6 Months in Asia! Get Ready, Pack, and Business Prep with Me!

This week we’re pulling back the curtains on how I organize epic months-long adventures across the globe! I’ll be dishing out tips on tackling tricky internet situations in far-flung corners, sharing my ultimate packing hacks, and revealing the secrets to keeping my business working smoothly.

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Hello my loves, welcome. back to the podcast. I am so excited to be recording this because at this moment in time, I am preparing for a six month trip to Asia.

And this isn’t my first time traveling around Asia for six months. I think the last time last year when we went, we were there for over a year. And so this is not my first rodeo, but this is the first time I am really taking you behind the scenes of how I pack and how I prepare my business for an extended period of time abroad in a new location that I’ve never been to before. And I just want to kind of walk you through how exactly I’ve reached this exact moment in time.

This episode is going to cover choosing a destination and figuring out where to stay, figuring out the internet situation, how I pack for an extended trip like this, and as well as how I Prep my business to allow me to travel and go to the other side of the world without any complications or problems.

I am currently recording this in New York. This is also one of the longest times I’ve stayed home. So I was here for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Chinese New Year, obviously with trips to Miami, Boston, Mexico, in between. But it has really felt so grounding to have spent so much time with my friends who I’ve grown up with and obviously my family. But now it is time for a new adventure as a digital Nomad. And as someone who has not had a base for over five, six years at this point. And by base I mean a one year lease. That’s kind of how I view having a base is like when you commit to somewhere for a year

Usually I just rent month to month. I think for this chapter of my life, it’s a really good indicator of how well I like a place, whether I want to extend for another month or whether I want to go somewhere else. So with this kind of lifestyle, everything is somewhat on the fly. Like I get to extend if I like it. If I don’t, I go somewhere else. And I also don’t decide on where to go until a few months before I have to leave. 

How We Decided Where To Go

And so in order to kind of give you an idea of why Ragz and I are going back to Asia, specifically Indonesia and specifically the Mentawi islands, I’m just going to recap 2023 and what last year has looked like for us.

So at the beginning of last year, we were in Indonesia on a little surf island and it was amazing tropical weather, fast internet, a great community. We had really integrated really well into the local community. And then we flew to Mexico and decided to stay in Mexico exploring some of the coastal towns to surf. So of course, you know, surfing is a trend in our lives. We really value surfing and what it brings to us and what it means to us, like the community, the act of lifestyle, the sunshine and all of that. We stayed in Mexico for a few months and then we decided to go back to Europe and travel road trip through France, through Spain, Austria.

And that’s when Ragz proposed. And after he proposed we were wedding planning for our wedding in England in September and after we decided to go surf again in Gia. And after that I was like, I want to go back to New York to see my friends and family for Thanksgiving. So that was our year last year. And since then we’ve been in somewhat really cold weather, right? So with all that being said, we have not been in the tropics since last April when we were in Mexico. And so the first kind of like deciding factor of why we wanna go back to Asia is because we want to be back in the tropics. 

The second reason is because we want worlds class waves. And after experiencing different surf destinations, we just are so familiar with Indonesia and we really feel like it has some of the best waves consistently in the world. And then the third reason is because we have another wedding in England in August of this year, we want to go as far as we can in between now and then. We want to be based in Asia for six months. I want to maybe go to Japan or Bhutan or Brunai or you know, Lao or Fiji for my birthday in June. And I also maybe want to explore a new Asian destination or country in this chapter of our lives.

We’re just both really drawn to Asia at this point. Mentawi is an island in Indonesia that neither of us have gone to. It’s going to take us like four whole days to get there from New York. It is pretty remote. So we are first flying to Kuala Lumpur. We leave at 9:00 AM and we arrive the next night at seven or 8:00 PM It’s a really long flight and we lose lots and lots of time because it’s so far ahead of us. It’s on the other side of the world. And then we fly to Singapore, then we have to fly to this little airport in Indonesia, and then we have to take like a four hour ferry to this island.

And keep in mind that many of these flights and ferries, they only run once a day, which is why we had to like stay overnight in a bunch of places, but it’s going to be so worth it. Ragz’ client is there. And so we’re going to visit his client for work who also happens to have a luxury villa in Mentawi, right in front of world class waves. So with all this being said, you know, we can do it. We want to go there and that is why we are choosing to go back to Indonesia. 

