landscapes, including deserts, mountains, forests, and waterways, often for extended periods, such as weeks or months. The goal of overlanding is to experience the journey and connect with the natural environment, rather than reaching a specific destination.
Moreover, overlanding offers the opportunity to explore off-the-beaten-path locations, experience a deeper sense of adventure and self-reliance, and connect with nature in a more profound way than car camping.
Overlanding requires a higher degree of self-sufficiency and planning than car camping. Overlanders must carry all the supplies they need with them, as they may not have access to nearby towns or facilities. They must also be prepared for emergencies, such as vehicle breakdowns or medical issues, as they may be traveling in remote areas far from civilization.
While not required, overlanders often use specialized vehicles, such as 4×4 trucks or SUVs, that are capable of traversing rough terrain and steep inclines. They may also have specialized equipment, such as rooftop tents, off-road tires, and winches, that allow them to access and set up camp in more remote locations.
What is Car Camping?
Car camping, on the other hand, involves setting up camp in a designated campground or established campsite, often with amenities such as toilets, fire pits, showers and picnic tables. Car campers typically bring a vehicle equipped with basic camping gear, such as tents, sleeping bags, and cooking supplies. They may also have access to nearby towns or facilities to purchase food and supplies, and can usually drive to and from their campsite easily.
Conversely, car camping is a more accessible and convenient way to experience camping, as it requires less planning and self-sufficiency than overlanding. Car campers can bring more gear and supplies with them, as they do not need to carry everything on their backs or in their vehicle.
Car camping is often used as a weekend or short-term camping experience, as it is easier to plan and execute than overlanding. It is a great way to enjoy the outdoors and connect with nature, without the need for extensive planning or specialized equipment.
Which Is the Best Camping Style for You?
When deciding whether to go overlanding or car camping, it’s important to consider your camping goals, preferences, and level of experience. Here are some factors to consider to help you determine which type of camping is the better option for you:
Terrain and Destination: Overlanding is typically done in remote and rugged areas that require a specialized vehicle, while car camping can be done in established campgrounds and recreational areas. If you’re planning to explore off-the-beaten-path destinations that require a four-wheel-drive vehicle and advanced off-road skills, overlanding may be the better option. However, if you’re looking for a more traditional camping experience in a scenic location with easy access to amenities like bathrooms, water, and electricity, car camping may be the way to go.
Equipment and Gear: Overlanding requires specialized equipment and gear, including a capable vehicle, roof top tent or camping trailer, portable fridge/freezer, water filtration system, and other camping essentials. Car camping, on the other hand, requires less specialized gear and can be done with a simple tent, sleeping bag, and cooler. If you already own a four-wheel-drive vehicle and enjoy the challenge of outfitting it for off-road adventures, overlanding may be a good fit for you. If you prefer a more minimalist approach to camping or don’t want to invest in specialized gear, car camping may be the better option.
Skill Level and Experience: Overlanding requires a higher level of skill and experience than car camping, as it involves navigating challenging terrain, performing basic vehicle maintenance, and dealing with unexpected situations out in nature. If you have experience in off-road driving, vehicle maintenance, and outdoor survival skills, overlanding may be a good fit for you. If you’re new to camping or prefer a more relaxed camping experience, car camping may be a better option.
Choose your Own Adventure
I always have a hard time deciding whether to tell someone I’m overlanding or car-camping. In most situations I say car-camping, because most people aren’t familiar with overlanding. For the most part, I think the two terms are pretty interchangeable. But I also think there are important distinctions, which is why I wanted to provide an overlanding definition and compare it to car-camping.
The main differences between overlanding and car camping are the level of self-sufficiency and the remoteness of the campsites. Overlanding requires a higher degree of self-sufficiency and planning, as overlanders must carry all their supplies with them and be prepared for emergencies. Overlanding also involves traveling to more remote and off-the-beaten-path locations, often for extended periods, than car camping.
Car camping, on the other hand, is a more accessible and convenient way to experience camping. It requires less planning and self-sufficiency than overlanding, and campers have access to amenities and facilities that are not available to overlanders. Car camping is often used for weekend or short-term camping experiences and is a great way to enjoy the outdoors without the need for specialized equipment or extensive
Ultimately, the decision to go overlanding or car camping depends on your personal preferences, camping goals, and level of experience. By considering these factors, you can choose the camping experience that best suits your needs and allows you to enjoy the great outdoors on your own terms.
If you’re a digital nomad living the car camping life, you’re properly looking for nice camping spots that have reception. After all, you still need to work to sustain this lifestyle. Fortunately, there are tons of beautiful camping spots out there that still have reception, even if they are seemingly remote or secluded. And there are a few tools you can use to find them.
