I have a confession to make: I’m not a full digital nomad.
There, I said it.
Sure, I work from sunlit cafés, chase good Wi-Fi, and pretend time zones don’t apply to me. But the truth? I have a home base. A family. A TeenageBoy whose idea of adventure is ordering sushi instead of pizza.
Some Sell Everything. I Just Pack Light.
Don’t get me wrong — I love reading about people who sell everything, buy a van, and start their “slow travel life” on a remote Greek island. I cheer for them, I save their Reels, and I even Google “coworking spaces Bali” on sleepless nights.
But my version of the dream looks a little different — more carry-on bag than storage unit sale. Because while I do travel — usually once a month, laptop in tow — I always circle back home to where real life (and the laundry) waits.
DearHubby, the Voice of Practical Wisdom
My husband is wonderfully supportive of my wanderlust, as long as it doesn’t interfere with family logistics. Which means he’s supportive of me talking about it. A lot. He knows that “maybe I could spend a week somewhere warm this winter” really means “I’m already looking at boutique hotels and flight options.” He nods wisely, like a man who knows that enthusiasm burns bright… until the family calendar has opinions.
TeenageBoy, the Reluctant Sidekick
And then there’s my 14-year-old son. He has entered the phase of life where parents are both invisible and annoying, often at the same time. He doesn’t mind that I travel occasionally — as long as it doesn’t affect his Wi-Fi connection, dinner schedule, or access to clean hoodies. “You’re not really going away, right?” he asks whenever I mention a new destination. Translation: Who’s doing the laundry?
Not All Who Wander Need to Relocate
So yes, I love the digital nomad dream. I even live parts of it — the flexibility, the freedom, the ability to work from different places. But I’m more of a digital nester. My office moves between the kitchen table, cozy cafés, and the occasional beach bar (as long as I can plug in my laptop). I’ve discovered that you don’t need to burn your belongings and move to Bali to feel free — sometimes freedom is just being able to close your laptop when TeenageBoy wants to show you a meme.
And yes — I do take real workations. Sometimes it’s a week by the sea, sometimes a few days in a new city, laptop open and ideas flowing. I need those getaways — they recharge my creativity and remind me why I fell in love with this flexible way of working in the first place.
The Comfort of Coming Home
And honestly? I like having a home base. A place where my favorite mug waits, the neighbors nod knowingly, and the Wi-Fi never lets me down. It’s where I recharge between adventures — both literal and emotional.
The Sweet Spot in Between
Maybe one day I’ll take that long workation I keep fantasizing about. Maybe I’ll finally write from a tropical terrace while sipping something with a tiny umbrella in it. But for now, I’m perfectly content being the Workation Diva — balancing deadlines with dishwasher duty, balancing deadlines with dishwasher duty, wanderlust with grocery runs, and dreams with daily life.
Because the truth is, it’s not about where you are. It’s about making life — however grounded — feel a little bit like an adventure.
💻 About the Workation Diva
I’m Caro, an early pioneer of remote work, studying IT in the ’90s when “the Internet” still made dial-up noises. I’ve been blending work and travel since before it was fashionable, from spa weekends during business trips to half-vacations at my family’s place in Buenos Aires. These days, I live the part-time laptop lifestyle — balancing motherhood, projects, and plane tickets, proving that freedom can come in Wi-Fi and family-size portions.
Workation Diva 