This episode finds our host Eli David resting after a strenuous month of traveling through Europe. He briefly visited many of the big European cities and then ended up in Málaga. In the last few years, Eli has found that Málaga has become a growing hub of remote work and digital nomads. After spending time in Paris and Barcelona, cities that are always bursting with tourists, it was good for him to spend some time in a place surrounded by like-minded people. There is always something going on in Málaga, Eli pointed out. Many meetups with other digital nomads and opportunities to connect.

After knowing all this, readers will probably think that Málaga is the perfect city. However, Eli admitted that, for some reason, he found himself not connecting with the city as much as he wished he could have. This led, of course, to the topic of the episode, which is how to find the right location. But not the right location on paper, the right location for you.

Listen to the full podcast here: Eli’s Principles for Finding the Right Location

The Magic Of The Well-Kept Secrets

Part of finding the right place for the next stop of your nomadic journey is to keep an open mind and not just visit the popular cities. In this episode, our host raves about a little-known place called Ceuta that he has come to love. Ceuta is a small, autonomous city of Spain on the North African coast, just by Morocco. Eli first visited in 2017 and fell in love with the city and its energy almost instantly. Returning to that place after almost 7 years, he was happy to realize that the connection stayed. 

If he had to point out what makes Ceuta so special for him, it would be hard to say. On the one hand, there are some obvious aspects. The fact that it’s an EU city in Africa makes for a unique cultural blend unlikely to be found anywhere else. The isolation side also makes it very appealing (Eli pointed out gleefully that there were no tourists there). But still, the reason he connected with Ceuta in a way he didn’t with all the many other places he visited in his many years as a digital nomad is one of those things that can’t be explained.

When it comes to the energy of a place, Eli finds that he can tell when he’s going to connect with a location within half an hour of being there. And sadly, there’s no secret to this, it’s all trial and error. Sad, but also exciting, because even if it takes a long time to find the perfect place for you, the path of finding it might take you through incredible adventures.

Eli’s Unbreakable Rule

While everyone’s experience of finding the answer to the digital nomad’s eternal question is different, Eli has found a method that works for him, and he’s sharing it in hopes other digital nomads can relate. No amount of planning can help you find a connection to a place, this strategy can be useful in making sure your next destination is a place you’ll thoroughly enjoy. The backbone of this method is one important rule: the next place Eli chooses has to have a clear connection with a priority of his. It can be a personal or professional priority. He’s always found it difficult to plan ahead with clarity, and this rule has helped him not only find great places to spend time in but also focus on his future goals. If, when he arrives at said place, he finds it doesn’t meet that criteria, or if at some point during his stay it stops meeting that criteria, he will leave. Unless, and this is very important, he finds that inexplicable connection upon arrival.

But how do you decide on that priority, you ask? We all have things we love to do and things we hope for the future, but when asked about them, we almost always blank. What Eli does is take a moment to himself and write down a list of dreams, goals… things he wants to accomplish, see, do, whether it is in a year or five. Seeing all those things written down will inevitably show you which are more important to you at the moment. That’s what you should focus on. At any given moment, Eli tries to have a clear idea of at least five priorities. That helps him organize his life, and that includes, of course, his travel.

The Other Guiding Principles

After establishing that a possible destination meets the most important criteria, there are other details Eli takes into account when deciding whether he wants to travel to that place. First of all, will it enrich his professional life? Everyone has a list of the top cities for their career, Eli points out (and if you don’t, you should, and we can help with that too!). So he has an idea of the countries and cities that will benefit his career. Is the chosen destination one of them? Is it similar? Does it have potential?

Another factor is, does he have a tribe there? Eli has been a digital nomad for over a decade, so he has built a global network by now and knows how to find community, but for those who are new to the nomadic lifestyle, this can be difficult. We encourage you to check out our conversation with Dean Kuchel to learn more about building connections with other nomads. Looking up digital nomad hubs is a good start for new nomads. Finding places that travelers don’t call home will help you meet people who are on the same boat as you. People there are looking for connection, just like you, and you might find a great tribe.

If you have already been a digital nomad for a few years and have an international network, it’s likely that some of your nomad friends might find themselves in that city you’ve been thinking about visiting. That could also be a good idea for your tribe.

Other things you should always keep in mind are basic safety factors. Is there a health concern in that place? (Eli has narrowly avoided an Ebola outbreak in Uganda and a Dengue outbreak in Mexico). Is the cost of living too high? Is it a safe, walkable city? That bears a little research. Talk to people who went there, ask questions, be curious. That will also help you build community, even if just online.

At the end of the day, the decision is yours. Take this method, tweak it to your needs, add the rules that you feel are important, but put some thought into your next destination. It can make all the difference in your nomadic lifestyle experience.

Good luck and safe travels!