Tools for getting a cell signal
Possibly the simplest way to know ahead of time if the area you want to travel to has reception is to download the app OpenSignal. This app shows you a map of a selected area with different colors plotted on the map that show you the strength of the signal. Areas with green spots show strong signal, while areas with red or no coloring indicate little to no signal. Unsurprisingly, you’ll notice that areas along highways or within cities have the highest concentration of green spots. But every once in awhile it’ll show you remote or forested areas with reception. You can even configure the app to show you signal for specific cell carriers.
Another method for finding cell signal while camping is to use some of the camp-finding apps out there such as The Dyrt or FreeRoam (both of which I frequently use). The Dyrt’s Pro feature allows you to filter campsites by which cell carrier has signal at the location. FreeRoam’s filtering system has something similar, but it’s free, and even lets you determine how strong of a signal you’re looking for. Both apps seem to rely on user-generated assessments of the cell signal and may not be entirely accurate.
Other tools for finding cell signal
There other ways to find cell signal or acquire an internet connection while roaming the lands if you don’t mind dropping some money. Devices such as cell signal amplifiers or even satellite internet configurations can get you connected on the go.
You can find cell signal amplifiers at just about any major electronics store, such as Best Buy, or outdoor sporting goods stores such as REI. Amazon.com has several options as well, ranging from home & office setups, to car & RV options. And there are some for specific cell carriers like Verizon and AT&T. I personally haven’t used a cell signal amplifier, so make sure to diligently research these before purchasing.
Sometimes even just purchasing a run-of-the-mill cellular hotspot can slightly amplify a cell signal better than your smartphone. However, in my experience, they hardly work any better than my smarthphone.
For an even more expensive but arguably more solid solution, you can purchase satellite internet equipment ready-made for cars, SUVs and RVs. These usually require mounting large satellite dishes to the top of your vehicle or on the ground. They often cost thousands of dollars too. But thankfully, Elon Musk’s Starlink company has new satellite internet equipment specifically made for moving vehicles. While Starlink solutions are much cheaper than traditional satellite internet setups, it’ll still run you a couple thousand dollars.
Or, if you just need some way to communicate or access maps and weather reports when there’s no cell reception, the Garmin inReach is a popular choice. It even has an emergency SOS button and is a must-have for anyone spending lots of time in the remote backcountry. I use one of these myself to communicate my location to my mom when I know I won’t have reception for awhile. If anything, it’s peace of mind.
Working remotely in the wilderness
It is absolutely possible to find secluded camping spots with cell connectivity. Some of the best spots I’ve found had full or near full reception. There’s nothing like working remotely with a beautiful office view of some mountains or a lush forest. While the apps I mentioned above do help, sometimes I’m disappointed at the connectivity, and sometimes I’m pleasantly surprised. In the end it’ll take a little exploring to find ideal places to work and camp from. Once you’ve narrowed down an area with cell signal, learn how to explore forest roads to find an even more ideal spot for yourself.
Being able to work remotely in the wilderness is great and all, but if possible, I highly recommend finding beautiful places with no cell reception. Soon I’ll be publishing an article that explains all the reasons why camping with no reception is ideal. Stay tuned for that. But in the meantime, let me know if any of the methods written in this article have helped you find camping spots with cell reception, or if you have any other tips to offer!
Ever since I started doing some serious exploring for prime camping spots I’ve learned that the hidden gems are down forest roads. I’ve been doing occasional camping since I was a kid, but usually at well-known, maintained campgrounds in the PNW area. Now that I have my 4×4 and some trusty apps, my world has been opened up to some amazing new places.
What are forest roads?
Forest roads are a type of road designed specifically for access into wilderness areas. They’re often used for forest management, logging, firefighting, and recreational activities. Some of them are paved roads, but often (or the further through them you travel) they will be gravel or dirt roads. Depending on how well-managed a given forest road is, sometimes it is only possible to access them with a 4×4 or high-clearance vehicle. And in other cases, they’re only accessible with small, non-highway legal vehicles such as ATVs. But in my experience, most forest roads can be accessed with any type of vehicle, up to a certain point.
Enter into any national forest or wilderness area and you are likely to find forest roads strewn throughout and off to the sides of main roads. Popular navigation apps like Google Maps sometimes don’t show them unless they are directly in route to your destination.
Finding the forest roads
Usually what I’ll do to find forest roads is use a combination of apps to narrow down good candidates. For example, I’ll use The Dyrt to find a decent campsite in an area I’d like to explore. Once I arrive to the area, I’ll load the app Gaia GPS which displays all of the forest road networks in the area.
Another tactic, if you have the time and gas to spare, is to simply head into the wilderness area you want to camp in and keep an eye out for unpaved roads off the main road. Make sure there aren’t any “No Trespassing” signs or anything, of course. Once you start travelling down forest roads, it becomes easier to identify them in the future when you’re just cruising through forested land.
