I started this website when I realized that I had lived — and worked — in seven different places in five years.
I’m not an expat or a digital nomad — I’m an Anywhereist!
I hadn’t set out to do it, but in the aftermath of the financial meltdown in 2009, that’s what happened. I turned to freelancing, and created work I could take with me anywhere.
Now we’re in the midst of another enormous change, powered by the global novel coronavirus pandemic.
“Working from home” has become the new normal for millions, and many businesses are realizing that maybe they don’t need that big office or campus.
Several countries are now offering visas specifically for remote workers, offering them the opportunity to live and work legally within their borders.
There’s never been an easier time to take control of your work and unplug from the corporate cubicle, whether as a freelancer, solopreneur, or employee working remotely from the location of your choice.
That’s what I did back in 2012. My husband and I moved to the Republic of Panama in order to recover from the financial pummeling we’d received when my “good” job melted down in March, 2009.
Why Move?
For my husband and me, we had to face the reality that, if we stayed in the US, we wouldn’t be able to afford to retire. Add to this my lifelong desire to spend time in another country, and we began looking at the possibilities of retiring overseas.
As I write this in December, 2020, there’s a rapid exodus from the more expensive, densely populated US cities. People who are unexpectedly working from home are looking for larger, more affordable housing in less densely populated cities or even small towns, places where they can incorporate a home office (or two), and maybe even some designated remote schooling areas for the kids.
My oldest son, a software engineer in Seattle, is preparing to move to Antigua in a couple of months with their new Digital Nomad visa, where he’ll work for the same Seattle-based company he’s been with for several years.
Where To Go?
After raising five kids and getting hit hard by the financial meltdown, our choices were initially limited to the countries where the cost of living is well below that of the US. We also wanted to be close to the US so we could see our kids and my husband’s elderly parents regularly.
In the spring of 2012, we moved to the small town of Las Tablas in the Republic of Panama.
After 2-1/2 years there (where we had a ball and made some lifelong friends), we returned to the US. My husband was becoming more concerned about his elderly parents, and wanted to be closer.
All told, in the space of five years we moved seven times. Thank goodness I got my own portable career off the ground shortly after we arrived in Las Tablas. . .
I’m an Anywhereist — I can live and work anywhere, as long as I have an internet connection. (We plan to resume our overseas adventure once the in-laws aren’t in the frame any longer.)
I have a background in writing and in website design. I’ve put together a successful business that uses both sets of skills.
- As a freelance writer, I get paid to write about the art and craft of writing, expatriation, small business, WordPress, and productivity tools.
- I also teach people how to build attractive and effective websites using WordPress.
- My portable career includes some passive income streams as well, things that keep some cash flowing even if I’m traveling or unable to work for a little while.
What You’ll Find Here
Here at Anywhereist, I’ll share tools, tips, and information to help you develop your Work from Anywhere (WFA) lifestyle.
The focus will be the Anywhereist Newsletter.
Every other week, I’ll send you a carefully curated newsletter with the best information about WFA. (You can read a sample newsletter here .)
Today, one of the biggest problems for solopreneurs and freelancers is sifting through the huge amounts of information available to find what’s really useful. I’ll do that for you, leaving you free to focus on your work, and not on combing the internet for resources.
I look forward to having you along!
Focus on your Craft, Not the Cr*p
Every other week, I’ll send you the best hand-picked tools, tips, and information about working anywhere, so you can focus on your creative work.
No spam. Promise.