Voice Over: This is the Why We Travel Podcast. The podcast dedicated to those who want to explore the world on their terms. Each week, you'll hear from amazing travelers and experts sharing their best Faustina MulnikFaustina Mulnik travel stories from the road. Listen to their unique travel experiences and get insider tips about their favorite destinations.
Whether you're an experienced world nomad or just getting started, this podcast will inspire you, improve your travel skills. Change the way you travel and motivate you to get out and see the world. Discover the art of independent travel and meet fellow travelers in our online community. Now let's get into it with your host and world traveler.
Claus Lauter: Hello and welcome to another episode of the Why We Travel podcast. Today we want to dive into the world of digital nomading and remote work. We haven't spoken about that for a while and I think that's something that a lot of people have on the list. And I want to talk to Faustina Mulnik. She is a marketing specialist and travel enthusiast.
She's a wordsmith by trade. We'll find out what that is and globetrotter by nature. Thanks So she has been traveling for quite some time, and I would like to welcome her to the show. Hi, Faustina, how are you today?
Faustina Mulnik: Hey, good, Claus. Thank you so much for having me. I'm really excited to be here and talk all things Digital Nomad.
Yeah, I've been living the Digital Nomad life now for about two years after, ever since graduating from college in 2022, um, I've always been working a remote job and just kind of exploring as I go. So I'm excited to dive more into it.
Claus Lauter: Yeah, great to have you on the show. Maybe first question that I always ask is, what's your first memory when it comes to traveling?
So as a child, what is your first vision that you had there?
Faustina Mulnik: My family, I grew up in the Midwest in the US. So mostly, whenever I was a little kid, trips would mean like road trips to Florida or out west with the family. And I never really had any international experience, like, you know, as a child or anything like that.
But whenever I was like going into high school, I saw so many YouTubers who were traveling. There was one YouTube channel, um, they're called Damon and Joe. They had a channel called shut up and go. And the whole idea was to just stop making excuses to shut up and like, go do, go, go travel and go do what you want to do.
And so that was actually like where I really got my, Inspiration to really go travel was seeing these people on, on YouTube and seeing them do their budget travel and, you know, seeing the good, the bad, the ugly, but also just being like, wow, this is actually something that I could see myself doing. So that's kind of like how it all started.
Claus Lauter: Okay, you just mentioned the good, the bad, the ugly, that's something that I say quite a lot. And I think that's sort of what people need to know when they start traveling as a digital nomad around the world. That's, that's not all. glamorous and shiny and nice out there. It's just a different kind of lifestyle.
And there's also some downsides of it. Yeah. Now you started in Spain, and then you started traveling around. Tell me about what got you into the position to start work remotely.
Faustina Mulnik: Yeah, absolutely. So I got to study abroad in I think it was my sophomore year. I did a semester in Spain and then I knew like after studying abroad, I was like, this is something I definitely want to do more of.
And so after graduating, I, um, got a remote job in marketing and I, I sort of changed my major a few times so that I would be able to do marketing because I realized that Um, as some of my friends were graduating and getting remote jobs, a lot of them tend to be like marketing focus. Like, that's just one that you can do really easily remote.
So yeah, after getting that, I did my first trip to Mexico and I was there for about 4 or 5 months and that was really great. And then after that, I came back to the US. And then did a month in Argentina and then came back to the U. S. again. And then I did a month in Spain, a month in Italy, came back to the U.
S. And then I'm on my next leg right now. And I'm going to, I'm in Mexico City right now. And I'm going to Costa Rica and Guatemala next. So yeah, a lot of like Spanish speaking countries, because I also studied Spanish. So I'm really always trying to practice that skill as well. Those are the countries I've hit so far.
And yeah, like I said, just the last two years or so.
Claus Lauter: Okay, what makes you pick certain countries over others? What's your preference there?
Faustina Mulnik: Yeah, so I definitely, like I said, pick a lot of Spanish speaking countries because I love to, you know, practice my Spanish and I think that travels, you know, obviously great for language learning.
Um, I also try to pick cities I think that are, you know, you know, pretty safe because I am a solo female traveler, so I try to do a lot of research. Um, and I would also say to you that like. Even if a country might have not the best reputation or there are some parts of it that can be dangerous, there's, they can also have some cities that are super safe.
So like, even in the U S for example, like, which is where I'm from, they'll have, we have like some cities that are, you know, like St. Louis, that can be very dangerous and other cities, you know, like a suburb that's like 15 minutes away. That's. So I just kind of like look at every country with that mindset.