Typically, the further you travel down a forest road, the more likely you’ll find some nice and secluded camping spots. Oftentimes what you’ll find are little pull outs where you can park and sleep in your vehicle, if that’s your jam. Larger areas where you can set up a tent are a little less common, but they’re out there! It really depends on what forest you’re in. You can also use Google Earth to identify spots along forest roads.
I went exploring the Olympic National Forest last summer and found a logging forest road that led me to a beautifully forested, secluded area with full reception. I camped out there in my car and worked remotely for a week!
Over the summer of 2022 I found countless hidden gems by exploring forest roads. I was able to do the type of camping I only dreamed of in prior years. My preference is for areas that are either lushly forested, or offer vast, scenic views in remote, secluded areas. All of that and more can be found along forest roads.
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As I ramp up my car-camping digital nomad lifestyle, I’ve been reflecting on how it’s teaching me to be more sustainable. More so than I’d be at home with seemingly unlimited resources. Out on the road, I have noticeably finite resources, especially when I’m in more remote places for long periods. So long-term camping has me thinking about how the products I use affect the environment and how I can best stretch out my resources.
Rationing resource usage
Camping is usually a game of determining how much you can pack in your car and survive off of before calling it quits or making a trip to the nearest store. The game becomes more complicated when camping long-term, maybe for a week or more, while also in remote locations. The essential resources I’m usually thinking about are:
Water
Energy (gas and electricity)
Food
I use water for cooking, cleaning, and drinking. Gas is obviously used for my car, but my vehicle sometimes doubles as a gas-powered generator so that I can charge my equipment. The electricity stored in my battery packs and Jackery generator is used for whatever electronic devices I bring, whether for entertainment, work, or survival. As for food, I try to bring a good combination of dry foods and whatever fits in my portable refrigerator.
And then there are the miscellaneous resources such as cleaning wipes, paper towels, personal hygiene items etc.
With the essential resources, long-term camping has forced me to think about what can be recycled. For instance, after a week of camping, I realized how quickly water is used. Everything from washing my hands to doing dishes uses much more water than I had expected. So I started thinking creatively and realized that some of the water I use could be recaptured and used again. I try to capture any excess water I use for cooking, doing dishes, or washing my hands in a container. Later, I re-use it for putting out campfires or rinsing dirt off of some things.
Furthermore, I’m forced to think more about my electricity usage and how far I can stretch my battery power before recharging. Whenever possible, I operate my electronics in lower power or eco mode, and I completely power down devices when I’m not using them, as well as when I’m charging them.
My electric generator is easily the most essential piece of equipment I have. It has a large capacity, but I need to give it some charge often so I’m not stuck in a situation where it is depleted when I really need it. Soon I plan on buying a solar panel accessory to have it charge throughout the day when there is sunlight. But for now, I plug it into my car port whenever I drive somewhere else. Sometimes I’ll let it run off my car battery alone for a bit. Or sometimes I’ll do a “5-minutes on, 10-minutes off” sort of rotation with my car so that I don’t drain my car battery.
When cooking food, I try to estimate the exact serving size that will fill me up instead of cooking a surplus of food and wasting some. However, if you bring suitable food storage containers and can prevent things from spoiling, that’s a good alternative. I also find getting food that doesn’t need to be reheated is a good idea. I have a propane gas burner that can reheat some food, but even the gas used for that is limited.
Sustainable products
Another thing I often think about these days is which products that I bring into the wilderness are the most harmful to the environment. Of course, sustainable consumerism is something I think about a lot at home in the city too. But things feel more palpable when you’re directly interfaced with nature. Certain products, such as plastic, stand in contrast to my immediate surroundings whenever I pull them out to use. It also doesn’t help that I sometimes see the trash remnants of prior, less sustainability-minded campers in the spots I choose. One principle I’ve been following is to try and leave a camping spot cleaner than how I found it.
In terms of sustainable products, I try to think about possible alternatives to the things I’d traditionally use while camping. For example, there are biodegradable versions of most cleaning wipes, such as hand wipes, body wipes, and general cleaning wipes. In addition, the soap I use for dishwashing is environmentally-friendly, and I’m currently shopping for other sustainable personal hygiene products. Toothbrushes & toothpaste, body wash/soap, and paper towels are examples of things I’m hoping to replace soon.
Gas usage
Arguably the worst thing I’m doing to the environment is constantly driving. Unfortunately, I’m a bit priced out of high-range electric vehicles with 4WD, and there are limits to where I can go with EVs due to the underdeveloped fast-charging network infrastructure. Nevertheless, I have high hopes that EVs will become a better alternative for digital nomads soon.
