I’ve had a few posts from Candace Sigmon and this one is about becoming a digital nomad. While it might not be for most of  my readers personally, you may well have friends or relatives it could apply to.

A bit about Candace first. You could say Candace Sigmon was born to DIY. She has always loved to tinker, fix, and build, and she has been working on home projects with her dad pretty much ever since she could hold a hammer. She created AtHomeHelper.com because she thought it might be fun to share some of what she has learned along the way as well as resources that she finds especially useful.

Here is her post and we thank her for it.

From Office to Anywhere: Crafting Your Digital Nomad Career: Embracing the digital nomad lifestyle offers the freedom to combine meaningful work with a life of exploration. Success in this journey comes from building a career that aligns with personal passions while remaining adaptable to change. It requires cultivating skills, fostering connections, and maintaining a balance between ambition and flexibility. With the right mindset and preparation, anyone can transform their dream of working from anywhere into a thriving reality.

Thriving as a Digital Nomad: Mastering Motivation and Discipline: To succeed in the world of remote work, mastering self-motivation and discipline is essential. Establishing a structured daily routine can significantly enhance productivity and help maintain a healthy work-life balance. Creating a dedicated workspace, free from distractions like social media and household chores, is crucial for maintaining focus. Regularly connecting with colleagues through video calls can alleviate feelings of isolation and boost motivation. By integrating these strategies, you can effectively navigate the challenges of remote work and thrive in a digital nomad lifestyle.

Building a Career as an IT Professional: Developing a successful career in IT requires both technical expertise and a commitment to continuous learning. One way to sharpen your skills is by pursuing an online degree program, which offers flexibility to study while maintaining your current job. Earning a computer science degree can deepen your understanding of IT, programming, and foundational computer science concepts. This is worth considering for those looking to stay competitive in a field that demands constant innovation. Online education provides a practical pathway to enhance your qualifications and open doors to new opportunities.

Harness Storytelling to Build Emotional Connections: Storytelling serves as a key strategy for fostering genuine connections and building loyal communities. By sharing narratives that resonate emotionally, brands can create bonds that inspire trust and empathy. This approach enhances how audiences perceive the brand and encourages stronger engagement, often influencing purchasing decisions. Including authentic perspectives, like testimonials or case studies, adds depth and credibility, helping a brand stand out in competitive spaces.

Leveraging Virtual Events for Digital Nomad Success: Embracing virtual events is a strategic step for aspiring digital nomads aiming to advance their careers. These online gatherings, such as virtual conferences, offer invaluable opportunities to learn from industry leaders through engaging keynote speeches and panel discussions. By participating in these events, you can join interactive workshops and networking sessions, which are crucial for forging meaningful connections with influential figures in your field. This proactive approach not only keeps you updated on the latest industry trends but also paves the way for potential partnerships and collaborations.

Achieving Financial Flexibility in a Nomadic Lifestyle: Adjusting your budget to match the unpredictable nature of a nomadic lifestyle is essential for staying financially secure. Expenses shift with every destination, influenced by accommodation rates, local costs, and currency changes. Maintaining a spending plan well below your earnings helps build a cushion for unexpected challenges or higher expenses. Treat your budget as a flexible guide, revisiting it often to align with your evolving journey.

Developing Meaningful Connections as a Digital Nomad: Building authentic relationships with locals and fellow nomads can add depth and fulfillment to your journey. Embracing local customs and engaging in cultural activities opens doors to understanding and appreciation. Joining in community efforts or picking up the local language helps cultivate a sense of belonging while broadening your perspective. Connecting with like-minded travelers through social networks creates opportunities for support and shared experiences. These interactions enrich both personal growth and the overall experience of a nomadic lifestyle.

Essential Cybersecurity Tips for Digital Nomads: Securing your data and privacy is essential in today’s dynamic cyber threat environment. Public Wi-Fi, often relied upon in shared spaces, poses significant risks without proper precautions. Using tools like VPNs, keeping devices updated, and enabling two-factor authentication are key steps to protect sensitive information. Staying mindful of online sharing habits further strengthens your defenses against phishing and malware threats. Adopting these measures creates a safer foundation for remote work and enhances peace of mind while traveling.

