From Social Media Strategist to Digital Nomad Adventurer: Aly Nagel's Story

Hey Nomads, welcome to Digital Nomad Stories, the podcast. My name is Anne Claessen and, together with my co-host, Kendra Hasse, we interview digital nomads. Why? Because we want to share stories of how they did it. We talk about remote work, online business, location independency, freelancing, travel and, of course, about the digital nomad lifestyle. Do you want to know more about us and access all previous episodes? Visit digitalnomadstories. co. Alright over to Kendra for today's interview.

Today I'm joined by Aly Nagel, and I'm super excited to have her here because she's working as a social media strategist and with this she was trying and testing out this year to be a digital nomad. I know that she was in Costa Rica and she's planning to do it a little bit longer for next year, so I'm super excited to talk a little bit about your story, Aly, your learnings, your experiences. Welcome that you're here.

Thank you for having me, Kendra. I'm excited to share what I learned, even just in my short travels to Costa Rica.

Yeah, and I think it's like super inspiring for our listeners, because so many are thinking should I do it, should I not do it? So I think it's nice that you tried it, but maybe, before we go deeper into it, maybe you present yourself a little bit. Tell us a little bit your story, sure sure.

So I'm Aly Nagel. I'm a social media strategist and I have been doing this for almost 10 years now, and I've done social media for everything from activists to entertainment. I'm from Los Angeles originally, so I've worked in Hollywood a lot, but now I live in Nashville, Tennessee. That's kind of my home base. I do a lot of short trips as a digital nomad, and this was my first longer trip to Costa Rica. So what I did was I went for a week to a meditation and yoga retreat And I told my employer that hey, i'm going to stay for a couple extra weeks and kind of bop around the country and work full time. I stayed in Selinas, as I'm sure listeners of this podcast are familiar with. They have a great, great place for co-working and networking with other digital nomads. So I thought you know what? I'll just try it out. And it worked out really well. I stayed for a week in Manuel Antonio and found an amazing network of people from all over America, Canada, the UK, Europe. I mean, really, you get such a mixed bag at Salinas, which I'm sure you've experienced, right, Kendra?

Yes, I also stayed there sometimes that I really can recognize that you always meet amazing people and inspiring people.

And I think doing so I really was looking for. I work from home, mainly because I am a remote worker, but I do so much better when I have people around me and who are doing interesting things, working on interesting projects as well, so it helped me a lot being in that environment. I will say what was a little tricky was working and moving from place to place, because you have to plan your schedule around. Okay, the bus rides might take a certain amount of time and etc. So that was the one thing I think now, going into this bigger trip I'm going to do next year, i'm planning to travel Central and South America for four to six months. I don't know. Six months might be a little long for me. I think four months during the winter time is more doable.

Yeah, maybe you just see how you feel when you're on the road.

Totally, totally, yeah, and I feel super fortunate I've been able to be a remote worker long before COVID this line of work. Honestly, you don't need to be in person, really. so I definitely feel like, if you have the discipline to be able to get things done and plan your schedule and play, have a work life balance right. You want to play when you're in these beautiful places, but you also have to be very diligent and get work done, and it's helpful staying at a place like Selena, where other people are doing the same thing.

And I mean now you have been there like some weeks and you said you were like traveling around a few. when we are like longer term, then it's even easier because then you can stay two or three or four weeks in the same place And then you don't feel like this okay, now I need to work, then I need to play, then I need to organize and things like this. Or are you planning, when you're staying longer, that you also keep on your week destination change?

Yeah. So I haven't fully planned that yet. I kind of know where I'm going to start and the plant, the grown clonk, but I am kind of taking like your advice too and some other friends I met along the way I mean so many folks you know travel three to six months or even a year, or their permanent digital nomads, which I really admire But I am thinking of maybe doing a couple weeks in each location. Actually, during traveling, during my yoga retreat, i met a really awesome woman who invited me to Carnival in Trinidad in February. So I'm thinking of starting my trip there and working my way down through South America And I could see myself after meeting people who said like, oh, you have to go here and here and here, and that That was so helpful in planning this bigger trip, because now I know, oh, i want to go to Medellin, like all these different places I wouldn't have thought before. So, yeah, i could see myself probably staying at least two weeks at a time in each location.

