- Sara van Geloven is a 35-year-old who decided not to have kids.
- She and her partner chose to travel and have a flexible lifestyle over being parents.
- They set up a reliable internet service on their van and now travel full time while working.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sara van Geloven, freelance editor and project manager. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I remember getting the travel bug when I went on two six-month trips in my 20s. In 2014, I got a job in the Netherlands as a full-time travel editor and was consistently going on short-term press trips all over the world.
My partner, whom I have been with since I was 23, has also always loved travel. He is a freelance photographer, which has given him a lot of freedom to travel.
A few years ago, we started seriously considering having children. Slowly, we came to the conclusion that neither of us wanted children. Instead, what we really wanted was freedom to travel.
Although there are definitely families who travel with their kids, we thought it would be easier and cheaper to travel without children.
In 2022, after being employed for eight years, I made the decision to go freelance so that my partner and I could work full-time while traveling. Here is how we made it work.
Test it out first
The prospect of traveling and working full-time can be daunting if you’ve never done it before. You don’t have to give up your job like I did right off the bat.
Some companies allow employees to work from abroad for periods of time. This might be a gentle way to test whether this type of lifestyle is appealing.
Don’t feel like you have to go far — even just traveling to another state or bordering country might be the perfect distance when starting out.
I knew I could work while traveling, as I had done as a travel editor. But if you aren’t sure, it might be smart to make sure you do like the lifestyle, because full-time travel is not for everyone.
Get a set up for work
Since we knew we’d be working from our camper van, we set up a Starlink on our roof so we would have access to high-speed internet no matter where we were. Even if we were on a beach in the middle of nowhere, we could still work.
We designed ergonomic workspaces for each of us in the camper van. While some young people who travel full-time while working may just be able to lounge in the sand with their laptop while working, in my 30s, that doesn’t work. My back will ache if I don’t have a comfortable space.
I have a laptop stand, separate keyboard and mouse, and a comfortable work chair. We’ve made it compact.
Go into it with the right expectations
Sometimes, when people start a work and travel lifestyle, they view it as a vacation, but it’s not. No matter where you are in the world traveling, you will still be working. There is no way you can see every site or tourist spot. If you try, you’ll burn out.
Even after two years, I’m still struggling to make sure I find the right work-life balance.
I’ve found a routine that works for me. From Sunday to Friday, I work about six hours a day, and Saturday is my sacred day off.
When I’m not working, I’m either exploring or sorting travel admin out.
Document your trip
When you’re working while traveling, it is easy to forget to take photos. You’re constantly on the move or sitting in front of a computer.
But it’s important to document where you’ve been because otherwise, you might forget. I tracked all our trips on the travel app Polarsteps, and I love seeing all our adventures displayed on a beautiful world map.
Experience the cultures you visit
One of my favorite aspects of traveling is becoming familiar with the culture I’m living in. We will eat at local restaurants or go to networking events with like-minded people.
Even though I have to think about time zones when I travel, I try to fit my schedule around the schedule of the country I’m in so I can mingle with residents.
It’s easy to get caught up in the digital nomad life and not make those local connections, but it’s one of the most beautiful benefits of travel.
