ON THE ROAD AGAIN
A digital nomad shares her travel secrets
Ellany has a love for socks (even in the summer), travel and Airbnbs: “Hotels lack soul, warmth and community. Don’t get me wrong, I soaked in every ounce of pleasure and bliss at Bali’s Four Seasons and such, but for living and working on the road, I want a sense of home, of community.”
We caught up with Ellany through email, in Malaga, Spain.
Q Why do you travel so much?
A I used to say that I was a novelty junkie, so travel and personal development would give me my fix. Now, as my soul has matured, hehehe, travel gives me a taste of what paradise feels like, where everything seems shiny and new, where everyone is warm and welcoming, where everything is neat and different, and where every place is a new home.
It gives me a sense of oneness, where we are all the same, with neurotic chatter in the brain, and loving kindness in the heart. Travel is soul food for me. Countries call to me when it’s time for me to visit them. It’s eerie, I can’t describe it any other way.
Q What is your favourite place? And why?
A Oh my god, I can’t answer that. I’ve got so many memories of place that felt like a spiritual awakening! But if I were to give recommendations to travellers, I’d say Thailand because it’s got scuba diving in the south, big city spas/shopping in Bangkok and waterfalls/amazing forests in the north, all bathed in warm hospitality and inexpensive living expenses.
I’d also recommend Tromso, Norway, in November, oh man, the northern lights were mesmerizing. I cried, it was so plentiful and beautiful and everywhere, all the time!! And it wasn’t that cold at 69 latitude in Tromso! And I’d recommend Ubud, Bali, a haven of healing, spas and luxuriating at a fraction of the cost. Example: a full day spa treatment, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., including lunch, for $97 Cdn.
Q What’s your best travel story?
A I went on an elephant ride in the Nepalese Chitwan National Park. My best friend had to pee, so she climbed down the elephant and squatted in the jungle. Suddenly a rhinoceros appeared a few meters behind her. Do you have any idea how effin’ rare that is?!? They’re known to charge forcefully. So our guide gestured to her to move ever so slowly. I couldn’t stop laughing with both my hands pressed firmly over my mouth, to make as little noise as possible. Talk about being caught with your pants down! I laughed so hard I almost fell off the elephant. That’s what I’ll remember most when I die, not all my degrees and accolades.
Q What’s the best experience you’ve had with Airbnb?
A Hands down my stay in Dominica with Lilly and Christina. On a whim, I booked a tree house on Airbnb in Portsmouth. My hosts picked me up at the Welcome to our first Vancouver Sun Traveller Profile, featuring conversations with some of B.C.’s most prolific travellers. Each month we’ll introduce one traveller and share their insights, tips and recommendations. airport, gave me the good seat in the truck while Christina rode in the back in the pouring rain. I mean, how sweet is that. The tree house was the cutest thing I’d ever seen, tucked away in the jungle, amongst papaya and avocado trees. I had the best sleep ever! Like a full system reboot. I peed in a bucket, slept in a tree house, I felt like the coolest person on the planet!!
In the morning, Lilly made me a fresh breakfast grown from his land. It was a short stay, but I loved every moment of it. I asked him to show me around the island and everywhere we stopped, everyone knew, patted him on the back and thanked him for giving them a hand. I felt so safe and so cared for, it was glorious!
My favourite part was lazing in hammocks and asking them to tell me how they first met 20 years ago. I loved their bi-continental love story, it made me feel all squishy and inspired!
I am an introvert, and I need and cherish my quiet time or alone time, and even so, I love knowing that my host is right next door or right downstairs if I need anything. And, I adore the sharing economy model, god I adore it!
Q Any times it didn’t work out?
A The only time it didn’t work out was when my bestie and I arrived in Bali late at night and couldn’t reach our host for the three-week stay. We called, the number didn’t work, the address didn’t exist, we borrowed a nearby guest house’s phone and called again, nothing. So we skyped Airbnb and they said to stay the night at the guest house we were at and we’d get refunded for that night and sort out the rest during the day.
Since Airbnb weren’t able to reach the host either, they cancelled our reservation ... which turned out fabulously because we were no longer tethered to that place for three weeks, and could wander all over the island. So, meh, it all worked out in the end.
Q What’s your advice on how to go about finding Airbnbs?
A First, I give myself a time limit, max 30 minutes. Airbnb is like canva.com or even Facebook, you can spend hours or days sucked down the vortex of tweaks and analysis paralysis lol!
So I enable the Superhost badge. I put in my dates. Set the number of people/ beds/ rooms, air-conditioning (always a must in hot countries!!! Not cheapin’ off this life-saving amenity!) I want. Then set the price limit based on “Western prices,” “Middle prices” and Southeast Asia prices. Then centre the map around the “beige” pedestrian zone of the city/town centre (Google Maps shows beige terrain for city centres).
I click the first eight that catch my eye. I scroll through all the photos. I save my top three. Then sleep on it for a few nights. Then spend one minute picking from the top three, giving extra weight to those that have instant-book.
I pick them based on how cosy they feel and I’m 98 per cent spot on: the pictures match the place, and the host matches his/ her profile.
I book 4.5 and 5-star hosts, so it usually works out. A few times, I had to wait 30 minutes to two hours for the host to show up, but … most places had nearby cafes with Wi-Fi I could use for free.
Once in a while, I had to activate roaming (ugh, Canadian mobile roaming charges are the worst) data for $10/day, price of “doing business” I suppose. There was only once where one house had a super dirty kitchen, but I figure it’s because the host was away and his housekeeper “went out to play.”
Q Anything our readers should know before trying to follow in your travel footsteps?
A 1) Freedom isn’t for sissies. If one wants to be free geographically, financially, creatively (which are the effect), it’s gonna require a lot of self work to become free emotionally, mentally, spiritually (which are the cause). Cause and effect. When it comes to freedom, the price is high and the reward is great!
2) Just because you hear of someone taking their laptop to Bali does NOT make them a digital nomad. The part they haven’t told you is how they failed at “making it” or borrowed $50k from their parents, or cashed out all their retirement savings and still are figuring out cash flow. I have clients/friends who have 50,000 Instagram followers or 37,000 Facebook likes, but they aren’t making a cent and are living on crackers and beer.
I also have clients/friends who are making millions and spending millions … So don’t let the image of a freedom lifestyle (fool you into) forgetting that there is sweat, stamina, resiliency, courage and soul maturation that goes with that.
3) Moving around constantly isn’t for everyone, some love nesting. Love what you love, don’t compare yourself to others, there is no trophy for Best Burnout or “Best Case of Comparisonitis.” Live your life, do it your way. Comparing only causes suffering. Don’t try to shove as many sights and experiences in as possible, and it’s OK to come home needing a vacation from vacation. There is no trophy for best burnout.
Next month: We feature David and Annabel Hawksworth