Yeah, what I hear. It's like super nice that you had this experience where you met some digital nomads already while you were like well, holidays. To now understand okay, where do I want to go And what are like nice places. You already got like some ideas talking to the people, because these are normally things we need to think about when we started And normally we think about it when we arrived to the first location and can maybe not so much enjoy it. So now you can already plan it a little bit. And what was like your motivation Or did you realize, oh, I want to do it longer when you were like now in Costa Rica? or what was like your motivation of trying out this being a digital nomad?

Sure, well, i have done. I should mention I've done different stints, like I did a few months in London and traveled around while I was working. I called it a sabbatical, but I was working on my old company Don't Call Me Pretty, and I had a really good network of creatives and activists in London area, so I stayed there and tried out. This was in 2019. So being a digital nomad wasn't quite as popular, i feel, like before the pandemic it wasn't quite as normalized, whereas now everywhere has, like, a digital nomad visa. You can get right. But my motivation was how could I travel, work and experience new cultures and places without, like, leaving my life per se? I think holidays are so much different than when you're actually working because you're like oh, this is basically what my life could be like at home, but you find a little more adventure and excitement, and I love. I'm such an extrovert. I love connecting with different people and learning things and being curious. I think I was really missing that from my life here in Nashville And I love that. Being a digital nomad on your own really forces you to break out of your shell. There's no one. I mean if you're not traveling with friends, you have to go to the like, get to know you drank or the different. This is why Selina is awesome, is because you have the opportunity to just go and meet folks who are kind of doing the same thing But they're from such you know, different cultures and backgrounds. But you had this in common and that was definitely, i think, my motivation. I just wanted to break out of my shell and not regret not doing it, if that makes sense.

Yeah, that makes completely sense. And I'm wondering because you said in the beginning you just you were the longer plan, you just wanted to do four months because you feel maybe more It's too much. So what makes you like afraid of thinking about doing it longer than four months?

Well, i mean, my responsible brain says, oh, i have a lease and friends and community here in Nashville that I know I would miss, but I'm trying to convince them to visit me in different places once I have my trip more planned. But the the should voice in my head Oh, i should. I'm 30, which I know is not old. But a lot of my friends are on a different trajectory than I am And, i think, accepting that. I'm not trying to buy a house right now, i'm not trying to settle down per se, i'm trying to just enjoy life to its fullest And I think that's what the digital nomad excuse me, digital nomad life really offers.

What, like you said already, like if I just want to go back to what learnings you got out, because I really think it's like sure cool to have this idea of trying it out some weeks and then planning. So you said what you gained in learnings was like places where you want to go Yeah about before. Are there any other learnings you took with you that help you in preparing your longer term digital nomading?

Yes, i think definitely what to pack. It was a bit tricky. I mean, it's, it's Costa Rica, right? So you don't need fancy clothing or like clothing you would wear in a city. However, i did find, because I went to the yoga retreat beforehand, having those same to yoga outfits got a little old, but I was. I was pretty prepared. I think You don't really think so much about the nitty gritty of like oh, how am I going to do laundry and how am I going to have enough things to wear for you know, like, do I have enough swimsuits? Do I have enough?

Luckily, it's so hot down there that you don't need much clothing, I mean there you are like not to risk Costa Rica, because for me, to be honest, it always is twilight. I'm packing and every time I'm like with my super hairy, sweet case or backpack at the airport, i say next time I will take it less, because in the end we are not needing, we are I don't know. I'm never like wearing everything, but then you feel okay, because normally then. I need something when it's like for the beach time, but then you maybe also do hikes, or maybe you are in place where it's cold, or maybe you need some fancy things. you need something to chill sports, But then it's like I don't know this packing is still for me a miracle.

