Karolina is a 27-year-old Polish girl who used to live in Germany for almost all of her life. Traveling always was and always will be a big part of Karolina’s life, she particularly loves to explore foreign cultures and chat with new people. For more of Karolina’s adventures, be sure to follow her on Instagram @lolinatravels.
Why I Started Traveling Solo As A Digital Nomad
To be honest – my journey did not start solo. I was in a very long relationship until April 2020. I was already struggling before that for quite some time because our life goals just did not match anymore. To understand my story, we need to go back to 2018. I’ve always dreamt of living abroad since I can think. I’ve always felt deep down in my heart, that I just don’t belong to Germany. I have some family in Mexico (my aunt, who is Polish, married a Mexican) and through them, I got a job in Mexico. My (now ex) boyfriend joined me to work for my Mexican uncle. So we lived there for three months. It was a good job, but my boyfriend needed to go back to Germany to finish his studies. I went back with him, but already had built a dream in my head: I will go back to Mexico asap, make good money and then travel the world. That was my big dream. Unfortunately, there were some problems with getting a work visa at that time, so my plans didn’t work out. So I needed to find a way to get a remote job. I knew that if others can do that, why shouldn’t I? I only have one life and I want to make the most of it. I worked hard, learned a lot, and finally fulfilled my dream in December 2019 when I started my journey.
How I Manage Work And Travel
The most important thing: To be successful and not stressed out all the time, you have to travel slowly. Usually, I stay in one place for at least a month. This has various advantages: You have the feeling of “being at home” at least a little, you’re not stressed by constantly packing and unpacking all the time, and you can truly bond with other people. My everyday life consists of working, cooking, going to the beach (that’s where you will find me in my free time usually), and meeting people.
My Travel History
I have traveled to 26 countries so far. I like both tourist spots and hidden gems – the tourist spots are mostly famous for a reason! But I like to avoid the crowds. So I sometimes travel to places in low seasons to avoid that.
When I travel, I like to truly dip my toes into the local life. Local activities, learn at least the languages a little bit and enjoy and try local food. I am a true foodie and love to eat – even when I don’t look like it.
I can’t really tell what’s my favorite, there are so many! But I remember for example that I had a really good and long talk with a Buddhist monk last year in Thailand. We talked about religions and about life in general. Very inspiring.
I technically travel all the time. I don’t have a permanent residence anymore. But you still could consider Germany my home base, because my family lives there and I like to visit family and friends at least 1-2 times per year. I usually stay in one place/country for at least a month. I hate the cold – so I usually travel to places which are warm and sunny. I fell in love with Asia – so that’s the continent I would like to explore more in the next time.