How You Can Choose Your Next Destination

Of course, if you are planning a six month trip. You might not know exactly where you wanna go, but just listen to where in the world your heart is telling you it’s speaking to you. Like maybe you should check out here, maybe you should check out there. The more you look into it, the more answers you’ll find. And you know with an online business, if you don’t like it after a few weeks, you can always leave. 

Organize Visas

Once we decided that Indonesia was a country we were going back to, we’re very familiar with visa agents with the different types of visas, whether or not we need a business visa, but If you are, let’s say, going somewhere else. Do a quick Google search, ask some friends. If they have been there, ask me. You know, I might have some insight. I’ve definitely looked at many, many visas around the world. So after you find a destination, look into the visa situation.

For me this time I don’t think I’m going to apply for a business visa. I really want to travel more around Asia. And so I’m still going in on a tourist visa. 

Research Internet Connectivity

After you choose a destination and find out what the visa situation is, I would definitely think about internet. And because I travel to kind of like remote places all the time, internet is sometimes a really big concern, but there’s always ways around it. And so for example, this time around, I’m actually bringing a star link satellite internet to the luxury villa that we’re staying at. Because the internet is so bad, like the 3G network or the internet network doesn’t work that well.

And it’s definitely not strong enough for like group calls or any of the live calls that I hold. And so I have packed a starlink satellite in my suitcase and we’re going to leave it there at our destination. Of course, this is the first time I’m doing, it’s just really funny that it’s ended up where I’ve had to be at this point. But in the past I’ve always found a way, whether that is going to a coworking space or whether that’s buying a sim card and just topping it up with lots and lots of data. Of course, I’ve been in situations where it’s been really stressful, like Puerto Escondido in Mexico a few years ago before they had starlink, the fastest download speed I could get was like eight megabits per second or something ridiculous.

So that was stressful. But ever since then, I’ve been a lot more aware of the internet situation. I always ask the Airbnb, the accommodation, the villa, whether or not they have stable internet, and I only stay there if they do next. 

How To Pack For Long Term Travel

Once you decide on the destination, figure out the visas, figure out the internet situation and where you’re going to stay. If it’s conducive to work, I start packing. I’m like, I’m really excited. Let me figure out what it is I need to bring with me. 

Clothes

Thankfully, when we go back to the tropics, all my clothes are like really small, like all my bikinis, all my shorts, all my tops, they fold up very nicely. It’s very light packing compared to sometimes when I go to colder places or goes snowboarding, it’s a lot more to bring. But thankfully this time around I just need one large suitcase. 

And right before Mexico I bought packing cubes. They are life changing. if you guys don’t have packing cubes, when you Pack, highly recommend them. They are super cheap on Amazon and it makes packing so much easier. Like I don’t know exactly how it works because Ragz will’s like, well, they technically take up more of your suitcase space, right? But the key is organization. And when I pack, I’m not the most efficient or organized with packing cubes. I can just have all my tops in one, all my bikinis in another cube, all my toiletries in another cube.

Every single thing I own is in a cube. And you kind of just like stack these cubes and you end up with so much more space. They’re not compressed. So it’s not like they suck the air out of it, but it still saves so much room. Like usually I have to expand my suitcase, and this time I’m like, I have so much space. So I highly recommend packing cubes, if you don’t use ’em already. Like I said before, I have a few cubes for my clothing, for my bikinis, for my toiletries, my camera equipment. 

Camera Equipment

So I’m bringing all the equipment I use to create content. Like this podcast microphone. I have a Insta 360 for videos. I have my GoPro, I have like a vlogging camera that I haven’t taken out in a while, but who knows, I may go back to vlogging. And I have all of that in my giant Samsonite suitcase. 

And I am also traveling with a Nordice backpack. And this is my new favorite backpack. It fits so much. There is a laptop compartment, there is a wet sleeve or any wet items, and there’s just a lot of room. 

Avoid These Packing Mistakes

The thing with packing for an extended period of time is that you end up wearing like less than half of the things you pack. The first time I remember packing for, you know, studying abroad in Italy for a few months. I packed an entire comforter and it took up like an entire suitcase. But you know, they have comforters in Milan.

I could have just bought one and I don’t know why I had to bring like such excessive amounts of stuff with me. But you live and you learn, right? And the other thing is you can usually buy whatever it is you’re missing or that you need abroad. So you really don’t have to stress about having to fit every single thing you need for the next six months or more. 

In our last Digital Nomad Society call, one of our members asked, how do you have enough Instagram content or like outfits for Instagram content so that it doesn’t repeat? My answer was back when I was in corporate, I saw the same people every single day for months and for years. And I felt the social pressure to have a new wardrobe and have like new clothes every time I went into the office. 

