Today we are with one girl who decided to start working as a freelancer more than a year ago. Antoniya will share how she became a freelancer, what difficulties she had along the way and how she manages to combine work and pleasure in one. We hope her story inspires those of you who are still considering making the first step of this journey.

Please tell people who don’t know you something about yourself. What are you doing?

Hello, my name is Antoniya and I have been working as a freelancer for a year and a half. My work includes SEO, Facebook ads, creating WordPress websites, content writing, technical and UX audits and sometimes a little bit of design and video editing. At the moment I am working remotely in one of the best agencies for HR & Recruitment – PFG Bulgaria. Besides that I work on various short-term projects. Top 3 of my interests include travelling, eating and cats. I’m also practicing yoga and amateur photography.

How did you decide to become a freelancer?

I started thinking whether working in an office is suitable for me. I have always been more productive in the afternoons or evenings – working in the morning is not my thing. The office leave was never enough for me to make all the journeys I wanted. I didn’t want to live for the weekends, for the summer and I didn’t want to hate Mondays.

From your Instagram profile we see that you are travelling around the whole world. How do you manage to focus and work while you are on a holiday in Bali, for example?

Right now I am writing the answers to this interview from a cafe in Uluwatu, Bali in the company of a cat. I am more motivated because I know that if I work hard enough, I will be able to afford more trips like this one. I manage to focus, to work efficiently and to finish my daily tasks in 3-4 hours per day (instead of 8) and after that I have enough time for sightseeing, experiencing new things and taking photos.

What will you advise people who crave to become digital nomads and travel around the world but are still afraid of making the first step?

Try! When I started this adventure I told myself that I will try and if it doesn’t work, I can always find a new job and come back to my usual routine. It isn’t necessary to go travelling and constantly change countries. Digital nomads can also work from home, local cafes or coworking spaces. Travelling can start later as the frequency and length grows in time.

How does your family view your nomadic lifestyle?

At first, they were a bit worried if I am going to be financially stable but after a year and a half of freelancing these worries are gone. Now they are happy with me for every new journey.

Which is your favourite coworking place around the world which you have visited?

Dojo Bali is my absolute favourite – there is a wide range of working places including some next to the pool, there are interesting events every day, everybody is walking barefoot as if they are at home.

What are your plans for 2019? Where are you going next?

I started this year with a month in Bali because I learned that it is a great destination for digital nomads and indeed it is. There are so many pleasant places with fast internet. I still haven’t planned my next trip but I have a few things in mind.

Earlier you shared with me that the lifestyle of a digital nomad has it pros and cons. Would you tell us some of the difficulties you have faced?

I didn’t consider how much I am going to miss my colleagues and the everyday social contact with them. But in cafes and coworking places you can also create some new and useful contacts. I often say that the freelancer’s life is hаrd. Literally. Bringing your laptop, charger, power bank and bottle with water has its effect on your back. Therefore one advice to all future and present digital nomads – do sport, move around, and remember to drink water!

You have coworked in Innovator several times. What do you think about our coworking place?

I am glad that Innovator exists because I really want Varna to become known as a city for digital nomads. I attended the event Beyond the Mockup and hope that you organise something similar in the future.