The nomad life isn't all sunshine

Everyone thinks the nomad life is all sunshine: nonstop freedom, the perfect photo, a bag always packed for the next destination. I want to tell you it's not quite like that.

Since I was a kid I learned that everything in life has a good side and a bad side, no matter the situation. The nomad life wouldn't be any different. We're used to having a routine since we were little, and honestly that was what bothered me most about my old life: waking up and doing the same things every day, waiting for vacation.

The good side: working from anywhere

The great privilege of the nomad life is working online. It already cuts out a big chunk of the time wasted commuting home-office-home, preparing food to bring along, sorting out clothes, the whole ritual of going to work. Of course, depending on the job, the obligation of being connected for 8 hours doesn't disappear. But the time saved on everything else already makes a huge difference.

And when you choose an online job, you can play with time zones, which is a double-edged sword. I love waking up, having breakfast while reading a book, and going to the gym before starting the day. But in the Americas I'd start at 6 or 7am, depending on the country, and that simply left no room for the routine I like. That's when I learned the skill every nomad needs to develop: adaptability.

What Instagram doesn't show

I get tired of seeing nomads/influencers selling the perfect life. In reality, adapting takes a toll, every single time. I often spend a whole week just figuring out the local food, adjusting my diet, and finding where to buy the right things. Finding a gym with a good price and hours that work isn't always easy. Keeping a balanced life requires setting up at least a minimum routine, because I try to take care of my mind and body while I travel the world.

So no: the bad side isn't "adapting". The bad side is the homesickness, for friends, for family, for that ordinary day when you call your best friend to go to a bar or a coffee shop and just gossip about life. Video calls help, but the time zone doesn't always cooperate, and it's not the same thing. And the worst part of all, as a nomad, is getting sick or getting hurt far from home.

I once got really sick, alone. It's not easy to look for a health center that doesn't speak your language when you're not feeling well. The scariest experience I've ever had was a fall I had in Medellín.

But this is just my perception, for another nomad it might be different, because every person is different. Don't believe everything you see on Instagram: there's no lifestyle with only the good side and zero difficulties.

How I actually organize my routine

First, I put together a 6-month to 1-year itinerary, but it's flexible. Every 2 or 3 months, I lock in the next 3 months: flights and stays. I know people who plan only month to month, and that works too. There's no single rule here.

The rhythm of my day follows the time zone, because work comes first. In the Americas, I work until lunchtime, take a walk, go to the gym, and close the day with a few more hours of work, sometimes with a half-day outing in between. In Europe I flip it: I use the free mornings for my routine or short outings that don't get in the way of work.

Weekends are reserved for longer outings, or simply for resting. I usually stay about a month in each place, enough time to really get to know it, understand it, and live it, not just visit it. I like striking up conversations with people who work at the places I go to, to understand a bit of the local reality.

• Not every place makes friendships easy, and that's okay
• In others, you cross paths with amazing people and the friendship flows effortlessly
• The best part: running into, months later, people with the same lifestyle in another corner of the world

What's left at the end of it all

A lot of people ask me how long I'll keep traveling, whether I plan to visit every country. About that: it's not my goal. I consider some places too risky for a woman alone, and I don't intend to put myself at risk for a checklist. How long will I keep traveling? I can't answer with a date. I'll say it'll be for as long as it makes sense to me, and if one day I want to stay put in one place for a long while, I will, full stop.

That's the beauty of being free: having the power to choose. I don't mind carrying or dropping labels. What really matters is being happy.