For now, I try to do things like better trip planning and getting better at timing when I have my car engine on. As I mentioned before, there are times when I need to charge a bunch of things in a pinch. In those situations, I may use a “5-minutes on, 10-minutes off” rotation to avoid emitting too much gas while keeping in mind my car battery. Fortunately, I do have a portable jumper cable that I can use if my battery does die.
Overall I try not to let my car idle. I also tend not to drive aggressively and prefer seeing how high I can get my gas mileage while driving. It helps to have a vehicle that displays that sort of info in the dashboard. For what it’s worth, I also use premium gas because apparently it gives you better gas mileage and price savings in the long run.
Becoming one with nature
Going forward, it’s a no-brainer that I should continue optimizing my sustainability as a digital nomad. Not only does it help the environment, but it potentially helps to save me money. I’m thinking about how I can recycle my grey water, which products are biodegradable, and how I can stretch out my resources. I suspect that I’ll bring this improved mindset home with me when I head back to the city.
To be one hundred percent sustainable may not be realistic for most digital nomads. But with the products on the market today, we’re privileged to have options. As consumers, we can also make sure we are buying from sustainability-focused companies and advocate for better products.
There’s so much more I could be doing better, and I’m only scratching the surface. If you have any tips or suggestions for me, please let me know, and I’ll try to incorporate them into my lifestyle!
After three months in Medellin, Colombia, it’s finally time to reflect on my entire stay. Usually, I would’ve split each month into its own post, like with the Mexican Caribbean series, but due to intense procrastination, I’ve decided to just make a superpost for Colombia.
During my stay in Colombia, I visited a colorful town known as Guatape, chilled on the Caribbean sea at the historic coastal city of Cartagena, and discovered what the city of Medellin had to offer.
My first month in Colombia
My first month in Colombia was a massive change of pace compared to the four months I spent in the beach town of Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. I chose Medellin as my home base, which was a surprisingly well-developed city. It was nice to finally be back somewhere with solid infrastructure (consistent internet, hot water, public transportation, etc.).
Medellin is known as “the land of eternal spring,” because it’s positioned close to the equator and tucked away in a valley. So this meant weather that rarely dropped below 75 degrees Fahrenheit yet wasn’t too hot and had enough rainy days to balance things out.
I arrived around 12:30am in the middle of January at the José María Córdova International Airport (MDE), the primary airport for domestic and international flights. There’s a smaller airport within the city of Medellin, but I’m not sure where those flights come and go.
MDE airport is actually about 40 minutes outside of Medellin, so you’d probably want to plan transportation beforehand. There are several options — dozens of taxis usually wait outside, but they may be the most expensive options. There’s also a shuttle system that will take you closer into the city to a bus stop where you’d probably need to catch a taxi after that, but it is much cheaper.
Finally, Medellin has Uber, although it is technically illegal. Private transportation is the most affordable option, probably costing up to 80,000 Colombian Pesos (COP), which is about $20 USD. My Airbnb host arranged a private pick up for my arrival, which cost about 80,000 COP. This was also nice because I was getting in super late into a city I wasn’t familiar with.
During the day, the drive from the airport into Medellin is pretty scenic as you can see the hills full of stacked shanty homes stretching for miles. At night it is still pretty spectacular with all of the lights. Luckily I had made a few trips to and from the airport during my time there, so I was able to see it at all times of the day.
Upon arriving at my Airbnb, it struck me that I hadn’t eaten for a while, and I briefly panicked, realizing it was pretty late and most places may be closed. However, my driver advised that I just use the Rappi delivery service to find something open. Rappi is the Latin American version of Postmates, Doordash, UberEats and the likes. It became a staple during my time in Colombia.
My Airbnb was a small studio in El Poblado, close to the famous Parque Lleras. It was a great intro to the city with an incredible view. It turns out that it’s also not too hard to find stellar views of the city in Medellin, given its layout. El Poblado is known for being the best spot for expats and tourists. There are tons of hip restaurants and bars, especially near Parque Lleras. And the area is mostly safe compared to other sections of the city (El Centro, for example). I spent a lot of time near Parque Lleras as I got my bearings.
Camuna 13
On my first official weekend in Medellin, I decided to head to Camuna 13, a formerly tumultuous neighborhood. Drug trafficking and paramilitary occupation led to intense violence in this area throughout the ’80s and ’90s. At one point, it was deemed the most dangerous neighborhood in Medellin. But after substantial infrastructural changes put forth by the city, Camuna 13 is now a vibrant art and community hub. After the city implemented its cable car and escalator system, Camuna 13 became connected with Medellin and now attracts thousands of tourists.
My journey to Camuna 13 was an experience in itself. It was the first time I used the metro train, which travels right through the middle of the city along the Medellin River. The metro is a great way to see the cityscape, and it pretty much takes you anywhere.
