I am writing this blog post a year and a day after I started my first adventure as a digital nomad. Packing my life into two small bags has been one of the best decisions of my life. It has taught me that creating memories and making new friends enrich my life more than accumulating objects. I hope to continue this lifestyle for the foreseeable future. 

For the last year, my husband and I have been meandering around Latin America. We’ve scaled volcanoes in Chile, toured wineries by bike in Argentina, visited the Boiling River in Peru, snorkeled on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, and seen sloths chilling in the trees of parks in Panama. 

I’ve also managed to write three books, edit one, develop two resource packs, write 12 blog posts for Ellii, create countless sketchnotes, and deliver who knows how many webinars. When I left, I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about working while away, but it has given me a sense of purpose, the opportunity to stay places for longer and get to know them better, and the time to just enjoy sitting still and taking in the view. 

In this post, I’ll share some of my top tips for working remotely as an ELT professional. 

Be financially prepared

It’s always good to have a safety net before embarking on any travel adventure. Take a look at accommodation prices in the places you plan to visit, plus transportation and average food costs. 

Have enough savings to at least survive for the first few months and get you home in an emergency. If you’re working, you might never need to use these funds, but it’s good to have them just in case. It’s also good to have more than you think you need, as there are a lot of tempting unexpected adventures to be had. 

Get insured

Travel insurance and health insurance are essential. My best friend used to work in an international hospital. He has told me many horror stories of uninsured travelers. You really don’t want to get sick without the right insurance papers. Make sure to read the small print and get the coverage you need. 

Find a remote ELT job

It goes without saying that to work remotely while traveling, you need a job you can do anywhere! Thankfully, English language teaching has tons of opportunities. You could: 

• teach online
• develop ELT materials
• write blog posts
• deliver teacher development webinars
• manage projects
• create your own business

Here are some blog posts that you might find useful: 

• 5 Ways to Earn "Passive" Income as a Teacher
• How to Be a Teacherpreneur
• Beyond Teaching: ELT Careers to Keep You Motivated

Pack light & carefully

Packing has been a logistical challenge but one I’ve found enjoyable. For me, everything has to be superlight, be extremely small, or have multiple purposes. 

What you take will depend on where you are going. Since we planned to travel at different altitudes, seasons, and climates, we had to pack for all weathers. I love my squashable down jacket as it’s cozy and tiny, my lightweight waterproof jacket, and my packable 20l backpack, which scrunches into the ball of my hand. 

In terms of shoes, I only have one pair of trail running shoes, which I carefully selected as they look passable in restaurants as well as outdoors. I also have a pair of flips-flops and a tiny pair of ballet pumps that I use for conferences. 

One thing I wish I had done was pack lighter. My bag was full, meaning that there was no space for anything I hadn’t realized I would need. Plus, I had way too many tops and an unnecessary travel changing robe! Over time, I found new homes for things I didn’t use to make space for real essentials like a bag of herbs and spices and my trusty coffee filter.

Network & meet fellow ELTers

One of the things I’ve enjoyed most about traveling while working is connecting with fellow ELTers. It has given me the chance to get to know people I had only met online, extend my network, and cultivate new friendships. 

Going to conferences, like Peru TESOL in Arequipa and Anglo in Montevideo, gave me the opportunity to learn more about the Latin American ELT market. I also made new friends who invited me to speak at other conferences, to team teach with them, and even to enjoy dinner at their houses. ELTers truly are a lovely bunch of humans! 

Travel slowly

Working while traveling really means that you need to slow down. You’re not going to see much or get much work done if you just stay somewhere for a couple of nights. Plus, accommodation is often cheaper if you can make use of longer-term discounts. You also save a lot on transportation costs. 

Depending on where we are, accommodation costs, and where we need to be, my husband and I tend to stay a minimum of a week wherever we are. However, I think a month or more is ideal. Whenever we have stayed for a month or longer in the same place, we have made more friends, been more productive, and really gotten to know the area well. 

Be aware of privilege

This trip has really made me aware of passport privilege and how lucky I am to be traveling on a UK salary. Having taught students from refugee backgrounds for years, I have heard their stories of crossing borders in refrigerated vans, hanging onto the undercarriage of trucks, and hiking for days in the dead of night. 

I also saw firsthand many people preparing to cross the infamous Darien Gap from Colombia to Panama. They carried small tents and the bare essentials, and in many cases they weren’t dressed for three days of hiking through dense forest during the rainy season. Meanwhile, all I needed to do was buy a boat ticket and get my passport stamped. 

As I travel, I often ponder how to redress this equality gap. I am very lucky to be able to have the opportunity to choose this lifestyle. In some places, digital nomads are pricing locals out of accommodation, so my presence could impact people's quality of life. I try my best to choose places that aren’t super touristy and do simple things like being kind and respectful, taking an interest in the local culture, donating to local charities, and leaving generous tips.  

Be flexible

I used to have the luxury of a desktop PC, two huge screens, a giant whiteboard, a visualizer, a top-notch microphone, and a ring light as my work setup. Now, I have a laptop, a drawing tablet I use as a second screen, a portable lavalier mic, and a head torch! I’ve had to get creative with my workspace. I even worked from an ironing board once when the place we rented didn’t have a table! 

Have a plan B

Traveling while working can throw lots of challenges at you. Meetings, webinars, and events need to be planned carefully to make sure you have Wi-Fi and a suitable workspace. This means that travel days need to be planned around workdays. Some weeks your day off might be spent entirely on a bus. 

You may also need to find last-minute solutions to unexpected problems. Recently, I got stuck for two extra days in a remote town due to tropical storms. The only feasible way out was by boat. This delay meant that I wasn’t going to be able to deliver two scheduled webinars. I managed to postpone one, but the other was for a conference that had to go ahead on that day. So I pre-recorded the video. Thankfully, the conference organizers, World Education, and Ellii were happy with this solution, but I will forever have FOMO of not getting to e-meet everyone on the day. 

You can watch the recordings here: 

• Lightning Talk
• Breakout Room Tech Demonstrations

For more remote-working inspiration, you’ll love this post by Ellii’s videographer, Lucia Padilla: Working Remotely: Traveling with Ellii

Here are some related lessons that you might want to try with your students:

• Digital Nomads
• Portugal Protects Remote Workers
• Travel English

Have you tried out remote working while traveling? Would you like to? Share your thoughts, tips, and experiences in the comments!