It's tough And also I went back and forth a lot about what type of bags to bring, because I ended up bringing a hard shell suitcase like a big like you're talking about a big suitcase and then just a backpack that I could use for hikes and had a camel back and stuff. But I did meet a lot of people that used backpacking backpacks. However, i do feel like that's better for shorter trips, but if you're a lighter packer, unlike us, i guess It sounds like that works better. But it also depends how long you're staying in each place, how much you want to be unpacking and repacking, and that's one thing I really loved about the big suitcases I could just kind of roll everything out back where it went versus, i think, like a backpacking backpack. You really have to make sure it's condensed in there.

Now, i fully agree, And it also maybe depends a little bit on where you stay, because if you are traveling maybe from hostels and you're staying in dorms, because in Selena you also have dorms, So then it's easier to have a suitcase because you need to live from it, And in the backpacks it's directly like chaotic. But then when you go, maybe from Airbnbs to Airbnbs and you have like a wardrobe, Yeah, I think it's really like individual person and we just need to experience what works best for us.

Sure, sure, i think also something I'll mention back to Selena. So I've stayed in quite a few hostel dorms in Europe and I thought for this trip okay, i'm a little older now I can afford a little nicer living. So I did do the micro rooms, which is where you have an individual room and share the bathroom, and honestly, that was so helpful while working because I think I needed my alone time just for sleeping and stuff. I understand everyone's different, but then I would spend my days surrounded by people, so it was nice to go back into my individual room and kind of unwind or read or do whatever. Yeah.

I think that's also a nice point you're bringing up, because as a digital nomad, we are like kind of more like I feel it's different than being really at home at your place, because when you were like going out, you feel like, okay, now I'm here as a digital nomad, now I need to meet people. So you surround yourself with people, you meet all the time new people, what are super nice. But then there's also this part of us that sometimes needed me time And for this is like really important also to learn in what atmosphere and what surroundings I can best do it right, or instead your boundaries and not having this fear of missing out all the time. I feel really being a digital nomad is not just about going out of our comfort zones, meeting new people, creating community. It's also learning to take care of yourselves in a different way.

Yes, that's such a good point And I think, having the boundaries and knowing what you need for yourself. So, for example, because I had just gone on this yoga and meditation retreat, i was trying to continue my practices, i kind of fell off the wagon, i will say, as far as waking up super early. But there were a lot of nights, especially in Manuel Antonio, where I was like I don't need to party, there will be another party. You know, there's always something to do. So picking and choosing, like if I need my sleep tonight, that's okay, but if I want to party, i can too, just know that, like I still have to work in the morning. I think that's a big part of the self care And I want to talk about. So I did the week in Manuel Antonio and obviously in Costa Rica. There's so many places you want to visit And travel in that country is a little difficult because things are spread out, transportation is a little tricky. So I went, after Manuel Antonio, i went to La Fortuna And I quickly realized that I wasn't going to be able to do everything I wanted to do because I was working full time and a lot of the tours to some of the bigger things that a lot of people at the hostel were doing going to a waterfall, going on hikes, and then I was able to work in the middle of the day. So that was a matter of oh, i wish I would have stayed longer, but I also told myself I can come back. I can come back next year and plan a bit better. I can come back to learning the schedules of the buses and or. I didn't know a few people who rented a car. I didn't feel comfortable to do it on my own, and it's just one more thing you have to think about. Like as a digital nomad, you have everything that is valuable to you, you know, on your person at all times. So I definitely learned that. So in the future I think, like I mentioned before, doing the longer stays at different places and kind of finding the you know time to find the hidden gems that you maybe wouldn't if you only do two days excuse me in each place, or a couple days, That's this, i feel it's.

everything now is so digitalized. we can see everything, searching it, googling it, but in the end, this, this little treasure of every city, of every country, in the end is where we hear about when we are there and talking with people who are already there longer. That's true, and that's also the beauty of it, right, like letting ourselves sometimes surprise.

