Tag

author Archives - Kate Emmerson

The reality of living #LocationFree

By Uncategorized

– How to build community FAST when starting out in a new location



Connecting into a community fast is vital for life on the move. I’m not a tourist – I honestly need to feel connected in and to be part of a community, even if only for a few months. When I move into a new phase/ base or land in a new city for the next segment of life – I am always finding ways to build community FAST. I often move to places where I don’t know a single soul. The flip side of that is also building community with the right people – so that folk become part of my bigger, ongoing global community of clients AND friendship circle. Just this week I chatted to a great friend I’d met in California over 7 years ago! From my years of connecting in this way, I have friends and connections in Spain, Greece, Romania, Dubai, South Africa, Australia, New York, San Fransisco, Amsterdam, and more. A truly global village.


So it’s not just about immediacy, but also about sustainability and longer-term community.

Here is how I do it…

1. LOCATION
One of the things I do is join the local FB group of the location in which I’m going to be based. The smallest geographical one possible. So when basing myself in Edinburgh, it was about finding the local WEST END group. A smaller community to connect into. I do this about a month before I move in, or as soon as I know where I’m going to be based. You have to find ways to connect, get known, and be recognised as a “Local.” I start commenting, asking genuine questions, and also try to be helpful and supportive where I authentically can. Just yesterday I saw someone missing a kitty – so I keep my eyes open and check back in to see if they have come home. It’s not rocket science, right – it just takes heart and a bit of time /energy to give a damn.

I’m always looking for ways to connect and contribute.

Just a week ago, the very week I moved into my city pad, there was a community meetup. Of course, I made it a priority to go along to finally meet some of the faces I’d connected with online. Simple – yet most people don’t bother and exist in their own little silos.

I’ve booked more coffee meet-ups, recommended newly-released books about Edinburgh to a fellow reader (and heard back how much they are enjoying the said book), offered to dog walk for someone who needed a hand and posted in the group about meeting the local cat adored by everyone. Dear Hugo, the vocal Arabic Mau (see pics below).

I wanted to log onto the local NHS system and within ten minutes of posting a question, I had five answers to help me find my way. Bingo.

I was even offered a bicycle, been invited to see a new yoga studio and the local coffee shop already has my loyalty card on the till (and I shared some fresh Origanum I brought back from Greece this year when running my writing retreat when I learned they LOVE Greece too).

Can you connect in just a little better where you live?

That’s ONE WEEK – connecting in gets a big TICK!


2. EXERCISE BONUS
I regularly walk, practice yoga, and started salsa dancing again (after a couple of years hiatus – a whole different story) as my way of staying healthy, fit, fun and it’s social. When I go walking I’m always on the lookout for friendly faces I’ve seen before, and am quick to strike up conversations. Yep, I’m that weird neighbour that smiles, waves and chats! Since the community meet-up, I’ve spotted a couple of familiar faces while walking. Oh, and my hair is often a talking point – go figure!

People matter – I just keep on being my usual friendly/connector self – and while walking will stop for a cuddle with a dog or cat wherever possible. I walk with my eyes open, and will always be on the lookout for someone who needs potential help. Be kind where possible, is my motto.

Mmmm – more about the salsa next time!


3. PASSION and EXPERTISE
My quickest advice to build a work-related community is to simply START something in your area of expertise. Offer your time, heart, and energy. One winter I stayed in Malaga, Spain for 4 months, without knowing a single soul, or the language. I joined a few of the groups and started a WRITING group as I was busy penning my 5th Book – the one about living #LocationFree. Every week I would be writing anyway, as my winter goal was to complete the book, and I invited others to come and write with me. In just 11 such sessions I finished the outline and first draft of that book! It is now changing lives for folk over 45 who also want to think about living life in a larger, simpler, more passionate way.

