It’s been a little while since I’ve posted anything on this website…. ok, 1173 days to be exact. But who’s counting?
But hear me out, I was like, really busy.
What was I busy with you ask? Well, let’s rewind a little.
Remember when I first launched this blog (no? ok can’t blame you….), well it was a way for me to document my personal journey of becoming a digital nomad – as a non-techie, former chemist with no online business or remote work experience. And guess what happened?
I DID IT! Yay!!
I managed to figure out this digital nomad thing. And rather quicker than expected. You see, when I first started out I set myself a challenge, I called it my Digital Nomad Job Challenge (super creative, right?) in which I would try out basically all the online jobs I could find, see if I:
a) could get them
b) could do them
c) would like them
d) could earn money with them
And I was documenting it all on this here little blog. Heck, I even wrote income reports. Every. Single. Month.
Ok, just for 6 months….but I told you…I got busy.
So, turns out once I actually started to work online, I kinda didn’t have make time anymore to write on here, document and all the other good stuff. All my attention went straight to my new clients and projects and figuring out this digital nomad life thing.
It’s kinda sad. But also not. Because A LOT has happened since.
I started working online and earning enough to travel. Not rolling in money, but enough to make it work in SE Asia and then Europe, too.
And then I accidentally on purpose started my own online business. That was crazy!
Accidentally because I didn’t realise I was starting a business. And then on purpose, because I realised pretty quickly that I had found something I loved and was good at. And then it only took me about 3 years to “monetise” that.
It’s the classic overnight success story, right?
Anyway, where was I?
Ah yes, I had accidentally on purpose started a business called Digital Nomad Girls (DNG). It’s a community for location independent women and I now organise IRL retreats and also run a virtual membership, the DNG Inner Circle, where we get up to all sorts of fun events, networking and coworking.
I’m sure I’ll be telling you more about DNG in the future.
But first, let me tell you why I’m writing here again, instead of DNG’s blog.
You see, starting my business and figuring out how to not break it again (so far, so good) was absolutely terrifying awesome fun. As a multipotentialite, I love doing lots of different things. Working on many different projects, learning new skills.
I learned SO MUCH. About SO MANY THINGS. And I am still learning new things, virtually every single day.
And I want to share those things, and write about them. It helps me process and I really enjoy it.
But not all the topics fit the DNG blog. And I would hate to bother my lovely nomad girl readers with random musings about whether Pho or Laksa is the better soup. (who am I kidding, they would love to read about that! *adds it to DNG content calendar*)
I remembered that I started Square Hippie because I felt a bit like the odd one out. The hippie amongst my old science friends. And the nerd amongst my old Greenpeace friend.
Then I became a digital nomad and found my tribe. I felt like I finally found my people.
And I have. I absolutely adore my nomad friends.
But I also realised that my time feeling like the ‘odd one out’ is not over. It probably will never be over, and instead of being upset about that, I now see that it’s kind of my superpower. Often when I meet new people they think I’m a bit strange.
Over the years I realised that part of the reason they think I’m odd is that I’m often a contradiction. I think we all are, really. But maybe my own contradictions are a bit more obvious.
Recently, I’ve noticed more and more aspects of my life where these contradictions are becoming noticeable again. And I want a place to write about that.
About how I committed to not flying for a full year to curb my carbon footprint. After flying around the world for 6 years.
And about how I am trying to become 70% plant-based. Despite loving nothing more than pork and crab soup dumplings. And not wanting to give those up for good.
Or about how I am becoming increasingly depressed about the state of this planet, while somehow trying to maintain hope that we can save it, just in time.
You know, all the simple stuff.
I want a place to write about that, to share it with my friends and strangers on the internet.
Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the past 4 years, it’s that strangers on the internet can become some of your best friends, closest allies and cheerleaders.
And I think in times like these, we can all do with some more of those.
So if you’re interested in reading about any of these things (and to sort out the Pho vs Laksa battle once and for all) then let’s do this.
And hopefully, it won’t be another 1173 days until I write again.
(I’m also gonna tidy up this website a little, you know, dust off the cobwebs and update the old sitemap. So stay tuned for some garish daring colour and font combos!)