Welcome to Location Independent Success Stories, the newest interview series on The Sweetest Way!
In each new post, I’ll be introducing you to someone who’s using their unique skills and talents to kick ass as a digital nomad and live life on their terms.
This week, allow me to introduce you to Allison Green, a go-getter hailing from the Bay Area who realized that 5 years’ worth of savings meant traveling full-time was already well within her reach, and that by taking on part-time freelance work to supplement those savings, her travels could last well beyond a few months.
Allison is a 27-year-old California native turned NYC public school teacher turned full-time freelancer and travel blogger. She documents her nomadic life at Eternal Arrival, where she writes mostly about adventure travel, wellness, budgeting, and food.
Follow Allison’s adventures: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
First, tell us a little bit about yourself. What’s your background, and what are you doing now?
My name is Allison, and I grew up in one of the most beautiful places in the world, the San Francisco Bay Area. I moved to New York City to attend college and ended up living there for nine years! After undergrad, I got my Masters in Education and became a special education teacher in the NYC public school system for five crazy years. Once I decided that enough was enough, I took all my savings, sold all my stuff, packed a carry-on sized bag and called it quits on my life in New York.
Now, I travel more or less full-time while working from the road. I use Upwork to find work editing, copywriting, proofreading, and creating PR pitches. At my current rate of earning, combined with my savings, I’m earning enough to last me at least five years on the road.
I’m hoping at some point to monetize my travel blog, but since I have external sources of earning money, that’s not my primary focus. My dream is that blog monetization will happen naturally and organically over time. Right now, I’m focusing on storytelling and writing about lesser-known travel locations, not turning my blog into a business. But maybe that’ll come with time.
How often do you travel? Do you have one city that you consider a home base?
I’ve been location independent for only about six months now, but I’m planning on spending approximately ten months per year traveling and the other two in my hometown near Oakland, California taking travel breaks.
I’m close with my family and so I’m very lucky that my mom doesn’t mind me crashing my childhood home from time to time. Honestly, after nine years living on the opposite side of the country, I think she’s glad my orbit brings me closer to home more often.
Where are you now, and where do you plan to travel next?
I just finished four and a half months of travel throughout Europe and Morocco. Right now, I’m in California with my family through the New Year. I have a three-month trip in Central America planned starting in January, where I’ll start in Nicaragua, make my way through Honduras and El Salvador, and end in Guatemala.
After that, who knows! I usually travel by the seat of my pants, following whatever whim I have, so everything is always subject to change–that’s my favorite part of being location independent.
How do you typically choose your destinations?
So many different factors! I’m really into nature, so going places where there are ample opportunities for hiking and enjoying the outdoors is key. I try to travel with the sun, as being in cold places for too long can really have a negative impact on my mood.
I like to go places I haven’t been before and travel to places that are a bit off the beaten path (though not too off the path or I won’t have any much-needed wifi!). This summer and fall, I traveled throughout the Balkans, which is now one of my favorite regions to travel! I also generally pick destinations with a low cost of living, like Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, Central America, and South America.
When did you realize you wanted to become location independent, and what were your reasons behind that decision?
I actually remember the exact day: Election Day, 2015. No, not a premonition of what was to come: it was a professional development day during my fifth year of teaching. My principal was delivering the same speech that I had heard for years and years. I started to feel sick. I felt that my life was repeating in a circle, where the only bright spots in that cycle were the brief respites that travel brought. I thought to myself: why can’t I just make that my life?
I had a lot of savings already at this point since I was saving to buy an apartment in New York City and had been working for five years. So, instead of tying myself to a piece of paper that said I owned a share of a corporation that owned an apartment complex in New York, I said “screw it” and invested in starting a new life.
I don’t even know why I wanted to buy an apartment in New York–I didn’t even like living there at that point! I just thought that buying property was the next step in this grown-up life I had to have. But I’ve never been into the acquisition of objects, or wanting a big house, or having a huge wedding. I don’t even think I ever want kids! So it became clear to me that my life should re-orient towards my own goals and my own ambitions, rather than society’s. That meant pursuing traveling.
What were some of the first steps you took toward achieving this lifestyle for yourself?
That very day, I decided to quit my job at the end of the school year (I didn’t want to leave my students hanging and I had so much to plan). At first, I was thinking of teaching English abroad in Korea. But then I realized that I had enough money to realize my travel dreams now–why defer yet another year?
