Life as Digital Nomads: The Last 4 Months

A few days ago, I lost 4 weeks worth of blog posts that I had been working on. It had already been a very stressful week and, well… this was the icing on the cake. I’d had ENOUGH and legit felt like I was going to lose my shit. And I kind of did (poor Joe). Ha! 

After a short hiatus, lots of laughs and a few drinks, I decided to start writing again. Although, this time not straight into WordPress—due to the mystery loss of all my drafts—but instead starting in Pages and later transferring these words to the blog. I used to think I was pretty tech savvy. And maybe I was, “back in the day.” But where my posts went, I seriously cannot figure out! Anyway, I’m over it now and have decided to move on to a different topic altogether. 

This post is not about Puerto Vallarta, and it’s not about where to go when you visit, or about all of the amazing things there are to do there—that was one of the nearly-finished drafts that I lost. And it was really great, if I do say so myself! Instead, I’d like to write about what our life has been like since we sold everything and hit the road, so to speak.

Our First Month as The Luxe Nomads

We closed on our house at the end of November, and it took us about a week to organize our storage units down to just one. Then it was Thanksgiving, and we spent the day with family. The next morning, we jumped on a plane for Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Now officially Digital Nomads!

This trip was planned earlier in the year as our Christmas gift to each other and was the perfect mix of laid-back and luxury. We spent the first 2 weeks “living like a local” in Marina Vallarta. Then, we rented a Jeep and made our way up north toward Nuevo Vallarta and into Nayarit, resort hopping.

More on each resort later!

Our condo in Marina Vallarta was a wonderful first stop on our who-knows-how-long journey. We loved watching the yachts coming and going throughout the day and really enjoyed how conveniently close everything was. We arrived in Vallarta just before the busy season began and enjoyed a quiet and peaceful marina.

Our daily routine consisted of walking to one of the coffee shops in the morning, then we’d take a leisurely stroll around the residential areas. Some days, we’d go to the gym, and others we’d take a cab into town and explore. We took tons of great photos and videos, and have lots of suggestions, but I’ll save all of that for a different post.

Next, we flew to Mexico City (or CDMX, as it’s frequently shortened) for a quick 3-day Christmas trip. We packed in lots of family time and holiday celebrations, eating and drinking our way through Coyoacán—one of the oldest colonial neighborhoods in the Americas!

Adiós 2021 y Bienvenidos a Oaxaca

Following our short stay in CDMX, it was off to Oaxaca for 3 weeks!

Oaxaca City was a bit of an unexpected destination. For several years, we’d been scheming to visit (and even went as far as to send out formal invites once!). We were both looking forward to experiencing “the magic” of this city. But, we based our anticipation mostly on hype and headlines. While we definitely enjoyed our stay and made some great memories, I think we both expected it to be more like San Miguel de Allende, a bit more manicured. I’ll save the comparison for another time.

There’s no denying it, Oaxaca is a city for foodies. And there is no shortage of “Top 10” lists out there, filled with amazing places to dine—we hit every one that we could fit into 3 weeks! Also, if you’re a vegan, a vegetarian or you’re just trying to eat less meat—you’re in luck—Oaxaca has a number of really great options! Heads up, though… some places do require a reservation, so plan accordingly.

One thing to be on the lookout for: edible insects. It’s not uncommon for dishes to be topped with crunchy, fried, seasoned chapulines (grasshoppers); they’re considered a delicacy here. You can find them at the local markets, and they tend to come in 2 varieties—regular size and tiny little baby ones. You may also see maguey worms, flying ants, and ant larvae. Eating insects is not really our cup of tea. But hey, if you’re into it, this is your place.

We wanted to stay somewhere where we could work comfortably while in Oaxaca. And we discovered the perfect Airbnb, tucked away just 10-minutes from the city center. It was not necessarily in the best part of town, but it was certainly the quiet oasis we were looking for. 

Joe and I loved our bungalow—a renovated artist’s workshop with a private front porch—it had ample space, a small kitchenette, an extra comfy bed and lots of character. Oh, and it also came equipped with our very own house cat, Blackie.

This is also where we spent the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022. It was a super chill night and we celebrated with what seemed to be the last bottle of champagne in Oaxaca! Lol. Seriously, we searched and searched until we ran into La Cava Chahue, a cute little wine shop with a nice selection of vinos and the loneliest bottle of bubbly, which of course we brought back home.
I know, how nice of us!