But when you’re traveling, you don’t need that. People wear the same things. And most of the time you’re meeting so many new people, you don’t remember what they wear, right? It’s not like going back into the same environment. And then also every year when I go back to England to my husband’s parents’ house, or when I go back to New York where I have stuff stored here, I get to kind of like recycle my wardrobe. I don’t grow anymore. So every two to three years I get to take out all of the clothes I have in storage and be like, whoa, this is like a new capsule for me.

So over time, you will find a system that works for you. You don’t need to travel with your entire wardrobe. Sometimes I’ll check in two suitcases, and for me, that’s more than enough. If there is a will, there is a way if you aim to pack for six months, I guarantee you will find a way. And if worse comes to worst, you can always buy new things at the destination.

Preparing My Business

Okay, next, let’s move on to how I Prep my business for an extended period of time in a new destination. The main thing is to give yourself time. And because I have the experience knowing how long it takes me to adjust to the new community or to the new living situation, I aim to take at least a few weeks off because I wanna give myself time to adjust. I don’t want to be frantically looking for wifi or looking for a place to work. Give yourself enough time. 

Sort Out Time Zones

The main factor that affects the business when traveling to Asia is the time zone. And Indonesia, where we’re staying is 12 hours ahead of New York. And so the first thing I have to consider is moving all of my coaching calls from the daytime to the nighttime, or finding a time that works for everyone. Obviously, you know, it’s going to require some evening calls for either me or my clients, but figuring out time zones is going to be the number one reliever of stress. And there’s many websites that do this. I use one called Time and Date, and it just converts time zones really easily. So it makes that a breeze. 

Understand Launch And Service Dates

And then the second thing I kind of have to Prep is having an idea of when I am launching and running all of my programs that are existent under the Wanderlover.

So my one-on-ones, my mastermind, the Business Academy course, digital Nomad Society, all my digital products, which ones require me actively working on them and or launching them, and which ones are more passive. What really helps with this is getting a strategy for your year set even before the trip comes up. So I know when I break my year up into Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, I knew that this week of Q1 is going to be lots of traveling. It’s gonna be really unsustainable if I, let’s say plan a launch during this week, right? Or during the week when I get settled in.

So having an idea of when I am completely off and then when I can start launching or taking client calls or being in front of the computer. And because I have a really good grasp of how much time and energy each of my programs take, it’s easier for me to budget. Like when I get there, I’m going to go back on my business, Academy and Digital Nomad Society calls back on my one-on-one calls. And then I can think about launching other programs after. So if you know, which programs require you to actively be launching or actively be running? Don’t schedule those for when you’re adjusting or when you’re traveling. Give yourself time to get settled in and then decide, this week is when I’m gonna go all in and I’m going to focus on the next project.

Take Time Off (If Desired)

Also, give yourself permission to take time off to stop any programs you’re running or take a vacation. It’s not gonna serve you or your clients If. you are in a frantic state of mind. And if your clients don’t feel fully supported, right? So be open and transparent about it. I tell my clients, I’m like, I’m traveling to Asia, please give me a few days. I will reply back as soon as possible. And most people are understanding like if not everyone, it’s not like when you’re working in corporate and you have to kind of tiptoe around your boss being like, I’m traveling, but I don’t want you to know that I’m traveling or else you might fire me or all of that. It is your business.

Be open, be transparent, and enjoy it. And at the same time, make sure your systems are in place to support whatever it is that you are doing. So another example, I am batching content. I am creating ideas of what content to capture. So it’s not a surprise when I get there. I have an idea of what’s coming up in the business, what I’m launching, what I need to do. I have outsourced tasks that don’t need my immediate approval so that it can be automated. I’ve scheduled emails, I’ve batched content, so everything feels really good before I leave for my six month trip.

Of course, this has been a result of years of trial and error to feel empowered and confident running my business while traveling. It might look a little different for you. It might look like more project management. In project management tools. It might look like completely taking time off without even having to plan. But depending on how you feel afterwards, whether you feel more or less accomplished, that’s gonna signal to you what you have to do better next time. And don’t beat yourself up over it. In the end, you’re getting an amazing life experience. I guarantee you’re not gonna regret taking off for a few months to travel. At least I have never regretted that.

So I hope this episode was helpful. if you have any questions? My DM’s are always open, and I will see you guys when I’m in Asia. Have a fantastic week.

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