Fostering integration with local communities as a Digital Nomad

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Meet Anna Maria Kochanska, who helps brands and organizations with Digital Nomadism & Remote Work strategies. She heard about digital nomads in 2015 and became one in 2017. After some time of nomading, Anna saw that perpetual traveling offers a different level of personal growth.?

As a polyglot (+7), who has lived 16 years abroad and has cross-cultural communication skills, Anna has taken her skills to the next level. Now, she is a Multilingual Public Speaker and Digital Nomad Ambassador who shares how remote work could positively impact local communities and less developed countries.

>>>You can learn more about how to combine traveling with working remotely by exploring Anna’s website and inspirational content on Instagram and Facebook.

??How do you take care of yourself when nomading?

As a nomad, rituals are even more important as they provide a sense of stability and direction. Destinations can change, but your daily habits should stay the same; otherwise, you will feel lost. For? me:

• Mornings are for work
• Afternoons are for sports or hobbies
• Evenings are for socializing
• I do intermittent fasting, eat healthy, and drink only occasionally.?
• I am also a dancer, and that helps me to disconnect well.?

I always work on self-development and introspection, heal my wounds, and follow role models. This helps me to build mental resources for when I might need them.?

Tip >>> If life gets tough, get back to basics, double up on self-care, and spend more time bonding with your friends and family. If you are mentally strong and have a couple of good friends, you can handle anything that life throws at you.

?? How do you find community as a nomad??

Having meaningful connections and keeping friends requires much more intentionality when you are a nomad. Before traveling to a new destination, I always investigate if there are any nomad communities through social networks and my contacts. For instance, I am a part of multiple nomad communities, including Nomadbase, NomadX, and The Nomad Escape. I attend and speak at multiple nomad and remote work conferences.?

However, I have noticed that most nomads stay isolated in "ghettos" without much relation to local communities. Below, you can find five ways I engage with the local community:

1. Organise events to connect nomads with locals in Croatia and Cape Verde.
2. Present at conferences to build awareness about our impact on local communities.?
3. Volunteer with local projects and mentor students on remote work in Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Cape Verde.?
4. Connect with locals through coworkings and start-ups.
5. Participate in similar activities; sports, activities, hobbies, cultural events, classes, etc.?

In short, to connect with others, don't just talk but do stuff together. Forget about after-hour drinks or dinners. The most immediate bonding effects in my experience were music/dance, play, and group sports because these activities stimulate strong emotions.?

>>> If you want to become a digital nomad who contributes to Cabo Verde, sign up for the Positive Impact Community Program organized by NomadX. You will experience coliving and coworking while volunteering for local NGOs!

?? How do you consider the planet and minimise your impact?

Slowmading is the only sustainable way to be a thriving nomad. People who travel too fast for too long very often get burned, and others slow down or even stop nomading altogether.?

While I don't have any permanent base,? I have been spending a lot of time in the Balkans in summer, the Canary Islands, and Cape Verde in winter. Getting to know people, creating meaningful connections, and exploring the local culture requires some time, at least 2-3 months in place. Therefore, I stay longer in places to have the most optimal experiences.??

Besides avoiding tourist places, I like to buy fresh food from small local producers. I am also a minimalist, so everything I own fits in one luggage. When I? buy things, it is because I really need them. Consequently, I use the same clothes until they get damaged and wash them by hand.?

??If you want to learn how to contribute to emerging nomad destinations, connect with Anna Maria Kochanska, via her Instagram, Facebook, ?LinkedIn, or website.??

…. Meet Maris Kohv, who connects conscious digital nomads through global retreats, and follow #DigitalNomadStories.

Or why not meet Han, Juliana, Mita,? Christen, Kaisu and Charlie, all digital nomads with fantastic stories to share!?

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