Oaxaca is also where I started to focus more actively on my journey to spiritual enlightenment and personal wellness. Every morning you could find me outside on our private patio, taking in the nature, writing in my journal and practicing stillness. So, I guess in the end I did find some magic. 

Oaxaca is also the home of mezcal, which happens to be one of Joe’s favorite spirits! So, needless to say, we had to tour some of the distilleries (also called palenques) and learn ALL about how artisanal mezcal is made. 

Our driver was a Canadian expat and mezcal expert. He has written extensively on the subject and has paired some of the biggest brands with their producers. 

His enthusiasm must’ve been contagious. For the next several days (in true Rayna and Joe fashion), we contemplated launching our own mezcal brand in earnest. Eventually (also, in true Rayna and Joe fashion) we talked ourselves out of it. Ha! That being said, if you’re interested in a booking a VIP mezcal tour or want to find out what it takes to launch your own mezcal brand, we definitely have the guy for you. 

Our 3 weeks in Oaxaca went by in just the right amount of time, or so it felt, and we were ready to move on to our next destination—Mexico City—but this time, for the next 3 months! 

Ciudad de México

Fun fact: Joe grew up in Mexico City (aka México D.F., back in the day) and most of his family still lives here. Unfortunately, COVID kept us from visiting for a while—two years, in fact. So, this trip has been all about being with family and also getting to know more of Mexico City as newly minted digital nomads. 

We’ve been to Mexico City many, many times together before and knew that we wanted to stay in the Condesa area one day. The neighborhood is peppered with lots of cute Parisian-style cafés and world-class restaurants, its tree-lined avenues are perfect for late-afternoon strolls, plus some of our close friends live nearby! It’s been years seen we’ve each other, so we’ve planned lots of dinner dates and coffee meetups. In short, it’s been the perfect place to call home for the next few months. 

Did You Know?: Mexico City is not only the capital of Mexico and its largest city, but it’s also the 5th largest metropolis in the WORLD! There are over 21 MILLION people living in Greater Mexico City! To top it off, Mexico City is both the oldest capital city in the Americas and one of only two founded by indigenous people. It goes without saying, this city is filled with lot of people, and even more culture and history. 

As I’m writing this, we’ve settled in a bit and are really enjoying being in La Condesa. Life feels different now, as we both are “free” from our many obligations in the US. We still have our clients and, when not working, we’re figuring out how to create stability in our new life as digital nomads, while planning our next adventures and writing blogs that seemingly disappear. 

Keeping it Real

One thing we’ve really been struggling with while living in Mexico City is the high altitude and pollution. Mexico City is situated 7,200 feet above sea level (almost a mile and-a-half high), plus it’s situated in a valley surrounded by mountains and flanked by two volcanoes! So, it’s gorgeous when the smog is thin, but harder to breath when it’s not. 

It’s Not All Vacay and Mimosas

The first month of travel as digital nomads was in sunny Puerto Vallarta, and it was part vacay, part real life. We both kept putting off the fact that this was our new life and felt giddy every time we told someone new about how we’re now digital nomads. During our stay in Oaxaca, we got better about finding time to work on the Luxe Nomads website and blog. But, now that we’re in Mexico City, we find ourselves spending more time with friends and family, and exploring the streets of La Condesa and La Roma than we do worrying about keeping up with the blog. 

I think it’s part of the process. We’ve both been so devoted to our businesses for the last decade, that “living” was something we did in bursts, when we were able to sneak away or extend a work trip to include a few days of down time. Now that we have less responsibilities and enjoy much more free time, we realize that it takes practice to learn how to really enjoy it. Admittedly, Joe (the effortless flâneur—yeah, he said that 🤦‍♂️) is much better at it than me. Ha!

What’s next? 

We have lots of fun posts in the works and I’m finally ready to start writing again! We both have some exciting projects we’re working on, and have just finalized planning our big 3-month European trip, complete with 2 birthday celebrations! 

Joe and I are loving life as newly minted digital nomads and often look at each other in disbelief that we actually pulled the trigger on this crazy adventure. Seeing our friends and family, and being able to spend time with them, has been the absolute best part.