So I decided to just dive headfirst into traveling full-time. At first, I didn’t even plan on working from the road–my plan was just to burn through my savings. After doing some research, I learned about Upwork and how it’s a great resource for finding freelance work. In my last few months before I quit my job, I began pursuing work on Upwork and built up relationships with a few clients who I continue to work for to this day. I wrote all about Upwork on my blog in case others are interested in how I utilize the platform.
Then came all the nitty-gritty details, like selling my furniture on Craigslist, arguing with my landlord over returning my security deposit, donating all my unwanted clothes to Goodwill, and mailing a few cherished items back to California.
Of all the places you’ve lived and worked so far, which one was the best suited for people living a location independent lifestyle and why?
At this point, I’m truly nomadic–I don’t really settle in one place for long. My work hours are short and sweet, so location isn’t the biggest deal in the world, as I can work for a few hours from a hostel dorm every other day without a problem. Others who work longer hours probably need more stability than I do.
That said, I think a lot of cities in Spain would be perfect for digital nomads, with the exception of Barcelona (it’s expensive!). I loved Madrid, Sevilla, and Granada, and all of those would make fantastic home bases for location-independent people.
Related post: Co-Living and Co-Working with Hub Fuerteventura in Spain
Tell us about your work. What is your primary source of income? How did you find this kind of work/get started doing what you’re doing?
I’m a freelance editor, proofreader, copywriter, and PR specialist, all via Upwork. My primary source of income is my relationship with one PR agency. I do a lot of copywriting gigs for product launches, and I’ve now transitioned into a PR specialist role, where I create media pitches for new products.
I basically just surfed around Upwork and looked for jobs that looked interesting and the right degree of challenging. I knew I loved writing and editing and that both come naturally to me, so I started looking for work in those areas. Once I found the right gigs for me, I focused on really delivering great results for those clients time and again, and I’ve kept those relationships ongoing.
It’s great because I only work part-time–maybe 10 to 15 hours a week–and I’m earning almost enough to live off of completely. I know I could scale up, but it’d mean taking time away from traveling and writing for my blog, so I’m happy with my level of work and only needing to take $100 or $200 from my savings account each month.
Related post: 6 Online Marketplaces to List Your Freelance Services
If someone else wanted to follow a path similar to yours, what advice would you give them?
Save up first! Savings gives you the freedom to pursue work that you truly enjoy doing, rather than just doing anything you can just to eat and have a roof over your head. Have enough saved up to last you a few months in a cheap country. If you’re thinking of getting started in Southeast Asia, $600 per month for 6 months ($3,600 plus plane tickets and travel insurance) is a reasonable low-end estimate; $1,000 per month will give you a lot more wiggle room.
I just wrote about 101 ways to save money for travel for those who are trying to get their savings jumpstarted.
How much could someone expect to earn when just starting out? How much do you earn now?
It really depends on what kind of work you pursue and how you set your rates. The first month using Upwork, I didn’t earn much–maybe $400 or $500. Then, halfway through my second month, my income went up quite a bit. By the third month, without putting in any additional work to finding new clients, I was happy with my earnings.
On a bad month, I’ll earn about $800. A good one, about $1,100. This may not sound like a lot but I work an average of 10, maybe 15 hours per week so I’m pretty satisfied with my work-life balance! People who hustle harder than I do can make way more, I’m sure.
Do you have other income sources as well? What are some of the other ways you earn a living?
At this point, I just rely on my steady work through Upwork as well as my savings. Teaching English abroad is my backup plan. I’d love to eventually monetize my blog.
In your opinion, what is the hardest thing about living a location independent lifestyle?
Definitely developing healthy routines! I struggle with some mental health issues (primarily anxiety but with depressive cycles) and traveling constantly can mess with my mental state. It’s hard not to have a network of friends who you can physically see at any point and have a heart-to-heart with. I’m trying to develop some routines that are easy to replicate no matter where I am, but it can be rough.
I do travel more quickly than most location independent people, though, so I think that’s a factor. I’m planning on traveling more slowly on the next leg of my travels, so hopefully that will see a positive correlation with better habits and better mental health.