“10 Lessons for Living #LocationFree – an Insider’s Guide to Living and Working Anywhere and Everywhere” is available here

I have done exactly the same here in Edinburgh – the week I arrived from Greece I started up a free writing community,. It’s not in competition with anyone as it’s all community-based, and we have already had 5 meetups in the last month. You do NOT have to wait for someone else to start it up – just leap and BE the leader. Think of it as being the flame, not the moth.

Stand up, show up. You can course-correct as you go along. Nothing is set in stone! The way I do that is to connect into the bigger catchment area of Edinburgh on FB, Linked In etc., by searching for names like Edinburgh Ladies, Edinburgh Ladies over 40, Writers in Edinburgh, South African in Edinburgh. I joined the groups that seemed a good fit for me and just posted that I was starting a free community writing group.

Voila – People connect, find me and I add them to a Whatsapp group. YES – it does take effort and energy – but it’s my version of volunteering and giving back to a community.


4. BIG AND BOLD!
Within a week of getting to Edinburgh returning from Greece, I had found a lovely venue to host an upcoming Writing Retreat. I got ‘oot and aboot’ (out and about) checking out all sorts of interesting venues, historic buildings and coffee shops to gather my clan of writers. Even folk who have been living here were introduced to new areas in the city! I’ve put together 3 days of focussed workshops in THE most glorious castle-like setting, under the watchful eye of Arthur’s Seat. If you are interested you can check it out here. Yes, it feels like a huge leap to try and pull it off – but it’s forcing me to think differently, act strategically and get creative about meeting people who may just need this writing support from me.

It also forced me to do some LIVE postings on social media, and get out my comfort zone making some videos again to bring the city to life. By mentioning it to a contact, I am now also connected to a wonderful collective of creatives that run workshops in the city…..an exciting way forward to be revealed in a future post.

What might be calling you right now – can you get it set up and just give it a bash? There’s never TOO much to lose by going at it!

If you are a writer or know someone in Edinburgh, then just drop me a line on kate@kate-emmerson.com to connect into this community.


NEED SOME INSPIRATION?

You can read more lessons and insights about the practical in’s and out’s of this #LocationFree lifestyle in my book. It’s got GREAT reviews – I know this from the feedback I get when people dare to take the leap! Along with sharing my 6 years of living and working around the world, I also interviewed 16 other awesome global nomads – all over 45 years old – to help you see how many ways there are to live this awesome life! Grab that #LocationFree book here

See you in the West End or a local coffee shop writing …

Till next time – stay safe out there

Kate

P.S: I recently wrote a newsletter sharing how I approach life using The 3m Principle. Edinburgh coincides with one such 3m and is my latest base. I am personally putting all of these #LocationFree tips I share above, into practice RIGHT NOW.

I was taken aback by all the responses to sharing the 3m, to be honest. It’s so natural for me to think in this way for my lifestyle – but I realised that what comes naturally to one doesn’t not for another. Duh!
If you missed that (was for subscribers only) you can still get it and see how it resonates for YOU.

Kate’s 3m Principle – grab it here confirm your mail and hey presto, you get to read about 3m.

Ready to leap at your life?

Musings of a Café Writer living #LocationFree

By Uncategorized

Living #LocationFree for the past 5 years is often met with wide eyes, scrunched up noses, and some weird questions. I know it might sound like nothing more than terrifyingly homeless mixed with exhilaratingly glamour-filled champagne parties on yachts, Instagram style.

It honestly falls somewhere smack between these two extremes.

