Around the world
-
How to get a French (virtual) phone number from abroad?
Preamble: I don’t like the phone! It’s quite paradoxical, I’m a hyper-connected person: depending on the interlocutor and the context, I can be reached by email, Skype, Facebook, Slack, Twitter, WhatsApp, Hangout or Appear.in. But I don’t like the phone. I find the phone hyper intrusive and it makes me jump every time it rings. When the phone rings, you MUST instantly stop everything you are doing and rush to answer it, I hate it. If on top of that it’s an unknown number, chances are it’s advertising or some kind of bullshit. If the call is scheduled in advance, no worries. I recently read an article that reassured me,…
-
[The Return] Round-the-world budget (3/3): Management after a round-the-world trip
This article is the last of the articles dealing with the round-the-world budget. To read the first part: “how to save for the round-the-world trip & to do list before the TDM”, click here To read the second part: “how to manage & protect your money during the round-the-world trip”, click here. This article concerns, as you say, the management of the budget after the round-the-world trip. Part 1: How much money should be prepared after the round-the-world trip? The “survival” budget after a round-the-world trip is normally already taken into account BEFORE you leave. In our case, we have set aside an envelope of 5000€ to cover the first…
-
Review of our first month as nomad workers
We’ve been digital nomads (i.e. we work and travel at the same time) for a month now. The balance is really positive The rhythm We purposely work between 2 and 3 days/week, to have time to travel. We work from Monday to Wednesday, to have a complete break between Thursday and Sunday. Having 4 days off (in a row) per week does us a lot of good because it allows us to take a real break & go for a weekend in another city if we want However, during the 3 days I work, I still pick up some bad habits: eating breakfast too quickly and sometimes working until late…
-
Travelling Light: How to go away for the weekend only with a small Longchamp bag?
Note: this article isn’t sponsored Before setting off on my round-the-world trip, I had to pass a lot of tests to make sure I could get used to my new life as a backpacker. One of the hardest tests was to learn how to travel with a minimum of stuff We often went to France for weekends because JB gave trainings all over France. And we travelled by train so the weight of the suitcases was never a problem. I often left with a big suitcase full of stuff, my hairdryer, my Clarisonic and clothes covering all 4 seasons. For 2 nights, 2 days and a half… Of course, most…
-
[The Return] Back to work after a world tour
that’s it! After 11 months of mopping, you have to get back to workat some point.We decided, after the world tour, to become full time freelance while traveling, it has a name Digital NomadMy former colleagues are super nice and sent me some docs to catch up on 1 year of changes and novelties – in my job (SEA – Online Advertising), everything changes very quickly. I started my service at the client’s place on Tuesday. The Saturday before, I went back to work (launching a campaign for a friend), just to find my reflexes and “get up to date”. It’s reassuring to realize that you haven’t lost your reflexes,…
-
How do nomad workers make a living?
Even if the phenomenon remains marginal, nomad workers are much more numerous than you might think Here are some examples of nomad workers who inspired us Jonathan is a jeweler. He is currently traveling in North America with an old (city) bus and a minivan. Extremely gifted, he has done everything himself: from car interiors to the making of certain tools related to jewelry making. Jonathan sells his jewelry on Etsy : https://www.youtube.com/user/JewelryRvMe Ariane is a model and works in duo with a photographer. Together, they travel the world and sell their photos on istock. Her photos are selling really well: http: //www.glamour.com/story/the-most-famous-model-in-the-w Tim Ferris is famous for his book…
-
The first two weeks after a round-the-world trip
First week The return to France was much smoother than I thought, even if we felt a bit like savages. After 2 nights in an ibis hotel, we received the keys to our temporary Parisian apartment, the one we will call home for a month (I already told you how I found it). The apartment is very small but well arranged, we even have a dishwasher. We were even able to invite friends to come and eat. And it feels so good to find a fast Internet connection ! I’m jet-lagged for 10 days (I fall asleep around 3am and wake up at 11am), while JB had to adapt very…
-
Final assessment: after 11 months around the world, nothing will be the same as before
We left on June 7, 2016 and completed our (first) round-the-world tour on April 29, 2017. It is time to make the final assessment of this extraordinary journey Abstract 21 countries crossed (including 3 in express mode – the time of a long stopover of 2-3 days) 11 months of travel 2 travelbags of 7.3kg and 13kg 2 smartphones and 1 GoPro Total budget of 45 000€ for two, ALL included (including 16 000€ just for transportation) 3.5 months of preparation 5 years of savings 1 sabbatical taken + 1 resignation Reminder of the “objectives As with every major project, we have set (explicitly or implicitly) objectives for this trip,…
-
Our addresses of special casas in Cuba: Havana, Cienfuegos, Vinales, Varadero, Playa Giron, Playa Larga, Trinidad, Matanzas
Here are the addresses of our special casas in Cuba. We do not recommend them all, so please read the “our opinion” section at the bottom of each casa. To learn more about casas particulares, how to find them, how it works, read our guide here. Havana: CASA CRISTO 461 Address : Calle Teniente Rey (Brasil) , Number 461, Entre Calles: Cristo y Bernaza Habana Vieja, CubaPropietario:Nancy y FidelTelefono:(+53) 7 8628227Movil: (+53) 5 249 5549Price :35CUC/night, doubleroomPossiblereservationvia :http://www.casahavanaparticular.com/havana-casa-particular-old-havana-habana-vieja-cristo-461.htmPaiement on site. Our opinion: Central location, hot water, nice view from our private balcony. English speaking owner. But owner not very friendly (or shy?). We have to ring every time to enter.…
-
The 14 most popular scams in Cuba
Cuba is among the top 5 of our favorite countries around the world. However, with the economic difficulties linked to the American embargo, the locals see tourists as a gold mine. In all the countries we went to, we paid the “tourist price” willingly. But where we usually pay 1.5, 2 or 3 times more, it isn’t uncommon in Cuba to pay 10 or 20 times more than the local rate. Even for “rich Europeans”, this quickly represents substantial amounts. Fortunately, Cuba has other charms to compensate for the inconveniences Here I will list the most popular “scams” in Cuba (some of them aren’t really “scams” but things to watch…