Related post: 4 Morning Rituals For a Location Independent Lifestyle
What are some of the things you like about it the most?
I love the freedom of being able to pursue my goals and dreams on a whim. I love getting to meet really interesting people from all over the world and see some of the most beautiful places on this Earth. I love that I can wake up in the morning and have no idea what the rest of the day will look like, or what country I’ll be in next week or next month. The unpredictability of it is really exciting.
How did becoming location independent change your relationship with travel? Do you do things differently now?
Now that I can travel full-time, I’ve realized I can travel slowly and less “checklist-y”. Before, when I only had a week at a time to travel and I had no idea if I’d ever be back in that country, I’d feel so much pressure to do everything and see everything in that short span of time. Sure, it was incredibly efficient, but it was tiring. When I first started being location independent, I kept up this “do it all” mentality and it was exhausting.
I finally accepted that I won’t do everything and see everything that people tell me to see, and that’s perfectly okay. Sometimes, just being in the city and watching it go by while having a coffee is a cultural experience in and of itself. I often leave a city having missed something “important.” The old me would have agonized over this. Now I smile about it, glad that I have a reason to come back.
What do you think are some of the necessary traits or skills someone should have if they plan to pursue a location independent lifestyle?
You have to have good time management skills and an ability to think outside the box and apply your skills in ways you may not anticipate. I didn’t think I’d end up doing PR work, but I was flexible when the opportunity presented itself. I learned on the job and now I have a whole new field of work I can pursue if and when I expand my job search.
Productivity is a major challenge for many digital nomads. Share with us one of your best tips for staying motivated and getting sh*t done.
As a former teacher, I believe in positive reinforcement strategies. I won’t let myself have that much-needed glass of wine or night out on the town until I’ve completed all the work I’ve set out to achieve that day. Set goals for yourself and reward yourself when you follow through.
Do you have any location independent role models who have helped you or motivated you to achieve your goals?
I love all the female travel bloggers out there who have shown me anything is possible. While traveling in Albania, I ran into Janet of Journalist on the Run, and she’s been an incredible inspiration to me. She has some amazing stories, and she’s been a great mentor and advisor about building up my blog.
I have so many other favorite travel bloggers out there it’s hard to think of them all…though Heart My Backpack and Be My Travel Muse come to mind as two of my biggest inspirations when preparing to quit my job!
What’s one of the most valuable purchases you’ve made for your business–something that wasn’t necessarily expensive, but provided you with a lot of value?
It’s silly, but what comes to mind is that I finally upgraded my terrible laptop. I was dragging a half-broken laptop around half of Europe for months. The screen was flickering and had to be positioned just so in order to stay solid; half the keys stopped working so I had to buy an external keyboard in Albania just to type a simple email.
I held out for months on buying a new laptop because it was so much cheaper in the States…let me tell you how amazing it feels to type this on a real laptop rather than my Frankenstein monster of a “laptop”!
Tell us about one of the biggest mistakes you’ve made and how others can avoid it.
The biggest mistake is not building healthy routines before I started traveling! I didn’t exercise except for riding my bike to work; I didn’t do any sort of stabilizing routines like yoga or meditation. I stayed up late at night binge-watching TV or surfing the internet and slept in every chance I got.
Good routines are so hard to start when you’re on the road, so start before you go. Same with breaking bad ones! Now that I’m home in California, I’m really working on building up my positive routines so I can take them with me when I travel.
Related post: Tips for Staying Fit on the Road and My On-the-Go Fitness Solution: Kayla Itsines’ BBG
Finally, if you could offer your younger, less experienced self one piece of advice for this journey, what would it be?
Self: do it sooner! You are capable, strong, inventive, and creative. You could have made a way years ago, but you were scared. So now that you’re doing it, just keep on swimming and be proud.
Read more interviews in the Location Independent Success Stories series:
- How to Travel the World as a Freelance Social Media Manager
- Working from Anywhere as a Self-Taught E-Commerce Marketing Specialist
- How One Couple Turned Their Travel Obsession Into a Lifestyle
- Living the Digital Nomad Lifestyle as a Professional Translator
- Freelance Your Way to Location Independence: A Copywriter & Copy Editor Tell All
Many thanks to Allison for sharing her inspiring story! Still have questions about becoming a freelancer on Upwork? Leave them in the comments below!
