NOT EXACTLY SMALL THINGS
Bringing your pet on a midlife journey or storing a lifetime of belongings, for an indefinite timeframe, is not exactly a small thing. However, here we continue the guide – How to Live as Digital Nomads – A Guide to Work and Travel, and How to Navigate the “Bigger Things” as Digital Nomads, to give a fuller picture of the nomadic lifestyle.
what to do with your house
Ever since we moved to California in 2006 we have been renting a house. We were only going to stay for a couple of years so it made more sense to rent than buy. Seven years later we moved back to Denmark for 1.5 years and then back to California. There never seemed to be a perfect time to buy a house, so we had the flexibility we needed when planning to become digital nomads.
However, when you own a house there are several important factors to keep in mind before you leave.
- Rental or Subletting: These options can provide additional income while you’re traveling. Before renting out your property, research local rental laws, tax regulations, and insurance requirements.
- Property Management: Whether you hire a property manager or get help from friends and family, you’ll need someone to handle maintenance, repairs, and tenant interactions while traveling.
- Security Measures: If you leave your house vacant, consider security measures such as installing a security system, hiring a house sitter, smart locks, or having neighbors keep an eye on the property.
- Exit Strategy: Have a contingency plan in place for unforeseen circumstances, like unforeseen expenses, change in travel plans, or a need to return to your property before planned.
What to do with your things
An important step of the process is going through our belongings at some point. Often we have gathered more stuff than most of us would like to admit. Now we get to decide what to keep, throw out, or give to someone else. The children’s Legos, stuffed animals, and Xbox games, none of which have been touched for years. Wedding presents, still in the box; unused kitchen gadgets, and boxes of memorabilia. And who bought all those shoes?
No one watches DVDs anymore. However, memories of movie nights, blankets, and popcorn, made way for hundreds of DVDs into our storage room. The DVDs along with boxes of stuff we already knew we wouldn’t need anymore. It can be very emotional going through a lifetime of belongings but most of all it’s a pain in the b…!
We got the biggest storage room we could find. This way we didn’t have to make a final decision on things such as a big sectional sofa, a washer and dryer, and some old patio furniture. After all who knew if we ended up back in California after a few months? We certainly never expected to be living as digital nomads more than two years later.
Storage
Looking back, we should have gotten rid of a lot more stuff and made it fit into a smaller storage room. The price of our storage room has been raised by more than 40% from the time we left. Later on, we wanted to fit everything into a smaller room, but once it was packed and stored it seemed impossible. In the end, we just closed our eyes and locked the pull-down door behind us.
Consider the following things before storing your belongings.
- Security: To ensure the safety of your belongings choose a storage facility with secure locks, surveillance cameras, and access control.
- Cost: Look for discounts or promotions. Compare storage facilities. Look out for additional fees or charges. Be aware of how much the prices can be raised.
- Climate control: Select storage with climate control if you are storing items sensitive to temperature, such as electronics, documents, certain furniture, and delicate clothing.
- Location/Accessibility: Choose a convenient location for easy access and make regular checks on your belongings for signs of damage, pests, or other issues. Make sure that the storage facility has convenient access hours.
- Insurance: Get insurance coverage to protect against loss, theft, or damage, or check your existing policies to see if they cover. Please note that detailed inventory and photographs are often required in insurance claims.
- Organization: Pack and label your things systematically for easy access and to keep everything organized and protected.
- Duration: Some storage facilities offer flexible rental terms and others require long-term commitments.
What to bring and what not to bring
Life as a digital nomad often means working from home. Working from home means wearing comfortable clothes most of the time, so you don’t need to bring as many clothes and shoes as you think. However, it’s good to be prepared for unforeseen circumstances. Our plans changed a lot along the way. We ventured outside the US from time to time including a couple of stays in Denmark during Christmas and a month in Chamonix, France in January. Turned out that the winter clothes we brought along came in handy after all.
One of the best investments we made was buying Packing Cubes. They were not really that expensive, but we bought a lot! They come in various sizes and help keep your belongings organized. They also allow you to compress your clothes, thereby maximizing the space in your luggage and making packing and unpacking easier. I keep most of my clothes in the cubes when arriving in a new location and just put them directly on the shelves.
An absolute lifesaver is our Nutri Bullet. This compact blender is a quick and efficient way to ensure that we get fresh whole foods every day. It’s easy to bring along and doesn’t take up much space.