I rode the metro from El Poblado over to San Javier station, which is the last stop before you’re able to walk or taxi to Camuna 13. But first, I took the opportunity to ride the cable car from San Javier, which takes you up over the hills on the east side. You can see amazing views of the residential homes built throughout the mountains. The cable car is a loop, so I was able to stay in the car back down to San Javier station. After that spectacular ride, I made the 30-minute walk over to Camuna 13.
As I made my way to the “entrance” of Camuna 13, I first noticed some of the exciting street art that is one of the neighborhood’s attractions. Many younger locals were hanging around some of the gift shops and restaurants leading up to the famed escalators that take you further into the community. There was still a heavy local vibe which made Camuna 13 feel as authentic as anywhere else in the city, even though it is easily one of the most touristy places in Medellin, for good reason.
The escalators have little stops at multiple levels that feature little restaurants and bars and narrow alleyways with hidden street art gems. At the highest level the escalators will take you, you’ll end up on a long stretch of road which basically acts as the main street of Camuna 13. Walking along this road, I encountered tons of people, locals, and a handful of tourists alike, walking or driving along the road or setting up shop along the sides.
At this point, the altitude is high enough to afford some fantastic views of the whole city, looking down the valley at the maze of shanty homes built up into the hills, as well as some of the lower levels of Camuna 13. Large street murals line almost every inch of the road. Street performers are peppered all throughout this area. I heard some really great underground music and witnessed a very talented dance group collective put on a show for passersby.
I spent three or four hours in Camuna 13, walking around searching for my favorite street murals or sitting down having a drink watching rappers serenade audiences with some bass-heavy Latin beats. I felt that I could’ve stayed much longer too, but heat and fatigue left me ready for a big meal before heading home. It’s also possible to hire a tour guide. They’ll provide history lessons while showing you even more hidden gems in the area. If I were to revisit Medellin, I would undoubtedly hire a guide and explore Camuna 13 again.
New friends and epic hikes
For my second week in Medellin, I googled some things to do and discovered the Botanical Garden, basically a large nature park in El Centro close to the university and metro station. This was a refreshingly peaceful little adventure where I could forget that I was a foreigner and just stroll through this massive park and take in all the nature. The Botanical Garden has a lake, some forestry, a park, a butterfly house, live events, and a bunch of wildlife (mainly giant iguanas).
I spent most of the day at the Botanical Garden, taking in all the nature and unique architecture. I even spent an hour just sitting under a tree in the park, reading my Kindle. The butterfly house looked really cool, but it required a ticket and a tour guide.
On my way out of the garden, I was taking some pictures, and a guy walked up to me and asked if I wanted my photo taken. I told him I was good, I had my selfie stick after all, but we ended up sparking a conversation that led to me going back through the entire park again with him this time. He was bilingual, so it was super refreshing to talk to someone in English, and he was around my age. We became quick friends, and he’d end up being my adventure buddy for the rest of the month.
Medellin is known for its hikes that range in difficulty. None of them take long to get to either. The city has large nature parks peppered throughout, and some even have rivers and waterfalls.
The first hike me and my new friend went on was somewhat far out and up to one of the mountains to the east of the city Bello. It required us to take the metro to Santo Domingo station and take a long cable car ride up the mountain and over acres of a forest canopy. One observation I had on the cable car ride was just how remote some people were living up these hills, to the point where there were no more roads. I wondered how often they actually made the trip down the mountain into the city for supplies. For the most part, they must’ve been pretty self-sufficient.
Parque Arvi, the first hike we did together, was actually a massive ecological park with tons to do. You can rent bikes, horses, stay in hotels, camp, or just do a lot of walking. We walked a few miles along a road to an area with a long river and some places to camp. Then we took a backwoods route aiming toward Piedras Blancas. However, we got kind of lost but stumbled upon a really cool park nearby, which also had camping and a restaurant, hotel, and museum.
The following weekend we did a hike in the neighborhood Itagui called the Hill of Three Crosses (Cerro de Las Tres Crcues). This one was no joke. It’s basically a 45-minute hike up a massive hill the entire time. Paired with the heat, it was quite the struggle. At the top of the hill are the three crosses that are the hike’s namesake, plus there’s an outdoor gym and some small restaurants where you can grab some fresh fruit drinks. Reaching the top is absolutely worth the effort.
And the weekend after that, we hit peak adrenaline junky. We decided to do a quick hike followed by some paragliding. The hike was a short one called Ecoparque Mirador Cerro El Picacho which offered panoramic views of Medellin and Bello. After the hike, my buddy talked me into taking a bus further up the mountain to a paragliding zone called Paraglide Medellin, where several companies are offering the same paragliding adventure, more or less.
