“There’s nothing wrong with having a job, as long as you know what the job is for.”

“You’re not within the structure that people understand, and that’s where the discomfort comes from.”

“I own that I don’t have a label.”

Dear readers,

This week, I sat down with from to unpack what it really looks like to step away from a predefined path and begin building a life on your own terms.

We talked about leaving corporate, navigating self-doubt (and that stubborn tendency to hide as soon as we step outside predefined roles!), and learning how to own a life that doesn’t fit neatly into a box.

This was a conversation about freedom, but also about responsibility: the responsibility of choosing your path, committing to it, and owning it—even when it doesn’t make sense to others.

If you’re in a season of reinvention, craving more freedom and rethinking who you are and what you do, this conversation will likely feel very close to home.

Key Moments

00:02:24 — “A year of self-rediscovery”
After leaving corporate (and becoming a new mom), Tomide describes the past year as learning how to finally hear herself, without the noise of expectations.

00:05:16 — “There’s no shame in going back”
A nuanced take on the 9-5: not something to escape at all costs, but something that can serve a purpose depending on the season of your life.

00:10:24 — “What is the job doing for you?”
A much-needed reframing: jobs aren’t inherently good or bad—they’re tools. The key is understanding what role they play in your life.

00:14:27 — Defining Self-authorship
“Performing for an audience of one.” Designing your life in both the big decisions and the small daily choices.

00:24:14 — What if the ladder disappears completely?
Leaving corporate feels like the ladder is suddenly gone and everyone still on it is trying to understand where you stand.

00:27:24 — Confidence shapes how others see you
People don’t just hear what you say—they feel how you say it. Owning your path changes how others respond to it.

00:31:08 — Crafting your narrative (even when you’re unsure)
Honesty isn’t enough, you also need to position your story in a way that reflects belief in yourself.

00:33:04 — A practical tip for multi-passionate people
Tailor how you introduce yourself depending on context and intention.

00:36:00 — Building a platform “on your terms”
From Substack to coaching to community: creating something that aligns with your life—not the other way around.

00:38:37 — Content vs Form (how to think about work)
A key framework: not just what you do, but the life your work enables.

Thank you to everyone who joined the live!

(And apologies for the video quality on my end—new phone arriving tomorrow lol)

What stood out most to you from this conversation?

Let us know below! 💙

Leave a comment

“We thought life would drastically improve once we moved off the grid. After all, we had dreamed it up for years, so things should be better once you achieve your dream, right? Turns out that is not entirely the case […], the answer was never a cabin in the woods. You can go as far away as you want, move into a cabin or sail away on a boat. It doesn’t matter, because you will always be there with you.”— , This is Sophie Today

Dear readers,

I’m very excited for this month’s interview with from This is Sophie Today, where she writes about creative habits, going analog and slow living for busy professionals.

I first came across Sophie’s work through her widely read article, “The answer is not a cabin in the woods,” which cast an honest light on the fantasy many of us (and I think I speak for the whole room here) have entertained at least once: I just want to move to the woods and not deal with [insert annoyance of your choice].

I’m sure this conversation with someone who actually did move off-grid—to a small cabin in rural New Zealand—and built a life around it will add another piece to the puzzle of what designing a life around freedom can mean today.

I’d be curious to hear what you think.

Subscribe now

Hi Sophie, I recently re-discovered your very popular article The answer is not a cabin in the woods, while going through my bookmarked pieces, loved it (for the second time), and immediately had an “I want to interview her!!!” moment. I’m so glad to have you here.

In your newsletter, you write about off-grid living, going analog, and creative exploration.

What motivated your move from Belgium to New Zealand and the decision to literally buy a cabin in the woods?

A lot of factors played into our decision.

First, we moved from Belgium to New Zealand because we wanted a different lifestyle. We were both on the edge of burnout and needed a change. We had always dreamed of living a life closer to nature and we felt this was possible in New Zealand. For several reasons we didn’t think we could live the life we wanted (off grid and in a tiny house) in Belgium.

So we moved to New Zealand with all these hopes and dreams, but sort of forgot that we would still need to work and engage in society if we wanted to get by. Both of us got jobs and before we knew it, we were caught up again in “normal life”.

We had steady jobs, lived in a cute farm cottage in rural New Zealand and started thinking about a family. Due to my endometriosis, biological children weren’t an option, so we started the adoption process.

It’s only when, after a lengthy process and a global pandemic, our adoption plans were cancelled, we really began to think about why we even moved to New Zealand in the first place. We remembered we came here to be closer to nature and to live an off-grid life.

On a Sunday afternoon scrolling session we came across a rusty old shipping container for sale and we decided to jump in the deep end.

Thank you for sharing. Many people who feel burnt out by their careers or disillusioned with the current capitalistic system have, at some point, fantasized about “escaping” and moving to the woods.

In your article, you write “Chasing and working towards your dream is just step one. The answer was never a cabin in the woods.” What are some of the key realizations you’ve had through this process?

I firmly believe that you can change your surroundings as much as you want, if you don’t actually look inside and ask yourself the hard questions, nothing will ever change.

We moved to New Zealand, 20,000 kms away from our original home, and within a matter of months I was working just as hard as in Belgium. Then we moved off the grid to a tiny house and again, before I even noticed, I had slipped back into old habits.

We fantasize about escaping. But if we don’t do the actual work, then it’ll always be just that: an escape. If we truly want to change how we view the world and how we operate in daily life, we will have to do the actual work. We’ll have to ask ourselves some difficult questions, we’ll have to set boundaries, we’ll need to say no.

Even though I moved into a tiny home and had to wonder about electricity and water supply, deep down I was still the same person with all the same insecurities and bad habits. Changing location isn’t going to change that.

What does work look like for you today? Do you work remotely, in person, or something in between?

My Substack focuses on creative habits and slow living for busy professionals, because that’s exactly what I am.

I can’t discuss specifics of my work, but I can say my daily life is busy. I’m in a leadership role in a government department, and my days are always packed. I still go into town every day and my career is very important to me. But, I have learned that if I aim for balance and allow enough space for creativity, hobbies, nature and healthy habits, this also makes me a better leader.

I’m always a work in progress, though, and that’s why I write. I write as much for me as for anyone else.

Do you ever miss aspects of a more conventional lifestyle? What are some positive and negative (or less convenient) aspects that came with your lifestyle shift?

Sometimes we joke that we miss the “grid.”

Especially when winter arrives and days are getting colder and shorter. Or on days when the rain pours down. I fantasize about having the ability to warm up the room with a flick of a switch or coming home to a dry, warm space.

But if I’m really honest: I don’t want to live anywhere else. This place is truly magical and everything else makes it all worthwhile. I love our tiny home, I love having everything close. I love not having to clean as much. There’s something special about having to be truly mindful about everything you consume in terms of electricity, heat, gas, water.

It’s not an easy lifestyle and everything takes effort. But I really wouldn’t want it any other way.

You now write extensively about creative exploration, slow living, and going analog—especially through your Snail Mail Club, where you send handmade letters and zines to readers, sharing tips and reflections on these themes. Has creativity always been part of your life, or did it deepen after your move?

I used to be a very creative child. I was always making something. Especially collage, doodling and writing was a big part of my childhood. Then I grew up and I somehow forgot about creativity. It was like that was something that belonged to my childhood.

When I moved off the grid, I felt that urge to start writing again. I started writing a blog and then after a year or so moved to Substack. Then, last year, I explored my creativity again. I took a three month sabbatical which was all about creative exploration.

I tried every hobby I could imagine and just had fun with it all. It was liberating. I settled on a few hobbies, which, coincidentally, were the same ones I had enjoyed as a child. Snail Mail Club, where I share the zines I make, is a product of my love for collage and writing.

For someone considering a more radical shift, like going off-grid, what are some first steps you’d recommend?

I’d say “do your research”. Or at least do more research than what I did.

We really dove in head first and didn’t make it easy for ourselves. Understanding the basics of any project you’re getting yourself into is always helpful. For us it would’ve been great if we took some time to understand what it takes to live in a shipping container, how solar power works, how to manage a rainwater supply. But hey, it makes for a better adventure if you don’t plan anything at all. ;-)

And for someone in a busy, fast-paced life who doesn’t necessarily see themselves making such a big change, what are a few simple ways to reconnect with creativity or carve out time for themselves?

My biggest tip: turn off your TV and put your phone down. Be bored. Allow your thoughts to wander.

We fear boredom, but that’s really where ideas are born. Step outside and be alone with your thoughts. Before you know it, you’ll have hundreds of ideas on how to be creative. And if you think you don’t have time, be honest with yourself. How much time have you spent on your phone just today?

Sophie, thank you so much for being part of this conversation! I truly enjoyed our exchange, and I’m sure readers will find it as insightful as I did.

Dear readers, you can read more of Sophie’s work by subscribing to her newsletter, This Is Sophie Today.

Before we close, I’m curious to hear from you:

• Have you ever fantasized about “escaping” modern life?

• If you could redesign one part of your work life for more freedom, what would you change first?

Leave a comment

Yours,
Caterina

“Today, I always feel part of something bigger than me, something that aligns with my values. A sense of purpose, that’s what success is for me today.”—, Kind of Wild

Welcome to Freedom Focus—your weekly dose of career insights from a multi-passionate ditching cubicle life.