While it may be very real that digital nomads (aka global nomads, remote workers, location free, etc.) might not have one permanent base to call “home,” we are certainly not “homeless.” We have a gazillion ways we each live into this lifestyle, and we can pretty much make it up as we go along – if we don’t like somewhere, we can move on to more suitable spaces, cities, countries (Covid and visa/passport reliant of course). Plus, folk living this lifestyle are not doing so because they have zero responsibilities, no partners, kids, animals, etc. – we are all working and contributing to society in some format. We have just figured out the best way to earn the required dollars en route – whether working remotely for a company, working in the digital online space, working in the country they are in, running global companies, have property investments, Bitcoin, or business investors – any type of work is possible, to be honest! The worklist is as varied as your creative brain allows … with the added benefit of freedom from a location.
Of course, we sleep in beds too! Whether in fancy hotels, rented homes, snazzy apartments, Airbnb options, co-living, house-sitting, or any combo of the above. What binds us together as a tribe is that we are not bound to one location for work or life. There is a sense of freedom, mobility, choice, and possibility!

Possibility of options, countries, cultures, environments, lifestyle, etc

Right now, I’m chilling in a quaint café on the prom of Portobello (see pic taken at Miros <<<) with the quieter than usual buzz and banter as “we-are-in-weird-lockdown-life-but-still-allowed-out” vibe. I’ll soon be self-isolating again before I make my way to my mum in the UK for Christmas, so I am making the most of a little thrill of being outdoors at Edinburgh’s Seaside. There is a delicious light shimmering off the sea and bouncing off the clouds, reflecting the changes in the sun as we edge towards winter solstice. After 7 years of spending most of my time in summer or what travel agents refer to as shoulder seasons, I am fondly referring to my current city of choice as Edinburrrrrrr.

Remember my cold water swimming escapades on Iona that I shared earlier this year? I will manage one more cold dip this month, which means I will have been cold water immersing for 6 whole months! I didn’t even know that I wanted to try it before starting my significant retreat and detox process on Iona. I’m still in a bikini with no warm booties, gloves, or wetsuits like many swimmers – just keeping it real and semi mad. Even if my swims are super short -they still count as a cold water blitz of energy and immune-boosting habit!

 

This week, I launched my fifth book, and I feel like a kid in a Christmas Santa store, to be honest. It’s some insights, sharing, and tips from living the last 5 years #LocationFree. I also interviewed 16 other souls (between 40 and 60 years of age) living in similar ways to me. It’s a super exciting collection of tips snd stories for anyone who is intrigued about the possibility of downsizing, packing up, and living and working globally.

One of my all-time favourite things to do when I travel is sitting in a café or restaurant on a beach somewhere – from Malaga to San Fran, Cape Town to Skala Eressos. I simply need my laptop and a strong coffee or a fab glass of vino, depending on the time of day. And always water – and usually a kitty somewhere close by. I seem to attract them and consider myself a bit of a cat-whisperer.
Did you spot the content kitty on my book cover?

There is an element of pure delight that is elicited when I can look up from my computer and see water – waves, sand, pebbles, sheep munching seaweed (yes 100% on Iona!), people laughing, kids playing, folk squealing in the waves and that heady aroma of sun, sand, sea, and sun-lotion. Or the smell of rain mixed into it more often than not, here in Edinburrrrr.

I find myself in this glorious city for most of winter 2020, exploring somewhere North. I am still officially #LocationFree and will be for the foreseeable future. I was only planning to be location free for one year, to figure out what country I wanted to live in, but it turns out it’s been too much fun, and here I am five years later.

Ooooh, the cafes you will find when not in your hometown. From dingy and downright skanky, to glamorous, elegant, and exotic; to simple family-run salt of the earth to trendy hipster vibes with a gazillion delicious choices; or the simple paired back local café that only serves one type of coffee and eggs – just the way you like them: the smells, the chalkboards, the conversations, and the locals. The cakes and the decadent treats made with love – from the latest LA trend to grandma’s secret pistachio and rose water recipe. A café is always filled with possibility – and is still the first place I seek out to feel like a “local” in a new spot. It’s one of my “settling-in” hacks I share in my book “10 Lessons for Living #locationFree

So I find myself with a big grin on my chops as I own the fact that I am a café writer. It can be a table on a busy cobbled street, a hotel lobby with glorious views of the pool, a tiny spot perched precariously on a hill, or my all-time favourite, seaside café!. Anywhere in the world, this will put always put a smile on my face.