Paragliding was absolutely a peak experience in Medellin, something I’ve never done before. Our paragliding guide basically rode airstreams increasingly higher into the sky, offering us the ultimate view of Medellin and surrounding areas. At one point, my guide asked if I wanted to do some tricks, but I declined. I already experienced a series of cold sweats and heart palpitations whenever I looked down and realized how high up we were. Before embarking, I had already seen some of the tricks they performed, and I knew I just couldn’t handle it at that time. Maybe next time.
Surprisingly, the next day we were still up for some epic adventures and decided to make the obligatory journey to Guatape, a colorful village situated next to a large lagoon and a massive, oddly shaped rock. So early Saturday morning we took a bus two hours through country-land to Guatape.
Guatape
The ride to Guatape was beautiful itself. We passed through largely forested hills and small towns, and as we neared Guatape, we started seeing massive homes built on farmland. I learned later that Pablos Escobar actually owned a mansion out in these lands once. At some point, it occurred to me that the land surrounding Guatape would be perfect for retirement.
Our bus finally dropped us off at a little restaurant at the base of some stairs that led to La Piedra, the iconic, oddly shaped rock that is the main tourist attraction here. With legs still sore from yesterday, we made our way up this steep set of stairs, leading to the parking lot and gift shop area for La Piedra.
At this spot, it was clear to see just how massive the rock was, and it was possible to see the switchback staircase that tourists take up to the top. We were also afforded some pretty amazing views of the lagoon and surrounding countryside. We knew the view up top would be better, so we eventually proceeded to the switchbacks. And the switchbacks were grueling indeed. It’s comprised of 649 steps and took about 30 sweaty minutes to reach the top. Along the way, tourists could be seen taking much-needed breaks and laughing at how difficult the walk up was. All in good nature though. Realistically, anyone could do these stairs. Older people and children were doing it.
Making it to the top of La Piedra was a gratifying feeling. At the top were more restaurants and gift shops and a lookout tower with the best views. We hung out up top for another 30-minutes or so, eating, taking pictures, and looking out at the incredible panoramic views of the entire countryside for miles. Below in the lagoon, we could see people on speedboats, jetskis, and cruises.
After La Piedra, we caught a shuttle bus to the actual town of Guatape. Upon arrival, there’s a small marina next to the lake, with dozens of water activity vendors. My buddy had wanted to ride jetskis once we got there, so I let him do that while I went and looked for an ATM. While searching for an ATM, I also did some looking around at the quaint little town. Immediately I was struck by some of the vibrantly colored buildings lining the super narrow streets. None of the buildings exceeded two or three stories. I ended up finding a soccer field where an adult recreational team was playing and watched that for a few minutes. Eventually, I found what I think was the only ATM in the town, pulled out some cash, bought a beer, and hung out in the marina until my friend returned.
Once we were reunited, we explored through the city, weaving in and out of different streets and alleyways. Although there were what seemed like hundreds of unique and colorful little shops, we didn’t go into any of them and instead focused on the outdoors and finding streets that weren’t so filled with tourists.
One interesting (and somewhat refreshing) thing about Guatape was that it was probably one of the most touristy places to visit in Colombia. Because of this, it actually made me feel more comfortable than I had felt since arriving in Colombia. In Medellin, it was very rare that I’d see non-locals, so it was nice to just be a tourist in peace.
Our time spent in Guatape was mainly going down different streets and viewing the architecture. We managed to find areas that were completely void of tourists, including some tranquil, empty places near the water where we enjoyed nature a bit. Toward the end, I grabbed some food and another beer before deciding to catch a bus home late in the evening.
Moving to Envigado
My birthday was the weekend after I went to Guatape, and it was also the weekend I’d be moving into my next Airbnb. I chose a place south of Medellin called Envigado, which I later learned wasn’t technically in Medellin. While Envigado is connected to Medellin, they are considered two separate cities. This is also the case with a city called Bello just north of Medellin.
Envigado was much quieter and more residential than the bustling expat hotspot of El Poblado, Medellin, where I was previously. My Airbnb was an older apartment complex, with my room being next to a large family that owned the two neighboring rooms next to me. The host spoke next to no English, so it was an experience having her show me around the apartment and try to do the whole introductory thing. She ended up giving me a giant avocado as a housewarming gift, and it was perfect and delicious.
For better or worse, I didn’t end up doing much touristy stuff during my month in Envigado. One reason was just the general exhaustion from the crazy active first month I had with my new friend. After Guatape, he had actually ended up heading out into the mountains where he’d be staying for a month to do some fasting. Also, there was a solid two weeks of harsh rain and lightning storms that kept me inside. There was even a 5.5 earthquake that occurred at one point, which was wild. But overall, since I’m somewhat of a homebody, I took this as an opportunity to recharge a bit.
However, I made frequent trips to a nearby park to work out at one of the many outdoor gyms in Medellin and surrounding areas. Also, I ended up meeting another friend (who was actually a friend-of-a-friend from Mexico), and we explored the nightlife a bit. Since she’s a DJ, she was on the prowl for a nightclub where she might be able to play a free slot.