You might’ve come for the remote work tips; you’ll probably stay for the feeling of being seen in your hunger for a freer, more intentional life. Pull up a chair and let’s get you a Spritz.

Subscribe now

Today, I’m hosting a very inspiring interview with , the writer behind , where she shares her journey through sustainability and veganism—without losing the fun along the way.

We explore the twists and turns of her career journey—how they ultimately led her to discover and step into her sense of purpose, and what advice she has for anyone considering a career pivot. Let’s dive in!

Hi Sascha, thank you so much for being here! Could you start by telling us a bit about the beginning of your career? What were you dreaming of becoming as a child, and did you immediately pursue those dreams?

Hi Caterina! Thanks so much for featuring me, I love your newsletter and am very glad to be included.

When it comes to beginnings, I was as far from my current career as you could possibly get. As a child I wanted to be an actor—my biggest dream was to win an Oscar! At nineteen, I actually moved to Los Angeles to try to make that dream come true. It was there that I realised that no, this actually wasn’t my dream at all. After that, I was lost for a while, not sure what my next step would be, so I moved to Italy to learn Italian. It was there that I started working in fashion retail and found a fashion university that was five minutes from my house. So I applied, and that’s how I ended up getting my degree in fashion marketing.

What was it like breaking into an industry known for its competitiveness, and what lessons did you take from that experience?

After obtaining my degree, I went into fashion editorial.

I always felt like a fish out of water in fashion—I made lots of great friends and had a lot of fun at work (after all, I got to go to Fashion Week!), but this was around the time when I started transitioning to a vegan lifestyle.

I couldn’t help but think constantly about the fact that animals were constantly being exploited and killed for fashion. I would flip through a fashion magazine and find that pretty much every single garment was made from animals in some way!

So, I would just skip the beauty pages because everything was tested on animals.

One lesson I learned, though, was that one person can indeed make a difference. Once, I was tasked with a styling collaboration where the theme was fur–and I refused to do it. I went to my manager and told her I just flat-out wouldn’t do it. As a result, the magazine pulled that theme, and there was no fur featured in that styling section that week.

I had taken a stand, and not only had I not been scolded like I thought, but I affected a small ripple of a change.

Wow, that’s such a cool example of how much impact one person can have! When did activism actually become part of your professional journey?

In 2013, I was chosen for the Marie Claire Inspire & Mentor Scheme, which connected people with business ideas to mentors in their field. This initiative helped me launch Vilda Magazine, the world’s first digital vegan fashion magazine. I ran the magazine for six years, overseeing a group of ten freelancers. We were nominated for awards, featured in the national press, and shot countless fashion editorials.

After the magazine closed, I sold it to an online vegan fashion retailer. However, during its run, I also published a book called Vegan Style, and got my current job with an animal rights organisation. So I was no longer working in fashion—but I was still using my experience for our fashion campaigns.

Today I do things like guest-lecture at fashion universities about animals used in the industry and new-generation material innovation without the use of animals.

Would you say that your definition of “success” changed over the years? If so, how?

In a way, it has—but it also hasn’t.

When working in fashion, my definition of success lied in getting ahead, being promoted, occupying high-powered roles in the industry, sitting in the front row at Fashion Week. I would very much like to stress that there is nothing wrong with that—I still very much want to advance in my career. The difference is that now, when Sunday evening rolls around, I feel content and relaxed. I never have the “Sunday scaries”—starting a new week feels invigorating and inspiring. Mondays are great.

Of course I still get tired, exhausted and run down, don’t we all? But I never have that feeling that I had in the fashion industry, where I often felt tired at the end of the day, but like I’d accomplished nothing.

Today, I always feel part of something bigger than me, something that aligns with my values. A sense of purpose, that’s what success is for me today.

If someone is considering a career pivot, what advice would you give them based on your own experiences?

Think of where you have transferable skills that you can bring with you to your new career.

I had no PR experience when I started my current role in PR for an animal rights organisation–but I had worked as a fashion journalist, so I was able to bring that knowledge of the media landscape with me. If you would like to go into the non-profit world, volunteering might be a great start–that’s how I got started in my organisation. If there is anything you can do to align your professional profile with your desired role, you should do that too.

Things like starting a Substack in your desired field, for example, can help you stand out.

Looking ahead, what kind of work or projects excite you the most right now?

I have been guest-lecturing at UK universities for years, and this year I am taking those lectures to an international level. I have had two lectures in Rome, one in Bologna, and one in Florence, at my former university where I got my degree, which was an amazing full-circle moment! I also have three more lectures in Milan to look forward to.

There are few things that make me feel as fulfilled as sharing knowledge with future generations of fashion industry professionals and trying to inspire compassion.

That’s something I find very exciting.

Thank you, Sascha, for sharing your journey with us and the lessons you’ve learned along the way! I’m sure our readers will take away so much value from this.

Thank you for having me, Caterina!

Thank you for reading Freedom Focus!

Curious for more stories like this? Check out the articles below:

• He quit his job to sail around the world—a thought-provoking interview with Cory from Radical Paths;

• I asked 12 digital nomads what they do for work—here’s what they shared;

• She left everything behind to travel for a year—should you do the same?

And if you enjoyed this newsletter, don’t forget to tap the 💙 below. You can also help fuel my writing or consider a paid subscription.

Subscribe now

That’s all from me this week. Until next time!

Yours,
Caterina

In this Substack LIVE (1 hour), I was joined by from Radical Paths to dive into what it really takes to turn a dream into reality — focusing on Cory’s bold decision to buy a boat, quit his job, and sail around the world with his husband and cat.

Then, starting at minute 40:15, our conversation took a spontaneous turn as we explored ways to conceptualize freedom, how to make it sustainable, and what things lie ahead for Caterina ✨

Catch the replay!

Topic highlights from the interview:

⛵️ [2:35] — “Why a boat?!?!?” (The thinking process behind Cory’s big decision)

🧭 [11:21] — Core values as a tool for navigating life decisions

🌿 [18:50] — Coping with uncertainty and perceived risk

💰 [27:10] — All things preparation: building savings, matching skills, making strategic moves

💻 [32:02] — What Cory thinks about work during their year-long sailing adventure

✨ [40:15] — What’s ahead on Caterina’s freedom journey?

⚖️ [45:20] — Trade-offs as part of a freedom-based lifestyle

If this conversation sparked something in you, tap the 💙 and share it with someone who might feel the same.

Here are a few questions I’m still thinking about:

• What does freedom mean to you right now?

• Have you ever felt the pull to radically change your life? What’s holding you back, or what helped you take the leap?

• If you could pursue any bold dream, no matter how unconventional, what would it be?

Your stories and reflections are always welcome—drop a comment or reply to this email!

Leave a comment

That’s all from me this week—until next time!

Yours,
Caterina

In this Substack LIVE (51 minutes), I was joined by from Beyond Ordinary to talk about all things entrepreneurship and nomadic life.

In this candid conversation, Jeremie shares how he transitioned from being a 9-to-5 employee to starting his own business. He also opens up about how a tragic event in his personal life became a wake-up call, and reflects on what he wishes he had done differently as an entrepreneur—along with the wins and the challenges he’s faced along the way.

Whether you're still working an office job and dreaming of hitting the road, or you're already an entrepreneur looking for honest insight from a fellow founder, you’ll find this interview incredibly valuable!

Some topic highlights from the interview:

[2:23] — Jeremie’s ‘regular’ upbringing in France;

[4:56] — Jeremie describes his wake-up call moment;

[7:00] — Moving to Miami and realizing what’s possible in life;

[13:46] — Starting a business;

[16:08] — How do you prepare yourself for the entrepreneur life?

[24:37] — People tend to underestimate how much they will learn and grow from trying something different;

[27:00] — How to deal with situations where progress feels slow? + Traits that will help your during your entrepreneurship journey;

[32:17] — The importance of mentors;

[36:16] — What Jeremie’s day-to-day looks like;

[41:06] — What’s next for Jeremie personally and professionally.

If you found this conversation useful, don’t forget to spread the love by tapping the 💙 below and sharing it with anyone who might be interested!

Share

To follow Jeremie’s journey through entrepreneurship and digital nomadism—and to access his incredibly insightful newsletter—subscribe to Beyond Ordinary.

And if you want to be part of a community of freedom seekers, access future Freedom Webinar Series episodes, and start building a life centered around freedom, fulfillment, and flexibility, come join us at Freedom Focus!

That’s all from me today. Until next time!

Yours,
Caterina

In this Substack LIVE (57 minutes), I was joined by from The Freedom Diaries to talk about her unique journey to achieving financial independence and early retirement at only 33!

By offering first-hand insights into her financial investment strategies, sharing actionable tips for beginners, and opening up about both her successes and failures, Tanessa breaks down the stigma around a topic that’s often considered taboo and overlooked—especially in the online and digital nomad world:

MONEY.

So, whether you’re someone who, like me (🫠), isn’t super knowledgeable about financial investing, or you’re already deep in the game and want to hear an expert’s take, you’ll find this interview incredibly informative!

Some topic highlights from the interview:

[3:21] — Tanessa’s story: from her online business and her husband’s location-dependent job to transitioning to cash-flow investing;

[8:28] — Dealing with market fluctuations;

[16:48] — Tanessa spills the tea on what her investing portfolio looks like
today 🫖🤭

[22:08] — What does financial independence truly mean?