Like you can't judge a country off of one city. So I'll try to do a lot of research and pick the city that I feel like the most comfortable with the safest. And then also still has like lots of fun stuff to do. So some of the cities that I've been to within Merida in Mexico, um, I did Buenos Aires in Argentina, Granada in Spain, um, Florence, Italy, and I'm in Mexico city right now.
So I came back to Mexico.
Claus Lauter: How do you set up your day to day life once you arrive? Are you starting with Airbnbs or what kind of accommodation you're looking for? And then how do you sort of schedule your, your work holiday? It's not a holiday, your work day, um, in this new location.
Faustina Mulnik: Yeah, no, that's a good question.
So I always tend to use Airbnb. I know some people will use like hostels or hotel, but I like Airbnb because you can still get your own room, which is good because I'll have like, for example, zoom calls for work. So having that privacy can be helpful for that. Um, and then I also like Airbnbs too, because I like to do one that'll have a room.
In like somebody's house, for example, because I know that some people find that weird, but I really like it because I like, you know, being able to meet a person, um, I feel like it really gets you another level of that culture and that place and just really takes it to the next level. So I, I always liked that.
And I also like to that knowing that my money is going to supporting somebody who actually like lives there and is from there. Um, so that's my preference. I know there's a lot of other ways to do it. Um, and then for setting up my daily life. So. I work Eastern U. S. hours, so it's like nine to five U. S.
Eastern hours. And then, you know, I've done different time zones. So like in Europe, I'm working like three to 11 p. m., which is a little crazy, but it's also nice because having the whole day free is really nice to go do tours, look at museums or whatever. Um, so I'll try to kind of gear my schedule around what hours I'm working.
Whereas like right now in Mexico City, I'm working a little bit earlier, like. So that's also nice too, though, because then I get more daylight hours, you know, before it's super dark and I need to head home. So it kind of depends on where I'm going and how I'll, I'll schedule that, but just kind of working with the time zone and trying to pack in as much as I can.
Claus Lauter: You mentioned you're a female traveler. So that might be a stop sign for a lot of women out there and say, I'm not really sure if I can do that. It might be dangerous. And I'll be kind of misconception comes with that. How do you connect with other people? You say you venture out, you do your exploration, your sightseeing.
How do you connect with other digital nomads? How do you connect with locals? What's your strategy?
Faustina Mulnik: Yeah, absolutely. So like I said, I like to use the Airbnbs and some of the Airbnbs I've had, they'll have different rooms. So that's a good way to meet other travelers. So I've met some, um, just staying in my Airbnb.
I've also, um, met a lot of friends actually working in cafes. So a lot of times in the late afternoon of the day when, you know, um, The slag is kind of hitting and you know, you're, you're kind of zoning out of the work. I like to go to a cafe, get some coffee and I'll do a lot of working there. That's, um, long traveling.
And that's actually a really great place because just talking with other people there, like so many of them will tend to also be like digital nomads, especially if I'm in, you know, a city like Mexico city where there's a lot of people coming and going. So that's really a great way to meet them. I've also do like, I'll sign up for like tours.
Like Airbnb has. Some great local experiences, um, that you can sign up for. Like I just did a hot air balloon ride and not that far from Mexico city, which is crazy. And that was also just a great way to like meet other travelers and people in the city. So yeah, I highly recommend just like kind of going out there and like making those small conversations, you know, whether it's with a waiter or somebody else you see at the cafe.
Um, but that can just go a long way.
Claus Lauter: Now as a digital nomad, you're not necessarily a holiday maker, but it's a different kind of lifestyle. But you also become a bit of a minimalist because the stuff that you carry around is probably not what a normal person has in their house. How much stuff do you have and how do you.
Prioritize what to take with you and what not?
Faustina Mulnik: Yeah, that's a great question. I obviously, I'm always bringing my work stuff, so I always have my laptop, my phone, you know, all the essentials. Um, I also like to bring like a day bag, um, and then clothing that will really depend on the city or the country in mind, and so I'll try to plan for the environment and also try to plan pieces that, you know, are easy to mix and match and that I can wear again without somebody Really easily noticing that I'm wearing the same shirt three days in a row.