Right. I was actually really surprised because I ended my trip in San Jose and I'd heard mixed things. People said, oh, there's not enough to do there. I mean, compared compared to all of the outdoor adventure you can experience and the rest of Costa Rica, i understood that I actually loved San Jose. I thought it was really interesting to walk around on my own. There's amazing markets there. There was cool like street art I would have loved to spend I only spent a few days there before flying home, but I'd love to end. The Selena there was my favorite. I thought it was so cool. I had a lot of like live music. There were a lot of interesting people, but I learned kind of like what you just said like you can create your own experience. I think getting advice from people about Oh, this is what you should do and see in a certain place is helpful, but you're also going to create your own experience and your own point of view And I did like. Also that was the only city I've I visited in Central America, so it was helpful to kind of like understand the vibe and be more self aware, and I think a lot of folks when they travel. I don't want to group everyone into this bucket, but a lot of digital nomads. They want to go to places that they're surrounded by people who look like them or talk like them, and we have to remember that part of traveling is being immersed in other cultures and around other people who don't speak your language, who don't look like you, and they might point it out that you're a foreigner, and that's okay. That's part of the fun and the experience.

Yeah, it's like super nice that you're bringing it up, because I feel sometimes we have the risk as a digital nomad And I mean everyone can do what they want but I feel sometimes we forget, because we are in this international bubble talking all the time English-speaking people, we sometimes forget to immerse a little bit more in the culture, to maybe learn the native language and really talk to, to be able to talk to the taxi driver, i feel when I'm going by Uber or taxi in Latin America, that is where you really learn something about the culture, about the people, and then, when you cannot and they usually cannot talk English right Or that you will maybe just going to the digital nomad events instead of being oh, what are the locals doing? Going to some local things. So I think it's all about this dance doing a little bit from this and to this, because you also don't want to become a local, because you're still on your journey, on your travel links. But getting like this balance, it's what makes it also this rich experience And they also just for the listeners, because I hear it more and more. maybe, if you plan to be a Latin America longer time, really learn to talk a little bit Spanish, at least that you can do the basic conversations, or maybe I feel as a digital nomad when we stay longer at one place. search for a language school, do a Spanish lesson. I think that's really, really helpful to have a better experience.

I agree, that's my plan. I mean, my Spanish is a bit rusty, but I did study abroad in Madrid like 10 years ago, and then a lot of my friends back home in California speak more like a Mexican Spanglish. So I kind of went. I had been practicing on Duolingo a bit the app But when I go back next year I definitely want to take some courses and meet some more folks who are native speakers, because I think it helps so much. I was actually really surprised how many people I met who didn't know basic phrases in Spanish. And I get. Knowing English is very helpful and I feel very privileged. It's my first language. But again, we have to remember like, oh, you know, sometimes you go to places and they're not going to know a language you speak and you have to figure out how to converse. And I do think something else I'll say I learned is it's important to know how to, especially when you're on your own, like read signs And also remember landmarks. So if you're walking somewhere you can say, oh, i remember passing that restaurant, so I'll take a left here and a right here. And that was especially, i think, in San Jose, but obviously in places like La Fortuna or Manuel Antonio on the beach. You don't really need that, but it's still helpful.

Good yeah, any other thing, like any other thing that's coming up from you. You feel that you learn now, or that you are considering now to better plan when you are going there for longer.

Anything else you want to say Sure Any other reviews, i think that I would probably bring more cash this next time around. I mean, most everywhere accepts cards at this point, but occasionally you're in a small restaurant or a shop and they don't. And something very important is to make sure that your credit cards don't have international fees, because I feel like we've all learned that the hard way. I also would book all travel between each place way beforehand just because Shadows. I know that I used book away, but I also had to book through Selena, which is more expensive usually, because if you wait, there's oftentimes not a bus left or a shuttle, and then also incorporating that time into your schedule, for example, you have a five hour bus ride. You need to plan for that.

Cool, thank you. And one other thing I want to talk about, because you mentioned now several times that you went to a meditation yoga retreat before, and I'm working as a retreat leader in Colombia and I organize and host yoga and meditation retreat. So I was thinking what was your experience of starting your little digital nomads day in Costa Rica with a retreat? Is that something you would do again, because I always feel it's so valuable? it really helps us to first check in ourselves, to arrive and then to be more present while we are being on the digital nomad journey And then we can better really enjoy it. We can better connect to other people. We can better understand our needs, because everything is different if you are like new and account We saw, it's really important to be connected to your side. What do you think?