[24:45] — Good traits or mindset to have when starting to invest;

[30:58] — Some of Tanessa’s investment failures over the years;

[36:19] — Kicking off a nomadic life with her family of four!

[42:00] — Live Q&A

If you found this conversation useful, don’t forget to spread the love by tapping the 💙 below and sharing it with anyone who might be interested!

Share

To follow Tanessa’s financially independent journey and access her incredibly informative newsletter, subscribe to The Freedom Diaries:

The Freedom Diaries

We hit financial independence by 33 and now we're travelling the world part time with our two daughters. My name is Tanessa and this is the story of how we did it.

By Tanessa Shears

And if you want to be part of a community of freedom seekers, access future Freedom webinars, and start building a life centered around freedom, fulfillment, and flexibility, come join us at Freedom Focus!

Until next time!

Yours,
Caterina

“I’ve ‘had it all’ in the past with a traditional six-figure remote tech job, a beautiful apartment near the beach, and a boyfriend waiting for me every time I returned home from my frequent travels. This year, I have none of that [...]. But, I’ve truly never been happier than I am right now.”–

Dear readers,

This week, I have the pleasure of interviewing , the writer behind You Are Where You Go, a Substack newsletter where she reflects on “sabbaticals, living intuitively, and intentional personal growth through travel.”

When I discovered Caitlyn’s newsletter, I was immediately captivated by the energy radiating through her words and her unstoppable drive! At just 26, Caitlyn has already visited nearly 100 countries, published a book, and leads travel groups around the world.

How does she do it all???

That’s exactly what I set out to find out—so let’s dive in!

Hi Caitlyn,

I’m so happy you’re here! As soon as I came across your Substack publication, You Are Where You Go, I knew I had to have you as an interview guest! Going through your newsletters, I’ve learned a bit about your life recently: you’ve traveled from the arctic to the desert, written a book, been laid off from your tech job, decided to end your relationship, started a sabbatical to travel… Woah, that’s A LOT!

I guess, my first question for you is: what are the top-three values that have motivated your choices at this stage of life?

I would say three main philosophies have guided my decision-making processes in the past year:

1. Time is our most finite resource (not money) – you can always earn more money in the future, but you cannot buy back time, especially during your peak years of independence and health in your twenties!

2. Learning to say “no” to things that aren’t a great fit is so important to enable you to say “yes” to the places, opportunities, and people who are truly meant to be part of your life.

3. I care more about impacting a million people than making a million dollars.

My core values—maximizing my time, following my intuition to make sure the people and places in my life are the right fit, and focusing on impact—have all motivated me leaving behind a predictable corporate job, saying goodbye to a kind but ultimately incompatible partner, and starting to experiment with ways I can create a career that allows me to share my expertise at the intersection of travel and personal development with the world.

I totally agree with you, especially about following your intuition—it has played a major role in my own decisions as well.

Moving on—I was really impressed to see that you’ve traveled to almost 100 countries! I’m sure many of us wonder: how did you make that happen at such a young age of 26? And for a reader with similar travel aspirations, but who’s stuck in an office-based 9-to-5, daydreaming of building a nomadic lifestyle, what’s your top piece of advice? Where should they even begin?

I did the majority of my traveling during college, actually, and would encourage anyone still in their college years to do the same! When you’re on a college student budget and a non-full time work schedule, you have so much more freedom of time and are willing to sacrifice comfort for the sake of just making a trip happen.

As I’ve gotten older, I prefer certain levels of privacy and convenience that I didn’t require when I first started traveling 8 years ago (my college self wouldn’t bat an eye at sleeping on an airport floor or in a crowded hostel dorm!).

Back in college, I worked every semester and every summer, sometimes doing multiple jobs at once, to save up as much as possible and then travel to a new country every weekend during the year I studied abroad based in Italy and Singapore.

In the past 5 years since graduating, I have worked remotely and frequently traveled while working anywhere there was reliable internet connection across Europe, Africa, and Latin America. But as much as I loved the flexibility of remote work, since my job revolved around meetings based in the Pacific time zone, I found myself having to stay up and work late into the night depending on the location, which felt unsustainable.

Ultimately, specific goals of traveling to remote places on the other side of the world was the trigger for me deciding to take a full year off of work to travel full time without the restriction of timezones or wi-fi reliability.

Regarding your second question, for anyone who yearns to travel more and doesn't have the flexibility of a remote job, I would encourage looking up more local adventure destinations! For example, the US National Parks system is incredible and I heavily took advantage of the proximity while I was working largely based in California.

If your skills and expertise simply don’t line up with a remote-friendly industry and you’re not looking to pivot jobs entirely – saving up for years to then take a full career break to travel before returning to work is another great option to squeeze years worth of travel experiences into just a few months if time and location freedom are not part of your current career path.

These are all very valid options—thank you for sharing them with us!

Now, you recently shared the news, 10 months into your sabbatical, that your career break had turned into a career pivot. Pretty early into my own 6-month career break in 2023, I also realized I didn’t want to be done with work (duh, as if it was possible!), and I was eager to return. I felt I had skills I wanted to further develop, especially to continue building my freedom-based lifestyle—I just wasn’t okay with the exhaustion that had become standard at my previous job.

Back to you—what helped you come to your realization? Was it a particular experience, a mindset you adopted, or a set of habits?

I wouldn’t say there’s any single moment I decided to never go back to a normal job… that’s a Plan B that will always be there!

I more so had a realization that I’m already in the thick of a career break, and currently have no fixed expenses or obligations tying me down, so this is the perfect time in life to try out some entrepreneurial projects that enable me to maintain the degree of time, location, and energy freedom I’ve thoroughly enjoyed during this sabbatical so far.

Reflecting on my unique skills and interests led me to understand that there’s potential to turn my passions into a profession by planning trips for clients and pitching myself for paid public speaking gigs to motivate students and corporate audiences to see travel as a powerful tool for personal development.

I’ve already been leading group trips around the world, which started out simply just for fun and never as a business venture until recently when my travelers keep reminding me of the value I’m providing them. So, I’m giving myself the rest of this year to continue to experiment with doing things I find enjoyable, but also happen to be able to get paid for – and will reflect, iterate, and evaluate as I go!

Thanks so much for taking the time to be with us today, Caitlyn! I guess my last question is–where can our readers keep up with your stories?

I post on my Substack, You Are Where You Go, whenever I have time to sit down and write a full in-depth reflection.

However, if you want to keep up with my travels on a day-to-day basis, I post in real time on my Instagram! I’ve just arrived in India for a three-month trip around South Asia, so lots of exciting sights and experiences are coming soon.

Also, if you’re interested in joining me on my upcoming travels, you can check out my website to see the group trips I’m leading that are an open invite for anyone to join (Next up are Pakistan for Himalayas trekking in April, Mexico for scuba diving in May, and South Africa for ocean safari in July!).

And for a full deep-dive on my first 70 countries and all 7 continents that I visited during college, you can pick up a copy of my memoir You Are Where You Go on Amazon.

✈️You Are Where You Go

chronicles of how travel shapes you as a person, from a girl who visited nearly 100 countries and all 7 continents – currently on a year-long travel sabbatical pondering life, work, purpose, and passion

By Caitlyn Lubas

Thank you for reading Freedom Focus! I hope you enjoyed this interview with Caitlyn from You Are Where You Go and found valuable insights.

Now, over to you—I'm curious to know:

• If traveling is your calling, would you rather find remote work or save up to take time off for full-time travel?

• What are your hesitations with either option? E.g., financial concerns, fear of loneliness, lacking courage, …?

• Lastly, do you have any questions for Caitlyn that you’d like to ask?

Feel free to share everything in the comments!

Leave a comment

And don’t forget to subscribe to stay updated on future interviews and articles!

“And I really believe what I said above: there are no ex-nomads. Maybe there aren’t even nomads. Just people with different desires and needs at certain times in life.”—

Dear readers,

This week, I have the pleasure of interviewing Mateus Camillo, the writer behind No Direction Home, a Substack newsletter about travel, remote work and nomad life.

Shortly after the pandemic, Mateus began to feel an overwhelming sense of dissatisfaction with his life. After visiting a friend in another city, he realized his job could be done from anywhere, so he embraced the nomadic lifestyle… only to reverse that decision a year and a half later. What happened? You might wonder.

Read on for a candid discussion about the price of living nomadically and what drives people to embrace it—or quit it.

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Hi Mateus, I’m so happy to have you today! 

In the description of your newsletter, you define yourself as “The author has lived from Airbnb to Airbnb since January 2023.” First of all, let me tell you how good it feels to connect with someone who understands the frustration of dealing with unsharpened knives and the occasional lack of light-blocking curtains all year long! Jokes aside, could you share what prompted you to leave a more stable life in favor of a digital nomad lifestyle?

The desire to travel a lot has been within me since I was young. And I’ve always travelled as much as my money allowed, whether close or far.

The pandemic left me with an overwhelming sense of dissatisfaction with life.