The first night we met up was in Parque Lleras, where the majority of good clubs were. She was also with a couple of friends. We all four did some eating, drinking, and searching for a club playing some good electronic music, and we did end up finding a cool place toward the end of the night. It felt a little sketchy given COVID, but with the semi-outdoor setup and the fact that some people (including us) were wearing masks, I eventually settled in.
The next day we discovered an event at another club where a pretty famous DJ named Lilly Palmer would be playing. The venue was hard to find, but the night was fantastic. Lots of underground rave feels; Colombian’s definitely know how to party. Again, a little sketchy with the COVID situation, but the club itself was pretty good at making sure people were hygienic, and the venue had an open roof.
A city’s nightlife is always something I like to experience when traveling, so I’m pleased I got to experience that in Colombia. But, unfortunately, that was pretty much the one-and-only weekend I partook.
Final month in Colombia
As I mentioned before, my month in Envigado was mainly uneventful due to heavy rainstorms and just feeling overall exhausted from the month before. March, however, was a bit more eventful as the weather lightened up a bit, and I felt more motivated to do some touristy stuff.
By mid-March, I had moved into my final Airbnb located just north of Laureles, Medellin, in a neighborhood called Calazans. I wasn’t actually too impressed with the host’s photos posted on the app listing, but reviews mentioned that it was a nice place. And wow, once I got there, it was the first time I’ve seen the reality of an Airbnb be better than the photos. The view was absolutely spectacular, the best I’d had since arriving in Colombia. It was in a pretty quiet local area as well and felt very authentic.
For my final month in this new location, I did some exploring of the surrounding area. I even visited one of the massive malls in this part of town. I reunited with my original adventure buddy from the beginning of the month. He was making a visit to Medellin again after spending some time fasting in the mountains. He was planning to head out for another month at the end of the weekend. We spent some time eating and walking around Atanasio Girardot Stadium, where all of the big futbol games happen, then got caught in a massive rainstorm.
This area was also pretty close to the tattoo studio I had been frequenting over the last few months. So I went and got a couple more tattoos from the artist I had befriended. I also frequented another outdoor gym I found in the area. And during my second to last full weekend in Colombia, I flew off to Cartagena, a super popular coastal town situated right on the Caribbean Sea in northern Colombia.
Cartagena
For my final big tourist adventure, I flew off searching for warm weather and beaches in the beautiful Cartagena. It’s known as “the Miami of Colombia” because of its long coastline of high-rise hotels along the Caribbean waters. Cartagena is known for being one of the earliest towns settled by Spanish Conquistadors in 1533 during the colonial era. It was an essential and strategic port for shipping enslaved Africans and offered good protection against pirate attacks. Old and colorful Spanish-style colonial buildings in Old City are juxtaposed against a backdrop of modern hotels over the bay.
I spent four nights in Cartagena for the weekend. The hotel I had wanted in the Old City district didn’t have my reservation for some reason, so they upgraded me to one of the high-rise hotels across the bay with all-inclusive access, no additional charge. No complaints there. Since I flew in late in the evening, I spent my first night watching Netflix. The next day I set out to explore Old City and the neighboring Getsemani district.
As its name suggests, Old City is the original colonial settlement with striking colors primarily in yellow, oranges, and reds. There are plenty of old Spanish-style buildings, statues of Spanish explorers, shops, and restaurants abound, and locals selling tourists everything under the sun. Large groups of Afro-Caribbean women wearing traditional sundresses can be seen selling fruits and taking pictures with tourists. You can walk along the old fortress walls that protected the city with cannons against pirates.
Getsemani is a slightly less touristy district just south of Old City, which many refer to as the art district. Colorful murals can be found down streets and alleyways. This area seemed a lot more youthful too, as most of the trendier-looking bars were here, plus all of the art gave it a hipster vibe. I spent a lot of time in Getsemani at night, where I watched street performers and went bar-hopping. Things started getting frantic around 12am as police began clearing some of the more populated streets, probably due to COVID precautions.
The next day I dedicated myself to chilling on the beach. I rented a private umbrella and drank and ate for a few hours, people-watching on the beach. I caught a super nice sunset and watched kiteboarders take advantage of the wind. A nearby beach club started playing some techno, so I went over there and danced for a bit. At night I had dinner at my hotel and took advantage of the open bar.
Although I had planned to fly out that Monday, I arrived at the airport too late and missed my flight. I had to reschedule for the next day and took the remainder of Monday off work to track down a new Airbnb to stay in that night. Luckily I got a last-minute booking in a nice room in Getsemani. I almost considered just staying the rest of the week, which would’ve been easy, but I decided not to since I was already paying for an Airbnb back in Medellin.
