Where are you from?
I have Polish roots but I was born and raised in Vienna, Austria.
What do you do?
UI design by day, front end development by night. Mostly I’m freelancing for digital agencies but I also spend a lot of time on pointless funny side projects like yesno.wtf or wherethefuckismartin.com.
How are you nomadic?
I always felt the urge to explore new places but back in the days travelling for me was something that you’d normally do in your holidays. Then sometime around 2014 I realized that I really only need my laptop to get my work done so I started to combine both travel and work more often. Last year I eventually gave up my apartment, sold, gave away or stored all of my stuff. Usually I stay at least a 2-3 weeks and up to a few months in one place. Anything below that is not only stressful but also unsatisfying as, in my opinion, it’s not enough time to get to know a place.
What’s your favorite part of being a nomad?
Feeling alive. At some point leaving my comfort zone became an essential part of my life. It forces me to prove myself in unknown situations and environments through which I personally grow a lot. Apart from that I really enjoy meeting all those great people along the way. Also having only a limited amount of time at one particular place forces me into taking opportunities, be it meeting someone or visiting a particular place or event.
What’s your least favorite part?
I’m really bad in making decisions, especially when it’s about spending money. That’s why I hate booking flights and apartments. So I’m honestly thinking about hiring a personal assistant for that at some point. Also AirBnB apartments that don’t provide basic cooking supplies (oils, spices) or washing detergent. Sucks having to buy those things over and over again.
What’s your craziest story?
My very first trip to Asia: My check-in luggage didn’t arrive so I ended up leaving the airport in winter clothes while it was 35°C+ outside – I left Austria in the winter. Also my phone was SIM-locked so I couldn’t use any local SIM cards, worst mistake ever. Long story short: Luggage never showed up again so I had to learn how to travel light the hard way which I eventually figured out in three months, lol. Looking back it was definitely an experiences that I learned the most from during the past few years.
What’s next for you?
I’ve just spent three months in Portugal, Germany and Finland. I’m currently in Poland visiting friends and family. After that I’m stopping by in my hometown Vienna. Later this year I’m going back to Germany and I might relocate to SE Asia in order skip the winter and join HackerBeach in January. On the other hand I really wanna see the Northern Lights so I might as well end up in Scandinavia at some point.