Staying home for months was terrible. Suddenly, I felt frustrated with my job, my routine, and my seven-year relationship. When the pandemic eased a bit, I started visiting a friend of mine in Rio de Janeiro, working remotely. And there, enchanted by the landscape that only Rio de Janeiro offers, I realized that a new life was possible:

“Wow, my work can be done from anywhere!”

It was crazy because I had already been working from home for months.

But only there, in Rio, did I have that eureka moment that I could be in another city. And that’s when I felt an urgent need to travel, to move, to live new lives, to meet new people. A search for something I didn’t quite know what it was, but that dominated me and told me to abandon my old life. I didn't want to get old feeling frustrated.

In 60 days, I quit my job, ended my relationship, and started living from Airbnb to Airbnb.

Wow! That was quite of a change! But I can totally relate with the feeling of dissatisfaction you described. Building on that, in an incredibly interesting newsletter issue titled ‘How to try (and probably fail) to conciliate career, family, and community in the nomadic life’, you openly discuss the difficulty of juggling all these spheres, or the even more challenging task of choosing two out of three.

It strongly reminded me of the poem “You Want a Social Life, with Friends,” which I first read on Austin Kleon’s blog years ago:

Have you made any progress regarding this? In other words, do you still feel pulled in different directions and partly dissatisfied with the outcomes in all these areas?

Such an interesting question that I might end up going on for too long in my response!

My life has changed a lot in recent months since I fell in love with my current girlfriend (you can read more here).

We are all susceptible to this in the nomadic life. It could be a passion that lasts days, weeks, months, or has no expiration date. And many scenarios can emerge from this, from people getting married and having kids to both travelling together as nomads. In my case, she’s a teacher, gives in-person classes, and can only spend a few days with me on a trip. We did this in Santiago, Chile, and Florianópolis, Brazil, and in July we spent 15 days together on the beach and in caves during our vacation. But our life has mostly been in São Paulo.

I’m in a process of “de-nomadization,” undoubtedly accelerated by the relationship, but not only by that. I was feeling an increasing need to stabilize as much as possible my career, family, and community.

Traveling aimlessly is incredible, but it’s also very lonely. Leaving a city when you’re just starting to feel like you belong there is really painful. Traveling aimlessly can also undermine your networking, especially when you don’t make your earnings from social media content or have your own fully remote business. I’m a journalist; I need to schedule a coffee, drink a beer and get to know people. And I do that in São Paulo, the city where I lived for the last 14 years before my nomadic life, and where all my professional contacts live. This also influenced my decision to “de-nomadize” at this point.

Nomad or not, we can’t fully handle these three areas. 

And I increasingly think “nomadism” is also an imprecise concept.

Just as when I was an authentic nomad, traveling alone, I didn’t feel like a “nomad” but like a normal person, with bills to pay, needing to work and have a social life (but doing it in various cities), now I also don’t feel like an “ex-nomad,” but rather like someone who returned to live in São Paulo by circumstance, but who will always have an intrinsic desire to be in other cities, in other Airbnbs, even if for shorter periods and less frequently. 

It makes absolutely sense! And many of the aspects you’ve described are things I find myself pondering daily as well.

Moving forward, in ‘Who pays the bill for nomadism?’, you invited journalist and nomad Júlia Flores, to write for No Direction Home on how to start and sustain a digital nomad lifestyle, including the widespread misconception that you need to be as wealthy as an 'heir' to become one.

In the article, you mention:

“As Júlia Flores says, there's a privilege in being middle class. But having had a certain privilege doesn't automatically qualify anyone to become a nomad. Blessed are those who can be nomads with more comfort. Me, Júlia, and many others need courage.”

Could you elaborate on what you think are the biggest misconceptions about the lifestyle of those who work and travel simultaneously and what, in your view, anyone interested in potentially getting started should ensure before hitting the road?

That’s the best question you could ask!

There are a thousand misconceptions about nomadism that need to be reexamined. The first of all: I vehemently reject Instagram nomads.

The need that social media imposes on content creators for life to look perfect makes all content about nomadism highly romanticized. It seems so easy to dine at amazing restaurants, have a flexible routine, and work with your feet in the sand on a paradise beach. These nomads are the exception. Most people won’t have the financial means or work setup to live like that. And this creates a stigma, as if all nomads have economic privilege or inheritances. For me, earning in Brazilian currency, I have access to only a few countries, mostly in South America. I’ve been to Budapest and Rome, but during those months my balance was negative. I stayed there as a luxury, a gift I gave myself. But it wasn’t sustainable in the medium term. At the same time, I’m very proud that my nomadic experience only existed thanks to what I was able to accumulate over 10 years in journalism. 

In this romanticization, nobody talks about how difficult it is to maintain the nomadic lifestyle.

It’s easy to brag about travelling around, living in a state of freedom. It sounds like a dream life. But it brings many psychological burdens that might take time for us to process. It’s a dichotomous life: complete euphoria over the new life in a new city, the possibility of having multiple local lives, and overwhelming sadness over the uncertainty, the instability, the feeling of “what am I doing with my life.”

A future nomad, therefore, needs to know that these will be the best worst days of their life.

They need to understand that life will still be full of crap happening, that the cool restaurants and smiling Reels are a very specific and inaccurate snapshot of this nomad lifestyle. And please, try to connect as much as possible with local people, not with tourists or other nomads or travellers. It’s a unique chance to immerse yourself in the life of that country or city.

We are almost at the end of our interview, Mateus—it’s been so much fun and I loved your insights! Before we wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to add?

I must admit I felt a bit apprehensive when I agreed to do this interview, wondering if I was being unfair to other nomads, after all, I’m in the process of "de-nomadizing," and this is a newsletter or interview about the nomadic life.

However, I believe that even if history records that I was a true nomad for only a year and a half, it’s still a year and a half of experience that will be etched into my life forever. I’ll be 80 years old and still telling my grandchildren about those 18 months Grandpa spent travelling. 

And I really believe what I said above: there are no ex-nomads. Maybe there aren’t even nomads. Just people with different desires and needs at certain times in life. I always keep in mind what a friend of mine, also an ex-nomad, once told me: "We have to enjoy things while they last and then be happy when they change. Having travelled for a few years and then stopping isn’t necessarily bad, as long as you’re aware during those years that you were happy."

I was happy.

What you just read was an interview with from . I hope you enjoyed it! I’m curious to know:

• Did anything surprise you from what you read?

• Do you have doubts or questions you’d like to ask Mateus? If so, feel free to write them below!

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That’s all from me this week 💙

I’ll see you next time!

Yours,
Caterina

This week, I have the honor of chatting with , a YouTuber with 10K subscribers and the writer of the Substack newsletter . We'll be discussing career transitions, setbacks, broken dreams that turn into opportunities, and everything in between.

If you have any questions for Anna, feel free to leave them at the bottom of the article. And if you enjoyed the interview, don’t forget to click on the 💙-shaped button!

May this interview inspire you!

Hi Anna! I’m so happy to be able to interview you today! When I first came across your Substack newsletter Beyond the Blueprint a couple of weeks ago and watched some of your vlogs on your YouTube channel, something immediately clicked. I felt we have similar values and experiences in common, and I couldn’t wait to interview you to share your insights with our readers on changing paths, pivoting, and, why not, coping with setbacks as a young professional. So, thanks for being here!

Thank you, Caterina! I’m ecstatic you asked me to do this interview since I love talking about these topics!

Could you tell us a bit about yourself—what your life and career have looked like up until now, and what inspired you to start your YouTube channel and newsletter?

I grew up in Northern Germany and later moved to Berlin for university, where I chose to study Mechanical Engineering. I based that decision on my interests in math and physics, but it was a pretty random choice, surprising many around me. During my bachelor’s, I spent an exchange semester in Lyon, France, and interned at a consultancy for start-ups and mid-sized companies, which really sparked my interest in entrepreneurship.

For my master’s in Mechanical Engineering, I ended up spending a year in Stockholm, Sweden, which turned into a four-year stay. The pandemic allowed me to complete my master’s degree remotely from Sweden, and I even pursued a second master’s in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management. 

In the final year of my studies, I began working at a Swedish battery scale-up, where I witnessed its exponential growth and contributed significantly to the construction of Sweden's first Gigafactory, helping it evolve from an empty field to a nearly operational facility.

Interestingly, I launched my YouTube channel the same month I began my first full-time job.

I’d wanted to start a channel since I was 15, but I kept putting it off. After finishing my master’s, I realized that there would never be a "perfect" moment when I magically had more time, so I just went for it. My goal was to inspire others to pursue engineering and share what I’d learned along the way. Since then, the channel has grown to 10K subscribers, and it’s been a fulfilling creative outlet for me.

The newsletter started as one of many experiments (I also launched a 10-episode podcast interviewing other engineers) and because I love writing. As a child, I dreamed of becoming an author, frequently writing poems and short stories, and now I’m considering making that dream a reality by writing a book next year. 

Starting my YouTube channel broke a sort of mental dam for me—it showed me that I could actually do the things I dreamt of. Now, I’m a bit addicted to making anything I set my mind to come true.

Last year, I felt it was time for a new chapter, both in my career and personal life. 

I quit my job without a clear plan, left Sweden, and moved to the Netherlands to finally close the distance in my relationship. I moved in with my boyfriend and his dad and took a six-month sabbatical to focus on learning Dutch, creating YouTube content, and applying to jobs.

