When I started travelling, I discovered the taste of freedom. Having only a backpack to carry around with me, I could say YES to absolutely any adventure coming my way. And I freakin loved it, I started to feel like this was what I was meant to be doing. To be able to travel so much, I worked very hard for a couple of months (sometimes 50 to 60 hours a week), I saved as much money as I possibly could, and then I would hit the road as soon as possible. The problem with this lifestyle is that while I was working, I truly hated every single day I had to spend indoors inside an office surrounded by computers. I kept waiting for the next big trip, feeling super frustrated, and couldn't enjoy the present moment. I got very obsessed about saving my money and I wasn't going out anymore or doing any activities. I used to work as an architect, and although I loved studying architecture, there was no part of the job that I actually liked once I graduated and started working in firms. I needed to be outside all the time, but I was "trapped" between four walls and an iMac. And once the travel bug has got to you, it becomes more and more difficult to live a steady life, go to work from 9 to 5 every day, you feel like the real life is somewhere else in the wild, you don't fit in this kind of picture. It wasn't so bad, but I kept wondering, what would it be like if I could actually enjoy every single day of my life ?
To me, one of the most important things in life is TIME. You can always make money, be successful, but you can never get time back. I want to look back at my life and remember my impulsive, spontaneous trips, the long afternoon breaks I took with the dog to the park, the times I just left my work to go fishing with my brother because I wanted to, going for a swim because I felt like it. I don't want to remember the years spent behind a desk counting the hours until I could go back home, telling myself these aren't minutes but money and the more I stay the more I get paid.
Because yes, when you work for someone, they are not just buying your skills, they are buying your time.
I want to be free to take breaks whenever I want, have a day off whenever I need it, and of course, work in my pijamas if I want to (because let's face it, that's the whole purpose if this article). You can't enjoy that kind of freedom when you work for someone else. And while this might seem silly to you, it's my only goal in life : enjoy every single day I spend on this planet. So after trying my best to stick around in an architecture office, I finally decided to take the leap of faith and try something new.
I joined online freelancing platforms and started posting a few gigs, offering very simple things such as translation services, small architecture jobs drawing plans, but the thing that picked up immediately was Web Design. It's amazing the amount of people looking to hire someone remotely to build or manage their websites. It's literally impossible not to find a job in that field ! Having just launched this website, Lucie & the Sky, I had a small portfolio and I could sell my time to build websites.
My architecture studies gave me a rich graphic design background so I wasn't starting from scratch, and it turns out that I am pretty nerdy when I comes to computer stuff. It only took me 2 weeks to get my first client, and after a month I was working full time as a web designer. Today I have regular clients and income, I schedule my day to be able to have my afternoons free, and of course I can start travelling again, not worrying about saving money because I now make money as I travel. The best part is that I got back to my creative skills. I actually enjoy every part of this job, from creating cool designs to being in direct contact with my clients and watching their business grow.
I always thought that being an entrepreneur was something so badass that I would only be doing it once I hit my 30s. I met a lot of freelancers during my trips and wished so hard I could be doing that as well but never thought it would actually happen to me. Well, it turns out every thing is possible. If you really want something, it will eventually happen if you work hard for it.
Coming next will be a post on the different jobs you can do while travelling, the ways I got my remote incomes (platforms I used, how to get regular clients), all the possibilities you have to become financially independent and free. There are a lot of blogs out there but I thought I'd share my own story as well, to remind you that every body can do it !
I hope you enjoyed reading me and I wish you a fantastic day ! Believe in your dreams and don't forget to chillax.