So black is a great color for that. Um, but yeah, I'm just trying to do anything I can do to maximize my wardrobe and maximize my stuff. But I also think too, that, um, it's easy to think you need a lot of things when you're traveling or you're overpacking, you know, you want to bring like all the sheets here and like, you know, your specific moisturizer, but.
And the more I travel, the more I realize, like, oh, like, worst case scenario, I can just go to the store while I'm there and, like, pick it up. Like, I actually don't need all of these things. Um, so I think the profitless and less of that and more just the essentials because then I also have more room for souvenirs and good stuff, so.
Claus Lauter: Do you have any travel hacks that you would recommend when it comes to getting from A to B?
Faustina Mulnik: I would say I like to use Skyscanner a lot and Google Flights, and I'll try to use them in an incognito tab. I've heard that that can also help. From, you know, Google reading what you're looking for and raising prices.
I'm not sure how accurate or not this, but Google flights and spy scanner, um, I definitely will go to you for booking flights, um, and there it'll also to it'll show you specific days of the week that are cheaper, which is really helpful to know, because maybe flying out a day earlier can actually save you 100.
Um, so I really appreciate that. Yeah, I also like, yeah, just like using Airbnbs and hostels too. Hostels are really good if it's like a short weekend trip because that's also super cheap and affordable and a great way to meet other people, um, whereas hotels can be more expensive. And then, um, Airbnbs, like I said, I just love those for longer stays.
I think they're great. Um, so yeah, that's kind of like my main go to for travel and I really think that that's mostly like what you need is like your plane ticket, your accommodation. Oh, and the last thing I would say is like your sim card for your phone because I love the sim cards. They're super easy, convenient, um, rather than having to go to a country and like search and hunt for like a physical sim card and where you can buy it at the airport.
They'll be like, Sometimes it's really expensive. Um, so I have a phone that lets me use eSIM and then I can have my normal, you know, phone number from back home. Like, if I ever need it, but then normally I'm just using data on an eSIM for whatever country I'm in. So that's also, you know, I think super, super helpful.
Claus Lauter: Really great tips there. So let's talk about, but on the downside, being a digital nomad, about the things that are sometimes a bit difficult to deal with, things you don't like. Tell me about it.
Faustina Mulnik: Yeah, absolutely. So I actually think this topic is super important because I don't know, I think that it's important to when you're going into it to know all the things that can happen, but also when they do happen, it's also Really empowering after you get through it because it's like, Oh, if I did this abroad and on my own, like I can do almost anything.
So, um, I will say some of the things that have happened to me, one of the most common ones is getting sick. I've gotten sick on pretty much any of my longer trips. Like I get sick at least once it just, it just happens. Um, so I think I got COVID when I was in Spain and, um, that was like, you know, not. Not great, obviously, but it was like manageable.
I was just staying in. But then on top of that I got, right as my COVID was cleaning up, I got strep throat. And it was on like a holiday, so like all the doctors were closed and it wasn't like an emergency. So I couldn't really go to emergency room. I was like, oh no, I'm gonna have to wait like all weekend to like get antibiotics.
Um, and I just like, I, I don't like strip that. So I was like Googling, like, is there anything like I can do? And I realized that there's like these online doctors or in Europe and I could just have a televisit and that was super helpful. It took me like five minutes and I got a prescription and then I could just go, um, to the pharmacy cause those were still open and then pick up my antibiotics.
So it's really funny because I don't know, like in the moment it's like, or, or thinking about ahead of time, you might be like, Oh no, like what would I ever do? But then you realize there are so many more solutions. Um, and that you're also really capable of figuring it out on your own. Um, which is really cool.
And then another thing that can happen, this one is really a lot more rare, but it did happen to me, is you could be traveling and a global pandemic could happen. So, um, hopefully not again soon, but when I was studying abroad in Spain, in college, I actually was studying abroad spring 2020. So I flew out in January and then, um, slowly and surely, you know, at COVID started increasing and my program at first they were like, like, oh, it's a pandemic.
It's going to be okay because I was in Spain. So everyone was like, don't worry. Like, it's fine. Like very, you know, like, let's not worry. Um, but then obviously it got worse. And so at first we were like, not allowed to go to Italy. Then we weren't allowed to leave Spain. Then we weren't allowed to leave our city and then we weren't allowed to go out of the apartment.
Um, and then eventually like my program, it did get cut. I think like. In mid March, and then we all kind of like we're getting on on the last planes out of Spain, I was flying, I was in Granada and southern Spain and I had a layover in, I think it's Madrid, and my flight from Granada to Madrid actually got canceled the night before all the flights out of Granada got canceled.