It wasn't long before I landed my dream position as a management consultant.

However, the universe had other plans for me.

After six months, I was unexpectedly let go, which was a shock at first, given the positive feedback I’d received. But now, I see it as a blessing in disguise. I’m currently figuring out my next steps and plan to try freelance operations consulting, finally taking the leap to work for myself—a dream I’ve had for years.

I believe what helped me bounce back so quickly from this setback are my personal projects, such as my YouTube channel and Substack newsletter.

They’ve been a consistent source of confidence and proof that I can create cool stuff on my own–something no one can take away from me. When I lost my job, a part of me thought, “Great, now I finally have more time to create!” So that’s what I’ve been doing ever since.

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Wow, that's a lot of experience! In your article “Why do we feel so lost in our 20s and 30s?”, you normalize the concept of the ‘quarter-life crisis’—which I feel like I’ve been experiencing for years now(!) I love that you’re addressing this topic because it still feels somewhat taboo. When talking with people around our age, I often get the impression that they have everything figured out. But once we dive deeper into conversation, I realize they often feel just as confused, fearful, or in search of change as I have often felt. Do you think there’s a need to talk more openly about these feelings? Why?

Absolutely, I do! The more openly we discuss these feelings, the more we realize that we're not alone, and that experiencing a 'quarter-life crisis' is completely normal. In fact, wouldn’t it be kind of suspicious if we had everything figured out at this stage of life? Embracing these uncertainties can be incredibly empowering. It allows us to work with reality rather than against it and, for me, the uncertainty is a feature, not a bug.

Life is an unpredictable journey, and while we may start with a map and compass (if we’re lucky), the real adventure begins when we navigate uncharted territories.

It’s also important to recognize how much careers have evolved in recent decades, while the advice we receive has largely remained the same. 

We’re often encouraged to pick a major or career path based on subjects we enjoyed in school or a singular passion we’re expected to discover early on. But this approach overlooks the fact that both we and the job market are constantly changing. Many of the jobs that exist today didn’t even exist when our parents were starting their careers, and the same will likely be true for us in the future.

By accepting that our career paths might take unexpected turns and talking about it openly, we can open ourselves up to new opportunities and, hopefully, come up with a better set of advice than we received at the start of our careers.

Talking about career changes, I love how clearly you explain your decision to change your YouTube channel's theme after leaving your engineering career in the video titled “A new direction for my life and this channel”. I think any change, especially when announced publicly, always involves an element of fear.

What would you recommend to someone who is both afraid of change yet deeply desires it? What’s something that helped you embrace change and express it outwardly, rather than fear it?

I was 100% scared that I would lose subscribers, views, and possibly disappoint people. And to some extent, that did happen—I initially lost about 10 subscribers, and my new videos haven’t performed as well. However, my overall views are up, my channel is still growing at the same rate, and now that it’s happened, it doesn’t feel nearly as daunting as I’d imagined. Yes, I need to build a new audience for this content, but that’s also exciting.

What helped me take this step was asking myself, ‘What’s the alternative?’ Would I keep creating content I’m no longer passionate about, inevitably leading to burnout and possibly quitting altogether?

To me, that’s a far greater risk than potentially having a smaller channel that I’m deeply enthusiastic about. I’m convinced that this enthusiasm will allow me to create better content and eventually grow even more than if I’d stuck to a niche I no longer felt connected to.

Finally, I chose to be open about the change because I wanted to attract people who are genuinely excited about these new topics. It’s okay if not everyone likes it—if you try to please everyone, you’ll end up resonating with no one.

It makes so much sense—authenticity is truly key for a creator who doesn’t want to base their work solely on stats. Slightly changing topic: I can tell from your articles that you’re an avid reader! If you had to recommend a book or resource to someone who is changing paths, what would it be? Why?

If I can, I’d love to recommend two books, each offering a unique perspective on navigating life’s transitions.

For those seeking inspiration through someone else’s journey, I’d recommend The Pathless Path by Paul Millerd. It’s about his transition from following the ‘default path’ of working in consulting and getting an MBA to quitting his job and becoming an indie consultant. It’s a powerful reminder that there are many ways to define success. I also joined his Pathless Path Community where I’ve made amazing friends from all over the world who are also carving out their own unique paths. When I lost my job, some of them even congratulated me on the opportunity for a fresh start. That was huge for my confidence!

For a more introspective read, I’d recommend Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman. It’s a book about embracing the limitations of time and focusing on what truly matters to you. This book has had a profound impact on me and was instrumental in helping me take control of my life and career. Both of these books have been key influences in my decision to, as I like to say, grab the steering wheel of my life.

Lastly, now that you’re taking a career break, what will you be focusing on? What can our readers expect from your newsletter in particular?

I actually hope this will turn out to be more than just a career break—I see it more as taking a new, very different career step by working for myself.

My main focus will be on building a business around freelance operations consulting, where I plan to leverage my engineering background and passion for business to help companies improve their operations to become more efficient and achieve better flow. I also plan to create dedicated operations content that inspires companies to streamline their processes and unlock their full potential.

I’ll also be continuing with my newsletter and YouTube channel, where I’m committed to talking about overcoming the quarter-life crisis and what it means to take control of your life.

I also plan to share some stories and insights from my experience in consulting and of course real-time updates as I build my new business. I’m really excited to embark on this new adventure and bring my audience along!

That sounds truly amazing, Anna! Thank you so much for being here today. I wish you the best of luck, and I can’t wait to read your upcoming newsletter issues!

Thanks for having me, Caterina! I’m really glad we found each other’s Substacks, and I’m excited to continue this conversation with you and your readers.

Dear readers, I hope you enjoyed this interview with Anna Reich from Beyond the Blueprint. I'd like to leave you with a few reflection pointers:

• If you are contemplating or have already made a career-related change in your life, what scares(d) you the most? What do you think would help you feel more secure and confident?

• What online or physical resources have you found useful for dealing with change?

• Lastly, do you have any questions for Anna about her experiences, YouTube channel, or Substack newsletter?

Leave a comment

That’s all from me this week. I’ll see y’all soon!

Yours,
Caterina

This week, I’m incredibly happy to share an interview with , former scientist turned digital nomad, turned climate coach living in a small village in the UK. She is the creator of the 39,000-member Digital Nomad Girls Community on Facebook, founder of The Lab, a virtual community for location independent women based on collaboration and accountability, and most of all, writer of the ultra-fascinating newsletter , which explores the power of imagination through seemingly impossible scenarios.

We will go through Jenny’s multiple life changes, the values that have guided her choices over the years, and learn from the many 👒🎩🧢 she has worn!

If you find this interview valuable, don’t forget to click on the 💙 symbol at the top of this email or share the newsletter with someone who would appreciate it.

Hi Jenny! Thank you so much for being here today! Interviewing you is a bit of a 'pinch-me' moment for me, as I've been a member of your Digital Nomad Girls Community's Facebook group for years now, I've followed your life pivots eagerly and am very excited to share your story as an example of someone who has followed their aspirations while reinventing herself several times over the years!

Could you tell us a bit about your journey, from your Ph.D. in Chemistry to your travels and the creation of the Digital Nomad Girls Community, up to today and your life in the UK?

Well, let’s say it’s been a bit of a roundabout journey. 

I grew up in Munich, Germany and studied chemistry for my Bachelor's and Master's, which I absolutely loved. During a short internship at Imperial College London, I spontaneously decided to move there for my PhD. 

My mum is British and I’ve always loved England so I was incredibly excited to move to London. I remember thinking “This is it! I love this city and will stay here for the rest of my life!”.

Of course, things didn’t quite work out that way.

My PhD experience turned out to be very different to my undergrad, for lots of different reasons, including the fact that I was living with undiagnosed ADHD at the time. I struggled immensely during my PhD, and looking back I can see now how focusing for 4 years on a single molecule is not a great idea when you have ADHD. 

I only made it through because I had some lovely friends, I distracted myself with lots of extracurricular activities (like running my local Greenpeace volunteer group) and because I was looking forward to going on a big trip after I graduated. 

For 3 years I planned this huge round-the-world adventure and as soon as I had my certificate, I left the country and my science career behind. I used to always say I swapped ‘my labcoat for a backpack’ because it sounded snazzy, but I think there was a big element of escape to it as well.

So, for about 8 months my boyfriend Simon (he also left his science career) and I travelled around South and Central America, Mexico and the US. We were proper backpackers, staying in hostels, taking budget busses across the Andes, meeting interesting people from all walks of life. It was incredible. 

But before our planned year was up (and half of our planned route), we started running out of money and headed to Australia (via Fiji, to spend all remaining funds) as we’d lined up Working Holiday visas in anticipation of this happening. We ended up living in Sydney for a year, working about a dozen different jobs to save up money, from bartender to Greenpeace fundraiser and office admin to waitress in a potato restaurant. It was very fun and we also managed to travel around Australia a bit, mostly by train which was wonderful. 

When our 1-year visa was up we had to decide to either head home, get a job and figure out what to do with our lives or to keep travelling and figure out how to work online (we had learned about digital nomads and the laptop life in Sydney). 

As we didn’t even know where “home” was anymore (most of our uni friends had left London by now) and we didn’t want to work in academia or get a job in the pharmaceutical or oil and gas industry, as some of our peers had done, we decided to take the risk and head to Thailand instead.

