One of the things I love about modern work culture is the wide range of flexible options it offers. You can either work from home, work remotely from a café down the street, or enjoy a digital nomad lifestyle where you travel and work wherever you’d like. I’ve been doing it for the last 6 years.
My experience as a digital nomad has been amazing. I’ve travelled to some of the most beautiful places on God’s green earth, explored new cultures, met some of the most amazing people, and made a decent income all the while.
However, among the places I’ve travelled to, none of them struck a chord as deeply as Hawaii did. The place is extremely beautiful, and contrary to what you think, it offers a lot of resources for you to work efficiently, socialize, and refresh yourself.
If you’re planning to embrace the digital nomad lifestyle, let me share some reasons why I think Hawaii is a great spot for you to visit.
Slow-Paced Laidback Lifestyle
A fast-paced lifestyle may suit some, but I personally feel like it can get exhausting. If you’re a New Yorker like me, then you know what I’m talking about (don’t get me wrong, I will always love New York). Hawaii offers a totally different scene, with a calm, peaceful, chill, and laidback vibe.
This can go a long way in refreshing and helping you achieve a better work-life balance. Whether it’s the sound of waves crashing on the beach, the amazing food, or the natural greenery, each will calm your nerves and allow you to rest, reflect, and recharge. All this can help you reduce stress or anxiety and improve your overall mental well-being. It definitely did the trick for me.
Strong Internet Connections
It goes without saying that a fast and reliable internet connection is the backbone of a digital nomad lifestyle. You’ll need it to stay connected with superiors, peers, and, of course, your family, manage tasks and projects, and maintain a level of efficiency and productivity. Fortunately for you, Hawaii has many internet providers for you to work with seamlessly.
You can either go through the painstaking research process yourself or you can take my word for it and reach out to Hawaiian Telcom for a plan. They cover around 94% of the area, so you don’t need to worry about limited availability or dropped connections.
Lower Rent
They say there’s no such thing as a free lunch; well, there’s no such thing as a free home either.
Remember the nagging Mr. Ditkovich from Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man? Digital nomads often have to rent out a place to live, which in some areas can cost a fortune, but not in Hawaii, my friend.
You can find places to rent for as low as $450, and I’m talking studio apartments. Of course, these rates may vary from area to area. Oahu and Honolulu have a lot of suitable places to live, but they can be expensive. You might want to consider your priorities before you make a decision.
For example, if you’re looking to balance work and entertainment, Honolulu is a good choice with a wide range of beaches, vibrant nightlife, and restaurants. It also has many coworking spaces that you can reach on foot or by public transport, saving you another expense. If you’re into natural landscapes, calm, and quiet (like me), you might want to choose from the Windward Coast or the North Shore in Oahu.
Large Community of Digital Nomads
Even though the people of Hawaii are as friendly as it gets, you may sometimes want to find and connect with other digital nomads from back home or other cultures. Guess what? There are a ton of us in Hawaii, understandably so. You can find us filling the local coworking spots, particularly in Honolulu and Maui.
Let me share something personal with you: I met my wife at one of these coworking spots in Hawaii. And you might have already guessed it, but we got married in Hawaii too, so now you might understand why it’s so close to my heart. With a large number of digital nomads and a large number of beautiful places to visit, you have more opportunities to socialize or maybe even find love like I did in Hawaii.
Hawaii – Fusing A Working Environment with Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice
Yes, I used to watch The Powerpuff Girls, I mean let’s be honest, we all did. Anyway, coming back to Hawaii, let me tell you, if you’re planning to embrace a digital nomad lifestyle and prefer to keep things calm and peaceful, Hawaii should definitely be on your travel list.
The ability to work seamlessly, while enjoying breathtaking views, amazing food, and meeting new people from different cultures almost every day, was an out-of-this-world experience for me, and could be for you too.