Um, and I was like, Oh, no, what do I do? Like, cause I had to make that layover. I wasn't sure if there was going to, you know, be many more opportunities. Luckily though, like I was staying with a host family. So my host mom, she was amazing. And she booked me this bus ticket at 2 AM so I could get to Madrid.
And she drove me to the airport and we're like crying cause like we weren't ready to say goodbye. And it was like really emotional. Um, but then I finally got on the bus. Got to my, you know, got to my layover in my plane, made it back safe and sound. But yeah, so there's, you know, things will happen. Um, and sometimes there's no way to really prepare for it or to know what's going to happen.
But I think that, you know, like after my study abroad getting cut short, it only like made me want to travel even more in the future. And I think that's part of the reason why, like I, I still do it, um, because I'm like, I want to take as much advantage of these opportunities as I can. So, yeah, I think, you know, the good, the bad, the ugly, it all comes together, um, but I think it's definitely worth it in the end.
Claus Lauter: Yeah, I think you just summarized it quite nicely that even if it's something bad happens and things will happen, it doesn't matter whether you die, but you will get sick, you will get a tummy bug or something and it happens and if you're on your own, you have to figure it out. And with that you grow as a person, you will overcome it, um, and you're in this environment that is not at home.
Um, so you have to really figure it out from scratch. Um, but at the end of the day, first of all, most of the time it makes a good story.
And secondly, you're prepared when it happens the next time. And then things become gradually easier. So going forward, what are your plans, um, for going forward as a digital nomad is as a remote How long do you want to do that? Or do you want to change the way you travel stays places longer? Or what's your plan
Faustina Mulnik: two years into it?
I definitely see it a lot differently. I think when I first started, I was like, super eager. I wanted to pack in like as many countries and trips as I can. Whereas now I think I like to be a little bit more intentional with it and kind of you. Focus, like a lot of times I like to visit countries where I have like friends or, you know, where I can like further develop relationships or, or, you know, get more people to come with me.
I really enjoy that and also to like being intentional about like, after 2 years, there's been a lot of like birthdays or holidays. I miss with like family and friends back home. So also to like balancing, you know, my love for travel, but also like. Being home for, you know, some of those important times that I've realized that that actually, you know, just really matters to me.
So definitely trying to be more of a balance with that. We'll see how well I succeed in the future. Um, but I think it is interesting how leaving my home has like really given me such a more of an appreciation for it and for my family and for that comfortability that I just view it in such a different light now, and I think that I never would have thought Been able to see it like that, had I not like gone out and, you know, really stepped out of my comfort zone to really appreciate it.
Claus Lauter: What kind of advice would you give someone who's pondering with the idea to becoming a digital nomad?
Faustina Mulnik: Oh, I would tell them to just go for it. You absolutely give it a try. You know, if you ever want to move back, you can always go back home, but I think that the sooner you do it, the better, and it's just such an unforgettable experience and there's so many ways to do it and it can be way more accessible, I think, than people realize.
So I would quote Damon, um, and Joe, my favorite little YouTubers, I would just say shut up and go. Um, I think that it is absolutely just a great time to try it.
Claus Lauter: Excellent. I understand you have a blog spot or a blog where can people find you?
Faustina Mulnik: Yes, I do. I would say though that in TikTok or Instagram would probably be a better spot.
I'm on TikTok more than I should be. Um, my TikTok is Faustina Rose and then my Instagram, I post on there too quite a bit. And it's um, underscore, underscore Faustina Rose. Um, so that'll be it. I usually post in there more regularly, um, and have just all my travel vids, videos of the good, the bad, the ugly, um, and all that good stuff.
Claus Lauter: Okay, I will put the links to the show notes and people can reach you easily and reach out to you. Rosina, thanks so much for giving us an overview of what it means to be a digital nomad, a remote worker, and the good, the bad, the ugly. I think that can be sort of the sentence of our chat today. Thanks so much for your time today.
Faustina Mulnik: Thank you, Claus, I appreciate it.
Claus Lauter: Hey Claus here. Before you leave, I have a question. Are you a traveler? Do you have a favorite travel destination or favorite travel experiences that you would like to share with the world? Then become a guest on the Why We Travel podcast. Simply message me and I will get you all the details for becoming an interview guest.
And then we take it from there. That's it for now. I'll see you in the next episode and have a great day.