If there is some Latin Salsa or Bachata music drifting out of the speakers even better, offering the quiet promise of a party as day turns to night….that will always make me type faster and get through my workload ready to pop on my salsa shoes and have a whirl on the floor.

I don’t even need earphones, really –in fact, my ears always get sore trying to wear earphones, no matter the brand or style! I usually welcome the buzz around me and find ways to switch off when I need to focus.

I have amassed a few “offices’ around the world that I have stamped my name on. To this day, there is one table at Gialos on Skala Eressos where we run writing retreats, which is known as Kate’s office. Although I didn’t get to work there in 2020, I know it is waiting patiently for me 2021. I am usually sitting at my “desk” by 6 am before the rest of the sleeping Greek village stirs. While the restaurant is still being cleaned and set up for the day – George will even stop his daily prep to bring me a double greek Coffee. Or as we order there – ena diplo hellenico para kalor!

PIC: This one below taken at my “office” Gialos in Skala Eressos when the world cup was on (and my Argentinean partner at the time was in Russia supporting his team) 

It’s always about the views, to be honest. I find vistas open up my creativity and thinking. Sea trumps everything for me – being able to sit outside and feel the sunshine and breeze is high on my list of needs. When not working, I also love to be a fly on the wall, simply watching people. I can make up stories in my head ad Infinitum. Travelling a lot on my own, I also love to smile and then connect, laugh, and chat with total strangers. It’s bizarrely natural for me to make random comments and speak to people I walk past or sit next to. I will always talk to cats and dogs and stop owners for a cuddle of their four-paws if allowed. I guess that’s why I have found it relatively easy to be location free. What’s the point in staying separate and cut off from others– even when communicating from behind a mask nowadays, we can still connect energetically and with a twinkle in our eyes.

 

PIC – The awesome Malaga crew where I pulled together a writing group and started my book 10 Lessons for Living #locationFree exactly one year ago!! Note the lovely views right on the sea! 

Wi-Fi is surprisingly not always high on my agenda, as I prefer working offline with fewer distractions when in writing/blogging mode. In fact, I will often choose cafes that do NOT have Wi-Fi – especially if I am running a writing group – as that just distracts everyone.

My challenge to you today is to visit a local café and watch the world unfold around you! Make it an adventure if you haven’t done it for a while. Take your laptop, a great book, or your journal to pen some thoughts. Let me know what you find on your café outing – I’d love to hear what great conversations you engage in or inspired ideas you come up with when sitting with a different view.

A dear friend just sent me this on Whatsapp this morning – so I will do my level best to simply keep on writing from my heart wherever I am. I just have to. What about you?

“Advice? I don’t have advice. Stop aspiring and start writing. If you’re writing, you’re a writer. Write like you’re a goddamn death row inmate, and the governor is out of the country, and there’s no chance for a pardon. Write like you’re clinging to the edge of a cliff, white knuckles, on your last breath, and you’ve got just one last thing to say, like you’re a bird flying over us and you can see everything, and please, for God’s sake, tell us something that will save us from ourselves. Take a deep breath and tell us your deepest, darkest secret, so we can wipe our brow and know that we’re not alone. Write like you have a message from the king. Or don’t. Who knows, maybe you’re one of the lucky ones who doesn’t have to.” Alan W Watts

WANT SOME INSPIRATION ABOUT POSSIBILITY?
GRAB MY BRAND NEW BOOK  10 Lessons for Living #LocationFree 

Do you wish you had the courage to follow your dream, to quench your wanderlust? To downsize, pack light and explore the world while still working? Do you honestly think others are able do it because they’re younger, richer, are single and have fewer responsibilities, with no kids to tag along?

Wrong. That’s simply not true. This book will show you that it’s possible no matter what your age! Do you really want to play it safe just because you’re no longer in your twenties, waiting on tables as you backpack around the world?