🫧 Life in a dome
🚴 Digital nomad, on a bike?
😻 Cat paradise

Remote workers can’t have promotions anymore?

At least according the Dell’s new remote work policy.

Basically, starting from May 2024, Dell is stating that if you want to climb the ladder or simply try a different role within the business, you have to comply with their hybrid work policy. Meaning you have to spend at least 39 days each quarter (~3 days per week) in the office.

Is it just a new strategy for “Quiet firing”? I hope not. I also hope that other companies will not take this policy as an example and enforce it as well.

Though I’m happy to see that many key players and growing forces (such as Dropbox, Ashby, RevenueCat, Intelcom, etc.) are embracing remote work and async work fully 🙌

Time to go pet Istanbul’s cats

Last time I shared about Italy’s new digital nomad visa, now it’s Turkey’s turn to join the digital nomad visa wave. Though, there are a few catches:

1. Mostly Europeans, British, Americans, Canadians, or Russians can request it for now

2. You need to be a university graduate

3. You can be a freelancer, employee, or own a business, but you cannot engage in any commercial activities with Turkey

4. You must be aged between 21 and 55

If you fit these criteria, then the process is fairly simple:

• Create an account on GoTurkiye

• Upload all the required documents (passport, diploma, proof of digital work, photo, and proof of monthly income > $3,000USD)

• After approbation, download your Digital Nomad Identification Certificate

• Show up to the Türkiye Visa center/consulate in your country or to the units of The Presidency of Migration Management in Turkey with your Certificate + additional documents they might have requested

You will be allowed to stay for up to 1 year (renewable) with this visa, and you can bring your family with you. The tax situation is still unknown for now, so check with a tax expert.

For more info: digitalnomads.goturkiye.com

Why would you even bother?

Turkey has this relaxed vibe that you might not be able to find in many other places. It’s quite affordable (average monthly cost of living of $1,200USD), the food is great, the landscapes are amazing, and the culture & history is quite something.

Though, since January 2024, there is a new law on short-term rentals forcing owners to request a special authorization for stays under 100 days. Making it more difficult to find short term stays for digital nomads. The bright side is that it will encourage you to take it slowly.

China has only 1 timezone, despite its size. So if you live on the outskirts of China and you cross the border, you can jump 3.5h in the past/future in the blink of an eye 👀

Remember the dome in The Simpsons Movie? The region I was staying in during one of the COVID waves had a similar way to handle the lockdown: no one gets in, no one gets out, but business as usual inside. So I was forced to stay in that region for about 6 months.

Thankfully, I was in Canada and a single region in Canada is the equivalent of 4 different European countries. So I decided to split my time in 3 stays of 2 months, each in quite different locations (but still within my lovely dome).

A chalet in a more remote setting, a house in the city, and an apartment at the foot of a ski resort. All that to experiment different kind of settings and accommodations. The remote chalet was nice, but I felt too lonely. The house in the city was great but not for too long and it was inconvenient for me to have to drive/take the transit to do my sports almost everyday. The apartment at the resort was well situated, but it felt “suffocating”.

So why am I sharing this? To invite you to experiment as much as possible, with 1 aspect at a time, to discover what you enjoy and how you can craft a balanced nomadic lifestyle that lasts and evolves with you.

There are many variables you can play with, one at a time, to figure out what floats your boat:

• Environment (city, beach, countryside, mountains, etc.)

• Accommodation type (coliving, shared house, condo, townhouse, house, chalet, tent, cruise boat, etc.)

• Duration

• Timezones

Of course, you will not get it right the first time: you will hate some destinations, you will rent shitty places, you will feel lonely, you will drain your social battery, you will be exhausted, you will not be able to stay productive, and you will miss home.

But that’s ok! Don’t be too hard on yourself, take some notes, identify what worked for you, what didn’t, and build your nomad profile one step at a time. Trying too many things at once is a good way to burn yourself out, so be patient.

Any suggestions or questions for me?
Simply reply to this email to get in touch! 💌