🎒 DIGITAL NOMAD

The startup helping you raise your kids as a digital nomad

Digital nomadism has long been dominated by young singles traveling around the world with backpacks and carryons.

However nearly 4 years after COVID pushed remote work into the mainstream more and more couples with kids are becoming nomadic creating a need for nomad-friendly schooling options.

Thankfully, several startups have launched to solve exactly this need лике Boundless Life which now has locations in Portugal, Indonesia, Italy, and Greece and serves between 250 kids per “semester”.

And Boundless Life is not alone, others are popping up including Green School and The Hive in the Dominican Republic. While still very much in the startup phase, these initiatives could be the start of a global education redesign!

🗺️ TRAVEL

Bali gov encouraging people to track & report “disrespectful” tourists

The Bali government has announced a new plan to deal with disrespectful tourists visiting the island - an app that allows locals & businesses to report tourists who are violating local laws.

The new Foreigner Reporting App (APOA) will also be used by all hotels, Airbnbs, and other lodging businesses to track tourists’ stays.

Insider Take: Last time I was in Bali I got to see firsthand just how bad some tourists “disrespect” the island. The small island is overrun by partiers that can cause all kinds of damage so I understand the government’s desire to find ways to handle this.

In addition, Bali in particular has dealt with tons of digital nomads overstaying visas and exploiting loopholes to stay on the island as long as possible. However, this app is getting closer and closer to USSR-style “report on your neighbor” initiatives.

Don’t forget that late last year the Indonesian government passed some pretty strict laws banning sex outside of marriage. While the gov has said it will not apply this law to foreigners visiting Indonesia, it wouldn’t be crazy to imagine a gov using this to target individuals it views as “unwanted”, for example, LGBTQ couples.

This app could be used as yet another weapon in Indinosia’s anti-human rights arsenal.

👽 LIFESTYLE

Reexamining the urban “doom loop”

When COVID struck in early 2020 many experts predicted it would usher in the collapse of the American downtown.

They painted a picture in which people, empowered by WFH, left the urban core in droves in search of more space, however today in late 2023 this exodus hasn’t really materialized.

While some people did indeed relocate to the suburbs, others took their place attracted by a sudden drop in the cost of urban rent. Now these same pundits are adjusting their targets, stating that while large cities like NYC and Chicago may be able to recover, it’s the midsize cities like Indianapolis or Minneapolis that will suffer long term.

However, urban researchers like Pete Saunders disagree, pointing out that over the last 15 years, many midsize cities have developed the amenities young professionals are looking for.

Saunders argues that in the end remote work likely won’t kill downtowns in large OR midsized cities, it will simply force them to become “complete neighborhoods” with more mixed-use buildings that offer residential and social spaces in addition to commercial.

In the end, remote work may finally force the American downtown to evolve into a more liveable place, similar to what we see in many European cities.

🚨 WORD ON THE WEB

• 📈 Nomad Lifestyle is on the rise! New research signals an increase in the number of people who want to become nomadic and the reasons why.

• 💻 Harvard vs Remote. Remote jobs are becoming so competitive some are more difficult to land than admission into Harvard.

• 🏦 Nomad Money. How to manage your money as a digital nomad according to Chase Bank.

• 🇬🇷 Greece Digital Nomad Visa. Check out this recent About Abroad episode to learn about the new Greek digital nomad visa and how to get it.

• 🇪🇺 Europe travel visa. The EU has announced that its new ETIAS visa launch is delayed until 2025

📆 UPCOMING EVENTS:

Sept 28 - Oct 1: Nomadness Fest [📍Louisville, Kentucky, US] - A festival for travelers of color and their allies. 30+ speakers covering topics such as branding, business, domestic travel, effects of over-tourism, and much more. (👋 I’ll be there)

Sept 30: DNCH [📍Bern, Switzerland + Virtual] - Learn about location-independent life and meet like-minded people interested in the digital nomad lifestyle.

Oct 9-15: The Nomad World [📍Albufeira, Portugal] - Transformative experience for digital nomads and remote workers from across the globe. A mix of expert talks, hands-on workshops, and beach-side fun, aimed at celebrating freedom, connection, and personal growth.

Oct 16-20: Try Out Tulsa [📍 Tulsa, Oklahoma] - Check out the famous Tulsa Remote program for a week! Join industry leaders like Ali Greene, Darcy Mayfield, and Tyler Selhorn for a week of coworking, events, and fun. Tickets are only $30 and close Sept 25th.

Dec 7-13: Nomad Island Fest [📍 Madeira, Portugal] - Learn from world-class industry experts on topics like mindset, marketing, tech, wealth & health.

🌍 WFA JOBS:

Looking for a job that’s not just remote, but that you can work from anywhere in the world? We’ve done the heavy lifting for you. Check out these awesome WFA positions 👇

⭐️ Senior Content Marketing Manager @ Going

⭐️ Remote Content Manager @ Ellipsis

⭐️ Remote Operations Manager @ MillionDollarDads

⭐️ Remote Product Designer @ Toggl

⭐️ Remote Product Designer @ MailerLite