Chiang Mai was the Digital Nomad hotspot at the time so we thought we’d head there and figure out the rest as we go along. Long story short, we quickly found out there was a lot of scammy and misleading information online about the digital nomad lifestyle. 

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After being told to “stop being hysterical” by a bromad in an online forum for a paid course I was taking (which also ended up being pretty spammy), I decided that I had enough of this toxic masculine BS and I started my own community on Facebook called Digital Nomad Girls. At the time, it was the first community aimed at female digital nomads and it became clear pretty quickly that there was a need for it.

Looking back now, I can see how working in a highly competitive, male-dominated scientific field like chemistry for a decade, contributed to my absolute unwillingness to engage with this kind of nonsense any longer. 

I needed a space to meet other women who were on a similar journey, to ask questions, support each other and learn from one another, without any toxic hustle culture as was very common in many DN spaces.

So, DNG was born. That was in August 2015, so almost 9 years ago as I write this!

The group was a lovely, fun space to be, in the heyday when Facebook groups were really joyful places to hang out. It grew quickly and organically, I invited people I met, they invited their friends and women they met in coworking spaces, on their travels etc. It was a really fun time and I loved meeting new people, making friends, experimenting with content creation (although I wouldn’t have called it that at the time). 

I really was just having fun while I was building up a freelance career so I could continue travelling. 

I started hosting in-person meetups in Chiang Mai, then other members hosted them in cities around the world. Within a year we had grown to about 5000 members and some of them were asking me to organize a retreat so we could hang out for a longer period of time. I had no clue how to do that but it sounded fun so I went for it. It took part just over a year after I started the group, 14 of us from 10 countries spent a week in Spain together and it was pure magic. I also completely undercharged as I knew nothing about this kind of event, a theme that’s followed me for a long time sadly. 

But during that retreat, as we sat in the courtyard one evening, it was that moment when I realized that DNG was really special and I wanted to dedicate my energy and time to figuring out what it could be.

I launched my virtual coworking membership, The Lab (but formerly known as The DNG Inner Circle) at the end of 2017 as a way to connect with my community on a deeper level, and I’ve been running it for 6.5 years now.

I’ve run 5 retreats and this October I’m co-hosting my first Coliving Camp with Katia from Chateau Coliving in Normandy. It’ll be a two-week experience, a hybrid between a classic retreat and a co-living stay, so we can focus on work while surrounded by lovely women and also enjoy ourselves, run workshops, learn from each other. And enjoy lots of French wine, cheese, oysters, all while living our best princess lives in a real-life castle.

Of course, the past few years have been really difficult with the pandemic and everything else. I sometimes wonder whether I missed my opportunity to grow DNG to the next level during that time but I have to remind myself that I was prioritizing surviving a global pandemic and also supporting my members through it.

We stopped travelling, lived with my in-laws in the English countryside for 7 months and then moved to a small town not far from them in October 2020.

It’s been a rollercoaster to be honest. Living through the pandemic while also getting my whole world turned upside down through my ADHD diagnosis, changed my lifestyle completely. I questioned my identity a lot. 

And on top of all of that, I had my full awakening to the Climate Crisis which is impacting my life and work every day. I trained as a Climate Coach (and coach) a few years ago and want to dedicate more of my time and energy creating spaces and community for people struggling with the crisis who want to find a way to contribute but feel very alone. 

That’s an ongoing experiment as I figure out what format works best for this.

Wow, this sounds like a wild journey, but also one full of lessons! Elaborating on the topic of 'life decisions', what helped you navigate change over the years? For instance, when you left your career in chemistry to travel, or when, with a business mainly centered on the "digital nomad lifestyle", you decided to no longer take planes and shift to a more 'settled' lifestyle?

In all honestly, I don’t see myself as someone who takes huge risks or is very brave, so sometimes I look back and think “How did I manage to do that without completely freaking out?”.

I am a very passionate, emotional and excitable person though and when I get really obsessed with an idea, then it’s very hard to stop me. 

I’ve also learned that I have really strong values that guide me, sometimes whether I like it or not. So when I feel strongly about something, I can’t let it go.

For example, when I decided not to fly anymore, initially I only planned this for 1 year, but now it’s been 5.

The longer it goes, the harder I find it to act against my values around sustainability. Although I also know that individual action is only a small part of the change we need and I never want to shame other people for taking flights. But personally I am so ultra aware of the carbon cost of flying that I find it hard to justify at the moment, at least not at the scale of how I used to travel.

A lot of that is down to my ADHD, which I know now. I can be very impulsive, can hyperfocus completely if I’m interested in something and I’m also very curious and have a very vivid imagination. So if I get it in my head that I want to travel for 12 months, I can imagine how wonderful that would be and I focus on the adventure more than on the logistical challenges.

My boyfriend is the polar opposite, so we often clash over this when I get super excited but he immediately tells me 12 different things that could potentially go wrong. But ultimately, we make quite a good team. I find out about something cool, get excited, research, dream it all up, then he takes over with the logistics and planning, and in the end we meet in the middle.

So I think a big part of my life decisions have also been down to the fact that I have him as a support and partner in crime so to say. We met during our PhDs but were both unhappy in science so decided to go on an adventure, and we’ve changed our lives together many times.

Some questions that often lead me are “What would happen if….?” and  “What’s the worst thing that could happen?”.

I have to admit though that I’ve become quite a bit more cautious over the past years and I would like to stretch myself out of my comfort zone a bit more again in the future.

I think we all have more adventurous times and more cautious times in our lives and that’s ok.

I can totally relate to the values aspect! When I made certain decisions, such as leaving my job(s) without another one lined-up, it was impossible for anyone to talk me out of them. Shifting the focus to writing – what prompted the creation of your Substack newsletter, Tiny Glimmers?

Tiny Glimmers is my new newsletter about imagination and a brighter future. 

It’s kind of a result of a tonne of eco-anxiety I’ve experienced over the past years. I was getting so tired of the doom and gloom news stories and all the ways things will be terrible in the future. It felt like there were so many things to “be against” and I wanted to be “for” something.

It was strongly influenced by a book I read called Imaginable by Jane McGonigal and also by our monthly Eco Talks event that we ran in my membership, The Lab, for 3 years. 

I realized how important imagination is a skill to build a better world, because if we can’t imagine it, how can we ever get there? 

I wanted to find an outlet to experiment with that a bit and I’ve loved writing since I started DNG but lately I’ve struggled to feel creative, so I started Tiny Glimmers as a fun challenge for myself. 

In each edition, I take something that is kind of depressing today, and then imagine how it could be totally different in the future. Then I write a letter from that future sharing how it feels and looks like.

I’ve written about different topics like circular fashion through the lens of Cher’s closet from Clueless, Book Clubs as a form of democracy, night-time community walks during energy blackouts

I called it Tiny Glimmers because I want to show that small acts of hope and Urgent Optimism can make a big difference when taken together. One little glimmer is weak and might fade, but many tiny glimmers together can shine the way towards a brighter future.

My hope is that I get to experiment with my own imagination, rekindle my love for writing and to ultimately connect with other people so we can collectively re-imagine the future. 

In one of your newsletter issues, 'Socks and Pints,' you describe a future scenario where people will meet at a local pub on a Monday evening to darn and mend clothes over a pint. (I'd love to add to this scenario that bars will also offer more alcohol-free options that are not sugar-filled virgin cocktails!)

As a matter of fact, something I've started noticing in the past year or two in my lifestyle and travels is a growing sense of loneliness and a lack of community.

This is one of the reasons why, although I've never been a fast traveler, I feel increasingly drawn to spending longer periods in the places I visit and reflecting on what 'community' means to me. The activity you describe in your newsletter sounds like something I would very much like to take part in! Have you already implemented activities similar to those you describe in your local physical community or even virtually?

I agree, I think whether you’re a nomad or not, people are feeling increasingly lonely and disconnected, myself included. 

Even before the pandemic, we were considering pausing our travels as we felt very uprooted and disconnected. And with huge challenges ahead like the climate crisis, I felt more and more pulled to stay in one place so I could contribute more and feel like a part of something bigger than myself.

The “Mending Monday” scenario was actually inspired by an Imagination workshop I hosted locally with my Textile Reuse Network. We played this game where you pick a future topic (we picked “the future of textiles and clothing”) and write down 100 simple statements that are true about this topic today. For example, “people own lots of clothes” or “today, you can buy needles and threads at the local sewing shop”. 

Then you flip each one of these statements on its head and you can be as creative as you like.

One attendee said “In the future, we can buy haberdashery at the local pub” which we found super funny and creative. I could immediately imagine that future where I head to the bar for a pint and some thread to darn a sock while chatting with friends, so I wrote about it (and yes, alcohol free drinks will be abundant and delicious in the future too!).

We’ve since organized a “Mend in Public” Day where we sat in public places or cafes and mended our clothes. It led to a lot of interesting conversations with the public around fast fashion, repairing etc. And it was really fun too.

I also host regular Crafting or Craftivism events in my community, where we meet on Zoom, chat and work on a craft or mending project or some Craftivism.

It’s very fun and a lot of people crave this kind of space.