Coolers. We bought an Igloo Thermoelectric Iceless Plug-in Cooler that we plug into the car to keep water cold and sandwiches fresh when traveling between locations. We also use a large soft insulated cooler where we mostly keep dry foods such as spices, flour, oak meal, nuts, and seeds.
Portable folding chairs. Portable chairs always come in handy when you travel. If you have the space I would recommend bringing a couple. You can get portable chairs that take up no space at all.
Apple TV and “Alexa”: Yes!!
Cancellation
Always check out the specific cancellation policy before you book a place to stay!
A lot of Airbnb, especially in the US, have no or very short cancellation time. If you are not sure where you are going next, or if your plans change, wait and book later. There are a ton of places, and they may not fulfill every requirement on your list, but you can always find a decent place to stay.
We booked most of our places with Airbnb and only had one bad experience. We booked and paid for an apartment in California and got a confirmation that everything was set. Later the owner informed us, in a very rude way, that the place was already booked and that we needed to cancel. If I canceled, we would lose our money because of the cancellation policy for that place. However, the guy kept insisting that I canceled. After a few phone calls back and forth with Airbnb everything was resolved and we got our money back. If you use the Airbnb app and not private messages, when you communicate with a host, Airbnb will always be able to see what’s going on and be able to help you. This is good to know when booking a place but also during your stay, if there are unforeseen issues.
traveling with a pet
Before we left California we booked three places in advance. We made sure that we could bring our 10-year-old Golden Retriever, Lucca. Early on, in Colorado, his behavior changed. We thought that he wasn’t eating and withdrawing from us as a sign of stress. His blood work looked fine. He was more than willing to go for a three-mile walk down to the riverbank so he could roam around in the shallow water. What could possibly be wrong with him?
The vet agreed that he could be stressed about our travel situation. Besides, older dogs can get a little eccentric. When he stopped drinking water, we knew that something serious was going on with him. A scan showed a huge mass on his spleen, and a couple of days later we had to put him to sleep. Lucca’s adventures ended before they even started, leaving a heartbreaking and everlasting imprint on our stay in Colorado.
No doubt that everything in practical terms got easier, and it changed our whole experience since we no longer had to plan around Lucca. The thing is though, you don’t have children and pets for things to be easy, and it surely got quiet without Lucca around.
what to consider when traveling with a pet
By planning ahead, and considering several important factors, you can ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience when you bring your pet on the journey.
- Pet-friendly accommodations: Research pet-friendly hotels, and other accommodations in advance and ensure that the places you plan to stay allow pets. It will limit the availability of places to stay but it’s not impossible. Often there is an additional pet fee if you’re allowed to bring a pet.
- Travel logistics: Consider your pet’s comfort and safety while on the road. This includes car rides, flights, and public transportation.
- Packing essentials: Bring your pet’s essentials such as food, water, bedding, toys, leash, color with identification, and any medication they may need.
- Travel Regulation: If you plan on visiting other countries on your journey, be aware of specific pet import regulations and requirements. This includes vaccinations and quarantine periods.
- Healthcare: Consider getting pet insurance for emergencies.
- Exercise and socialization: Make sure your pet gets enough exercise and socialization while traveling. Research dog parks, walking paths, and green belts especially if you plan to stay in the city.
- Climate considerations: Be mindful of the climate and various temperatures in the places you’ll be traveling to. Ensure that your pet is comfortable and protected from high temperatures.
- Routine and stability: Try to maintain a consistent routine for your pet despite the changing environment. This can help reduce stress and anxiety.
Workspace
Is a dedicated workspace important for you? I can work from anywhere as long as I have my laptop, but Allan needs a separate office where he can close the door. Quite a few of the places didn’t have a designated workspace, so we brought a cheap portable folding table and chair. Not the most comfortable solution but it works. Why not just find a place that has a desk? Like everything else in life, sometimes you’ll have to compromise.
Parking
Most places have available parking on the premises for free, but sometimes, you have to pay an additional fee. Make sure your needs are met before you book.
When we stayed in Beacon Hills in Boston, we found that street parking was for permanent residents only. Anyway, the streets were too narrow to park a Ford Expedition Max. After unloading our stuff, on a late Sunday night, Allan drove all over town to find parking. He finally found an underground parking where we paid an additional $600/month. We didn’t exactly budget for that, but sometimes it is what it is.