Embracing a digital nomad lifestyle requires a balance of preparation, adaptability, and an open mind. By crafting a sustainable career and maintaining meaningful connections, this way of life becomes not only achievable but deeply rewarding. Prioritizing financial security, cultural engagement, and personal growth ensures a fulfilling journey. With the right strategies, the freedom to work and explore seamlessly can become your reality.

I find myself in a bit of an unusual situation. Way back when I wrote my first novel, “Orchids in the Snow”, I made a number of rookie mistakes. In realizing I wasn’t going to be making a living from the book, I went on to a “real job” and turned to a different genre with “Shades of Murder”, and also started thinking about doing a non-fiction.

While I didn’t initially plan a series, that developed, as did others and some stand-alones, plus other non-fiction. For those who have followed my blog, you are aware of my acceptance of no significant commercial success, yet the enjoyment of each book I create and appreciation for the loyal fans I have. With the recent release of, “Shades of Remorse”, fifth in the “Shades” series, and the previous, “Idyllic Islands”, fourth in the Chris Green series, I have actually worked through most of the story ideas I’ve had for both of those. (Okay, I do have one for Chris Green, but I can’t get to the kind of expert I need to research a core piece.) I’m drawing a blank for a plot I haven’t already done between the two series. Now, I do have two stand-alones I’ve been considering, but with one, I’m not sure I can create enough for a full length novel. The other which could instead be adapted as another Chris Green one requires some other research I haven’t engaged in yet. This isn’t the proverbial “writers block” one hears about, but rather a desire to ensure I bring something new to each book. Ah well, I’ll keep pondering the possibilities.

A while back, I saw a post somewhere asking why Amazon couldn’t have a clear way to direct people to products made in America. In light of all the AI ability. it would seem to be something they could do. If so, then other major retailers might soon follow. Although I try to buy made in America, there are times when I have to go through multiple pages to find the country of origin and I just don’t take the time to do so. I have gotten better about adding that as a word when I do an on-line search before going to Amazon – which of course is likely to have the item, but not made in America.

The other point is like with shopping small/local, made in America will probably be a little more expensive. Since we don’t have a tight budget, I don’t mind paying some extra. Once I identify a source – such as My Pillow – I can then wait for sales. Of course that also means I get multiple emails a week about all kinds of things I don’t need or am not ready to buy. Quality is the other issue in that items made in many countries – China being only one example – are generally not the best quality. Last month when I was shopping for some things special for the holidays, the fact is I was pressed for time and after a few stops to a) find what I wanted, and b) find it not made in China, I was forced to give up and once again buy non-American. We’ll have to see what the next year brings.

I’ve posted occasionally about my insomnia. General pattern is three hours sleep. Then I move to the front room on the very comfy love seat with my very comfy throw and tune the TV low. If I’m not back to sleep in fifteen minutes, it isn’t going to happen. Then it’s brew a mug of chamomile tea and come up to the computer. A couple of games of solitaire and I switch over to Twitter/X. The process takes about an hour and then usually I can get back to sleep for another three hours. I rarely get more than six.

The “bad mornings” are when it can take up to two hours to get back to sleep and this seems to be one of them. Not sure why; nothing unusual going on. Perhaps it’s the coming holidays of juggling commitments, kids visit, etc.,. Have multiple tasks to take care of in prep although everything is on track. My to-do list is lengthy as always and a mix of fun items and somewhat bothersome tasks. Again, nothing unusual about that. More likely it’s the annoyance that I don’t have the release date yet for my book and I had truly wanted it out by mid-November. The new publisher I’m trying has been pretty good to work with and if their alleged marketing package is good, that will make up for the annoyance. On the other hand, since I haven’t dealt with them before, this is very much a wait-and-see situation.

Ah well, I’ve almost finished the tea and will head back downstairs to see what happens.