Finally, although we're still a good way off from the next New Year's Eve or January 2025, I’d like to share an excerpt of one of your past newsletter issues, ‘New Beginnings & Slow January,’ where you describe an enticingly delicious future scenario in which we don't partake in a highly consumerist, burnout-prone society:

"I never thought I'd say this, but since the UK followed the EU and US and introduced 'Slow January', it's become one of my favourite months of the year.

I still remember what it was like before, though.

When we'd spend all December running around like crazy buying stuff we didn't need. Even on Boxing Day and New Year's Day. 

Then, on January 2nd, we'd be expected to be back at the office, to "hit the ground running". "New Year, new me!" and all that nonsense."

What values would you say guide you at this stage of your life and in your role as a business owner? 

Urgent Optimism is a term coined by Jane MacGonigal and I believe it’s what the world needs right now. The 3 pillars of UO are Imagination, Courage and Deep Collaboration and they are also some of my core values. 

There’s also a very strong sense of “responsibility” which only emerged as one of my core values recently, and apparently the word comes from French and it means “to respond to something” which I really like. 

I’m a staunch anti-capitalist and feminist too and I believe we need a huge mindset shift around what matters to us as a society, country etc. What do we truly care about? How can we care for each other, for our planet, nature and also for ourselves? 

My science background also helps me frame things as experiments which can be very helpful in life, business and for facing the future, because it helps us face uncertainty with curiosity and openness. I also believe that complexity, nuance and difficult conversations are important, all of which are sadly in decline. 

Plus, my ADHD brain is constantly reminding me that “there is no right way” to do anything, we have to figure out what works for us. 

Thank you so much, Jenny, for sharing what goes into the background of your many endeavors and your newsletter, Tiny Glimmers! I have honestly learned so much from you through our talk, and I’m sure our readers will feel the same.

Is there anything else you would like to share or another virtual place where our readers can find you?

It was a pleasure! I hoped Tiny Glimmers would lead me to meet interesting people and it did, so thank you for inviting me.

I would love to invite people to sign up for Tiny Glimmers if it sounds like your jam. And of course, i would love for you to join my community, The Lab, where we support each other and cheer each other along on our entrepreneurial journeys. 

Tiny Glimmers

Can imagination help us transform climate anxiety into active hope for a brighter, more sustainable future? I'm on a quest to find out, and I'd love for you to join me!

By Jennifer Lachs

Dear readers,

I hope you enjoyed this super-packed interview with Jenny! Before we wrap up for the week, I want to hear from you:

• Has this interview inspired you to start or revisit any projects?

• Do you have any questions for Jenny? Were you already familiar with any of her projects, including her newsletter?

• Did you relate to anything specific in this interview?

Leave a comment

and don’t forget to

Subscribe now

Until next week!

Yours,
Caterina

Dear friends,

This week, I am absolutely thrilled to introduce and interview a fellow writer on this Substack space: from .

Soon after discovering her work, I realized her story was one worth sharing.

It shows how unexpected career events, like a layoff from a reputable company we placed our aspirations on, can initially cause a moment of crisis. However, they often open up new possibilities and meanings as we reassess our life values.

As we'll see throughout the interview, travel can play a powerful role as a catalyst for change. It brings us into contact with people from all walks of life who have taken risks and challenged the status quo. These encounters prompt us to question and ponder our values in ways we might not normally do in the comfort of our everyday routines.

But without revealing too much, let's dive right in!

Subscribe now

Hi Zefan! Thank you for agreeing to this interview! I thought about reaching out to you early after running into you and your publication, VERY LOST, on Substack. 

While reading your newsletters, I immediately found your journey to be incredibly relatable. Whether we've been laid off, intentionally left a job, or contemplated taking a career break, your experience resonates deeply with those of us who have felt entrenched in the capitalist work system—or have suddenly become aware of its grip—and are now reevaluating our life values.

In addition to that, your story aligns perfectly with the mission of my publication, : to free ourselves, discover new meanings, and embrace the life we truly desire. So, once again, welcome!

Could you tell us a little bit about the events in recent years that brought your Substack publication to life?

Hi Caterina, thanks for having me! I love the purpose of Freedom Focus, and so admire that you’ve been able to explore the world as an expat and nomad for so long.

My shift into the nomad life was a little more haphazard than most.

Before I started traveling, I was working at Amazon and living in Washington, D.C.. In January 2023, I moved to Seattle to sit closer to my team and take on a different role.

Unfortunately, a few days after I had landed in Seattle was Amazon’s first wave of mass layoffs – and my new role was included in it.

Since I’d just arrived in Seattle, I didn’t have a home yet and all of my items were already sitting in storage. I knew it would take several months to find a new job, and some friends of mine reminded me that I probably deserved a break, too. So, instead of applying for jobs from my parents house in Illinois or my cousin’s couch in Chicago, I decided to travel to South America.

I thought I would only spend a few months in Colombia and Ecuador until I found a role, but once I started traveling, I realized how much I needed to continue.

I didn’t really intend to write about the experience, at least not seriously.

Before I left Seattle, my cousin’s mother-in-law, who I absolutely adore, suggested a way to stay up to date on what I was doing.

I wanted something a little more intimate than a blog, so I looked for email newsletter platforms and found Substack. I’m so glad I chose Substack, because it opened me up to a world of writers – and readers – who inspired me to write, play, and create more.

Not just travel updates, but meaningful reflections on the places I’ve been and how they’ve changed me (which is the current theme of VERY LOST, though that could change at any moment, per my newsletter title).

Thank you for providing a bit of background. Among the experiences you've documented in your writings, I found the one about Ayahuasca very relatable. Even though during my recent career break, I didn’t fly to Latin America, I did try magic mushrooms. I hoped they would offer insight into what I needed to do with my life, but I ended up disappointed due to my unrealistic expectations.

Your words in the article resonated with me:

Do you feel your questions or anxiety about the future started to dissolve at some point in your travels? Alternatively, did your approach to these life questions change?

This was interesting to reflect on!

Unfortunately, I’m an anxious person, and my anxiety will never really go away, but there’s been moments of calm on my travels – one of which was after my ayahuasca retreat. That experience helped me see my problems as much less serious than I made them to be. 

One of the best parts about travel, to me, is also the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with people who made much different life choices than you have.

At home, my circles are often filled with the same people, living the same lives. While none of that is bad, it does make you anxious about the thought of not being able to keep up.

There’s very little of that here.

Sure, I’ve come across a fair share of crypto millionaires who make me wish I bought bitcoin in 2013, but I mostly meet people who have made risky decisions in the name of adventure, and who aren’t prescribing themselves to the path they’ve been given.

It makes me feel like I can take charge of my own life too, and even if I make a choice I regret, there’s always room to make another.

I totally agree with that! Another interesting realization you had, which I had the chance to witness through your newsletter titled “On Free-Falling”, is the one that took place during a silent meditation retreat you did in the Andes Mountains, which you described as follows:

Can you talk a little bit more about the period preceding this experience, often described as the “It’s not that bad” period? Additionally, do you think having these types of realizations, that often liberate (at least partially) oneself from societally pre-defined goals and values, is only possible by undertaking similar life-changing experiences, or can they also occur in daily life?

I’ve never heard it called the “it’s not that bad” period, but I love it! Totally fits.

I’ve been lucky to have had a pretty solid career path. I spent most of my career at Boeing, and was really excited about my time at Amazon. And I was really attached to my career success – the companies, the promotions, the special projects. I found a lot of purpose in my work. 

I don’t think that’s inherently a bad thing. But I also found that in moments of high stress, it was difficult for me to separate my career and personal life.

For example, I remember I once made a fairly small mistake (as confirmed by my director the next day) and I spent literally the entire night - until 5am the next day - in a panic. That didn’t really lead to my revelation, though. What really made me think about how attached I was to my job was the complete devastation I felt when I was laid off.

Sure, my situation was aggravated by the fact that I had also just moved across the country, but I felt like without my job, I had nothing rooting me to my life, to anything.

I felt completely lost.

And then I realized I didn’t want an employment contract – something decided on by someone else – to have that much control over me, especially when it had nothing to do with my performance or character.

I think a layoff is definitely a wake-up call, but it doesn’t have to be the only one. I wish I had caught myself earlier, when I realized the influence my job had over my quality of life. I was never good at compartmentalizing. 

I know I’m not going to be a nomad forever; more likely than not, I will return to the traditional 9-5. Moving forward, I want to be sure that my job isn’t the only “root” I have in my life. A lot of people have families that can offer a grounding force, but for me it will be hobbies, side hustles, and communities that mean something to me.

Back to the present moment, where are you now? What do you see coming for you next?

At this moment, I’m in Sofia, Bulgaria! I’ve been here for two months and have loved the community I’ve had here, but this weekend I’ll keep traveling and explore the Balkans for about a month.

After that, I’m not totally sure.

I’ve been on the road for 16 months now, and I think it’s time to settle down somewhere. I’m applying for some exciting permanent roles, but also considering settling somewhere in South America (a continent I absolutely loved) to keep improving my Spanish and building a new life going forward. 

Wow, these sound like very exciting plans! Thanks so much, Zefan, for taking part in this interview! I hope our readers will benefit from your writings and enjoy them as much as I did. Best of luck on your future adventures!

Thanks, Caterina! Appreciate the chance to talk more about new life paths and meanings with you.