Saying goodbye to Colombia
For my last full weekend in Colombia, I decided to do a quick circuit of all the little landmarks I had skipped out on before. One such landmark was the grave of Pablo Escobar, who most know, ran a massive drug and political campaign in Medellin back in the ’70s. Due to the popularity of the Netflix show Narcos, many tourists see his grave as a “dark tourism” must-see.
Unfortunately, I learned that the locals aren’t thrilled with this, as Pablo Escobar wasn’t nearly the celebrity foreigners (Americans) make him out to be. After all, he caused a lot of violence, death and destruction of Colombia’s international image. I suspect many older Colombians would like to put that history behind them. This is also the same sentiment that has spurred Medellin’s staggeringly rapid changes toward more tourist friendliness. Still, I had wanted to visit the grave out of curiosity and the fact that my cousin wanted a picture…
After visiting Escobar’s grave, I headed to El Centro for the rest of the day. I checked out the Botero Plaza museum honoring the famous Colombia artist Fernando Botero. I also walked around and visited a few other notable monuments. Due to a recent COVID curfew, the streets were pretty bare, though.
Heading back to the States
On April 16th, it was time to head back to the States. First, however, was a planned trip back to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico for a week to have a little vacation and visit old friends. I couchsurfed at a friend’s place for the week, sleeping outside on the hammock most nights and getting eaten by mosquitos. I hit up my old favorite spots and had a few nights out with friends. The weather was much hotter than when I was there a few months prior, and people seemed much more relaxed about COVID precautions. It was a great little vacation, though.
My next stop on my way back to my hometown of Portland was to visit a friend in Oklahoma for a weekend. He and his girlfriend showed me around Oklahoma City and his massive property in the countryside.
On Sunday of that weekend, I then flew to Austin, Texas to visit my cousin. I stayed at his house the entire week, just working remotely from his apartment. Surprisingly, it rained a lot while I was there, so I didn’t explore Austin much. I had a wild night out on the famous 6th Street though and went to a comedy club near there. Mostly though, my cousin and I just stayed inside and played video games like old times.
The following weekend on May 2nd is when I finally arrived home in Portland, Oregon.
Big takeaways from being a digital nomad in Medellin, Colombia
Just as I had read on the internet before booking my trip, Medellin is a perfect place to be a digital nomad. It’s a very well-developed city with solid infrastructure and everything you need for an extended stay. It would’ve been effortless for me to have spent a year there. The cost of living is about a third of the cost, often less, than the major cities in the U.S.
People in Medellin are mostly friendly. I never really had a bad run-in with anyone. The language barrier was probably the most significant obstacle. It was somewhat rare to find English speakers, especially outside of the expat-friendly Poblado area.
Before heading to Colombia, a lot of people expressed concern over my safety there. Shows like Narcos have really instilled people with the impression that Colombia is still a drug nation with gangs prowling the streets everywhere. That is far from the truth. While there are definitely some dangerous neighborhoods, I personally felt no danger in the areas I was in. In fact, I felt more in danger walking down a particular street in Austin, Texas than I did my entire three months in Colombia.
For those who enjoy nature, Medellin is the perfect blend of nature and urban. Massive green spaces and city parks are everywhere. Colombian’s really like their fitness too, and there are free outdoor gyms everywhere too. One thing I did struggle to find though were good vegetarian restaurants. They exist but are few and far between. But if you’re a fan of fruit, Colombia’s position near the equator makes for some fantastic options of the tropical variety. Medellin had some of the biggest mangos, bananas, and avocados I have ever seen, all for incredibly cheap, and they were delicious.
I was somewhat surprised to see that Colombia has a sizable Black/African population, but it makes sense given how northern South America was a target of the slave trade. Honestly, it made me feel more comfortable there as an African-American myself. In fact, many locals in Colombia mistook me for Afro-Colombian, that is until they heard me speak.
Overall, Medellin was a peak life experience for me, and I plan on going back at some point in my life. If you have any questions about visiting Medellin, feel free to message me on my contact page!
For my final post in the Mexico 2020 digital nomad series, I’ll be recounting my last two months in the Mexican Caribbean. It would’ve been nice to explore more of this massive country, but due to COVID-19 I really wanted to minimize my movement. Still, the Caribbean coast had a lot to offer, and I’m satisfied with my time there.
When I last posted, we were about to leave Bacalar, but I hadn’t yet described our time there. This post will cover our time in Bacalar as well as Tulum at the end of the month. In between it all we of course spent time exploring a little more of our home base city of Playa Del Carmen.
When the Internet was created near the end of the 20th century it was hard to imagine what it would evolve into. Today we have a global high-speed communications platform that mega-industries have been built on top of.
Two revolutions happening on the Internet now are digital nomad lifestyles and blockchains. And these two have more in common than you’d think.
Digital Zen 