about it. I loved that I started with the yoga and meditation retreat. I actually got certified in a type of meditation through Deepak Chopra. It's called primordial sound meditation And I'm really grateful I was able to do that and just get immersed. And I stayed in the most beautiful resort. It's called Blue Osa, if anyone's interested in looking it up, And it was nice to get like what you just mentioned, that grounding energy and also feeling just very connected to nature and myself. And I unplugged. I wasn't looking at my phone like emails or text or anything, I was just present And it was really nice to start that way because I feel like it helped kind of set the precedent for the rest of the trip because I would. At the Salinas they all have places to practice yoga, So every day I would try to get in at least a short meditation and yoga practice just to have back to what you mentioned before, that self-care time and that time alone, which is really a gift, and I hope that, like I want to hear all about your retreat. But I definitely recommend incorporating that into part of the digital nomadic experience because there is that FOMO. There is that like oh go, go, go, I've got to visit this and this, and the wonderlust can get so intense that it's important to come back to yourself and just be like oh wait, there's enough time There's. I have my whole life to see all of this beauty and wonder, So I'm hoping next year. I'm actually in the market right now for a yoga excuse me, yoga teacher training passively in Costa Rica or Mexico, So that's a big part of my trip for next year.

That's great. When are you starting your next year your trip, Do you believe?

Yeah, I believe mid-January. So I'll probably go through mid-January to the end of April, maybe May, We're going to see. I have a lot of places on my list so I might need to stretch it out a little bit longer.

But I think it's a great time because it's like before the way any season starts at most of the countries, so you really get most out of it. Yeah, and thanks again also for saying again this groundy energy, because you said then the stress, the fear of missing out And, as we already said, just, but I feel it's like so important that maybe the listeners now who plan to be a digital nomad, it's super normal that in some point we feel maybe a little bit stressed, a little bit anxious, a little bit alone. And then we have this peak emotions of pure enjoyment, of love, of gratitude, so it's like this way, so it's really like this, then, and I feel, for this is really nice if we take some time for self-reflection to better do it.

Cool And what was really awesome is other people saw me doing that and then they asked to join and, like, i led some yoga flow sessions and meditations, and so I think that just modeling that for others and reminding them like, yes, this is so fun and there's intense emotion, but there's also, like you mentioned, that loneliness and then also sometimes it is really tough, but you have to remind yourself you have what it takes and everything's going to be fine.

Yeah, it's like this. Everything always is going to be fine. It's so true. Yes, yes, anything else I should have asked you, maybe like anything else you want to share about your experience, about your story.

Right I think I could share that. Part of this trip was a huge wake up call for me. I'm looking to pivot a bit in my career. I found a lot of joy and creativity and doing this social media strategy work for so long, but I feel like what's really lacking is that in-person connection. And as I was traveling and learning people's stories, especially other women's, i realized, oh, maybe I can do something more like host retreats or get certified in other types of healing meditation that I can offer when I'm traveling, either through Selena or through myself, and I'm hoping that will grow into something more.

Yeah, It's nice that, yeah, because we are going, as you said, out of our shell, out of our comfort zone, And then, as when we are like having this new experiences where we also learn new parts about ourselves, or getting like realizations as yours, i'm super excited to maybe see one of your awakenings make happen in the future.

Thank you.

Maybe we'll collaborate Yeah who knows, Maybe do a digital nomads, do we retreats? They would be amazing, Yeah that would be awesome. Nice. So thank you, that was super helpful and super inspiring. Some of this, i feel, some of those little tips, tricks are always popping up, like planning really a little bit your schedule, you know, knowing when there's this transportation to plan in the head, where we are working, meeting new people. It's always like the adventure mixed with the fear of missing out.

And.

I love to hear like your fresh ideas, as you are just starting your journey.

Thank you.

And if people would like to connect to you, if they maybe have any more questions we have or anything else, how can they best reach you?

Sure, the best way is through Instagram. My handle is Aly, yeah, Aly Nagel, a-l-y, underscore N- A-G-E-L, and I can add some other things in the show notes as well.

Amazing. So thank you so much for your time, for your energy And, yeah, looking forward to talk soon, me too. Thank you, bye, bye.