The Beautiful Hustle

We have been getting a lot of questions on how this life of ours works. The idea of living a digital nomad life seems to be on the minds of many. It may seem to some that it is just sitting by the beach and watching the day go by. But, we wanted to touch upon about those little things that help us live this life. Of course, having jobs that allow you to work anywhere is a tremendous help, but it is so much more than that.Before we even start looking for destinations that are on our list, we start checking out the best prices from different airports around the area. It is so much easier to look around these days because of websites like google flights, Skyscanner, and Orbitz. The dates of the flights, surrounding airports, and budget airlines are always influencing our decisions. It takes a bit of fooling around within the site for it all to go right. For example, while we were in Bali, we knew we wanted to get to back the states for the holidays. If we booked a flight that took us back to the east coast, it would be over a $1500 ticket. A flight to Bangkok from Bali was a little over a $100. Knowing that Bangkok is a hub for Europe, there is a flight to Glasgow, Scotland from Bangkok and it was a little over $200. The flight from Glasgow to Dublin was about $20. We knew there was a cheap flight from Dublin to Stewart airport, sixty miles north of NYC, which, again, was around $200. Finally, there was a flight from NYC to Charleston at a $100. It took a minute to dissect all the different avenues of getting home. But, we knew there was a certain way of getting home without paying that exorbitant amount. Taking the time to see what is out there will direct you the best way. Just like that, we were able to split the cost in half, with adding a day trip to Bangkok and a thirteen-day excursion in the U.K.By letting the price and budget airline guide us, we were able to see a bit more without just spending blindly on a ticket home. Just over a month ago, we were looking to book a trip to the Dominican Republic. We saw prices around $500 a ticket, but then there were flights from Fort Lauderdale for only a $100. This was an easy choice, so we rented a car for $50 and drove the 8 hours to the Ft. Lauderdale airport from Charleston, South Carolina. We are always on the prowl for a deal that helps us get where we are going. It is these little corners of inconvenience that help us keep exploring.Since it is work when we are traveling, the feel of home is high on the priority list. These travel sites usually have a discount for longer stays, like Airbnb and booking.com, and have listings that include some extra amenities. With a little digging, you can definitely find some deals in these sites. Since we know what we want in a rental or hotel, we can pinpoint our search. For me, it seems like a waste to rent a hotel room that just provides a sleeping area. We need to eat, work, and feel at home when we travel. One of the things that is so important is a kitchen. It is so important to us because we like to get groceries and cook our own food. Eating, cooking, and having the sense of home is vital for us to have successful days. Without having these little things in our lives, it would make us burn out quickly. On top of that, the benefit of eating at home keeps the food costs at a minimum. It is a win win.We do splurge and we do go out to restaurants from time to time, but we find it more enjoyable just experiencing what the culture has to offer. For example, instead of spending €50 on a bottle of wine in a restaurant when we were in France, we would buy some meat, cheese, and a bottle of wine to take to a park for a little picnic. It is these little things that keep slashing prices for us to enjoy where we are. To add more to the story, americanos are our daily obsession, so we have a traveling espresso maker. Going to a coffee shop just keeps adding up while traveling, so we have the comfort of us having delicious coffee where we are.It may seem like these are just little things that do not add up, but it truly does. We do not feel like we live a frugal lifestyle, and there is no daily budget that we live on. But, by finding the best flights, the best rentals, and the best activities have helped us along the way. It is extremely easy to waste hundreds of dollars on things that should not be spent on.It is amazing for us to see all the great places that we do, but it is still work. There are hours put aside everyday for us to work and complete what we have to. The most important thing is that we are doing it together and love getting lost in the right direction.