Check Zefan’s essays below:

VERY LOST

Essays & experiences from an unintended, post-layoff sabbatical around the world.

By Zefan

And if you enjoyed this interview, don’t forget to subscribe!

Until next week! 💙

Yours,
Caterina

First of all, thank you, Sara, for agreeing to this interview!

Recently, I've been feeling the pressing desire and curiosity to interview you, considering the interesting travels you narrate in your articles and newsletter, as well as your 'life philosophy' that runs through them.

Not only that, but you've also written articles or occasionally made comments on my writings that I often found 'liberating.' I thought they aligned perfectly with the theme of my newsletter, Freedom Focus!

Let me explain.

First of all, your straightforward tone, unafraid to speak the truth about things we might hesitate to write about, is refreshing. Secondly, you demystify mainstream notions, challenging the idea that traveling or leaving an unsatisfactory job must be very hard. 

I’ll give our readers an example of both.

As of the first one, I particularly enjoyed this excerpt in your article titled ‘The American Dream is Alive and Well, Just Not in America’ where you reported a conversation you had while traveling through Georgia (the country). In that occasion, you stumbled upon two friendly men who started talking to you:

‘They find out I am from the US and instantly start smiling; one guy is translating for another guy. He says he wants to marry you. I said:

“ Well, I am not on the market, and then I said, why? He just met me?¨

¨Because you are American, he wants to go home with you and become American.¨

I laughed and said well, I have not lived in the US for over five years, so your plan would not work too well.

Then I said ¨why does he want to go live in the US?¨

Money.

He wants to make money. They go on to tell me that everyone in the US is wealthy because that is what they see on TV. That is what the media portrays of us.

I looked at them and said the US is going through many issues right now, which is probably more dangerous than your country. Of course, they did not believe me and kept saying ¨American Dream¨.

That they both knew in English:

¨I said well, sorry to disappoint you, but the real American dream is to earn USD and live not in America.¨

I always try to tell people I meet this. I give them options and tell them to teach their language online to make USD, EURO, and Pounds. I understand their money does not go far; here you are, either rich or poor.’

As for the second example, I appreciated your comment on my article titled 'How Much Do You Need To Leave Your Job?' At that time, I was planning my (second) exit from a good job, one that had allowed me to work from anywhere 6 months a year. Naturally, I was immersed in the anxiety and questions of the moment. What I realized was that the anxiety was more influenced by the recommendations I was reading on the internet and the average reaction I was envisioning from people back home than my own thoughts and analyses of the upcoming months.

I loved that in that circumstance, you commented:

What captured my attention is the last sentence, which I believe is something not many people think about in similar situations. I would like to touch upon this later on. 

So, let’s get this interview started!

First of all, who are you, how long have you been traveling for, and what do you do?

I was born in a small town in Kentucky, so I am at heart a country girl. I was an ICU Nurse for 16 years and I knew that I wanted to see the world. I started as a travel nurse and ended up in Los Angeles, and then got into the normal humdrum of ordinary life, and then I got bored. I knew I didn't want kids, and I always wondered what if I just quit my job and go, what would happen? 

I knew I could always return to being a nurse, so I spent a couple of years planning and then one day a friend said ‘what are you waiting for?’ So I bought a one-way ticket to Colombia because it was the cheapest place to visit! I saved money for 6 months, sold all of my things, including my car, and left in August of 2018. Now, after traveling all over the world for 6 years, I am back in Colombia. 

I worked as a nurse consultant for a couple of companies remotely, until COVID and I got laid off. Then I continued volunteering and decided to move to Colombia to learn Spanish in 2021, then a friend recommended I start writing so I did, and I also started recording videos on YouTube. Now I write full time, still, volunteer and my goal is to buy a farm and create an off-grid homestead here in Colombia, while I continue filming and writing. My ultimate goal is to inspire one person to leap into the unknown because you never know what will happen.

I also want to live a life without regrets, and one that will let those in my life realize anything is possible. I have 9 nieces and nephews, and I want to inspire them to live a life they want, not one that someone else wants for them. 

In your writings, I've occasionally observed a recurring theme centered around understanding 'how much you need' to sustain the lifestyle you desire. I find this approach very grounded, in stark contrast to the messages spread by social media centered on comparison and the constant need for ‘more.’

For example, you recently shared a poignant moment where you contemplated putting an end to writing as your main income stream to accept a job that offered a similar income. Could you delve deeper into your life philosophy and what values guide you?

When I was younger I lived a very grounded life in Kentucky, however, I had a tragedy in my family and lost both of my parents. Me and my siblings went to live with my grandmother who survived the great depression, and she reiterated what I had learned as a child with my parents. However once I graduated and was a nurse, and had a good job, I started spending money like crazy. I never had money so once I did, it was almost like a kid in a candy shop, and it only made me miserable. I was depressed for many years and shopped out of boredom. 

When I quit my job and sold all of my things I felt like a new person, sort of reborn. I started realizing I only needed what I had with me, and no more. I started traveling to countries where people not only had less than I did but were happy and would create things out of what little they had. I started to think differently, more of how I grew up. When I was a child in Kentucky we had very little, and it was the happiest time of my life. 

For years I tried to recreate this feeling, and once I started traveling and had very little, I finally began to feel happy again. I related it to being able to create with my hands, and my words, and create the life that I want. Social Media feeds you a lie and makes you feel that you are not good enough if you do not have XYZ, but you are. Everything you need you already possess. Also, Mother Nature will provide for you if you allow her, the world is full of incredible magical things, if we only open our eyes to see the miracles that are around us. Do not look at what you don't have. Instead, look at what you do have. 

My life philosophy has transformed into a complete and total trust in following my intuition and guidance by a power that is bigger than I am. Maybe I am a bit optimistic, but it is only because I have experienced it all, have come full circle, and have complete trust that what I need will show up when it is time. I was very angry for a long time, at the world, and once I stopped my life completely turned around, instead of seeing the bad, I see the good. Instead of seeing the hate I choose to see the love. I am not blind, and I am aware of the world around me, but why focus on that when you can focus on inspiration, possibility, and love?

Yet trying to take a well-rounded realistic approach to life, and I honor myself and keep true to who I am. I no longer allow things to control me. 

Going back to the volunteering opportunities you mentioned in the comment, have you participated in any over the years? Do you consider them as a means to lighten the financial burden of travel while engaging with local realities? Do you have an experience to share that particularly struck you?

I have been volunteering for the past 6 years all over the world. I started out volunteering to help me travel longer, but the more I volunteered, the more I realized that I was making a difference in at least one person's life, or one family's life. I have always wanted to make a difference in the world, but always thought it had to be on a big scale. Yet once I realized if I can help just one person, that might be the key to happiness. Plus it helped me connect with locals, and experience a different type of travel vs the normal backpacker route, it took me to places I would never have gone before, and have seen and met some of the kindest humans in this world. All through offering whatever I could do to help them on a very basic level. 

Whether it was cleaning a hostel, or taking care of dogs, or elephants it changed my outlook on life, and how I wanted to live my life. Plus during this time I have seen people leave their high-paying jobs and pursue their passion, and have seen it work out. 

In Thailand, I worked with two Dutch women who wanted to save two elephants from living a life of torture, and they are doing it, and now they have adopted a third elephant. They inspire me to keep chasing my dreams. People all over the world are doing amazing things, but if I never took my leap to chase my dreams, I would never have realized others are doing the same thing, and I am not alone, and more importantly, it will work out. I have seen those doing it, and volunteering inspires me. It is not easy for them, it is hard, but anything worth it is always challenging. 

Another one of my favorite volunteer gigs was in Argentina. It was the end of the pandemic and the family needed someone to help take care of their dogs and horses. They were normally a busy horse and husky farm, but due to tourism decreasing, they took a hit. It was only the two of them and if they had one horse ride there would be no one to stay on the farm, so I went and it was hard and rewarding work. I was even able to go on a four-day horse ride through the Andes Mountains with them when other volunteers came. It was incredible, and I am still in contact with them. 

That sounds fabulous! And very inspiring. On a slightly different note, I’ve been following your journey through Colombia lately in search of a property. How has that been going? Why Colombia? 

Finding land in Colombia has been a challenge. I am currently still searching. I first came to Colombia in 2018 and loved how I felt being here. Then I traveled all around the world and kept coming back to Colombia, and realized that I wanted to make it my official home. The Colombian countryside is magical and I want to create an off-grid homestead. Currently, I am volunteering at a Spanish school, helping them learn permaculture, and creating a garden to have fresh fruit and vegetables for the students. 

Good luck with your project! I'm confident that you will accomplish whatever you set your mind to.

What is a suggestion/tip you would give to the folks who are thinking about quitting their 9-5 to travel or taking a similar important decision?

Do it, you can always go back to what you were doing before. If you don’t do it, you will always wonder what if you did. Choose the unknown, since you already know what it's like to do what you are currently doing, and maybe who knows, you discover something new that you want to pursue! Life is short, so why not make it a fun adventure, if you volunteer along the way, you can add a ton of interesting things to your resume. 

Thank you so much, Sara!!! Where can our readers follow your stories?

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity! If you would like to get in contact you can read more stories here: 

https://substack.com/@saraburdick

https://medium.com/@saraburdick

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtnKDYFCEiYlMNe6F3A_deA