Real Life Stories, From Life on the Other Side of Should
Here you’ll find stories and reflections from people who are building life on their own terms: digital nomads, slow travellers and people who are forging their own path.
Featured Read
From Balance to Burnout: When the Digital Nomad Dream Starts to Fray
What happens when a life built on freedom starts to feel like a cage?
The digital nomad lifestyle promised everything — flexibility, freedom, fulfilment. But somewhere between sunrise deadlines and airport Wi-Fi, that promise can wear thin.
In this story, I reflect on the quiet unravelling that happens when a “dream life” becomes another form of hustle. It’s about the exhaustion that hides behind palm trees and productivity, and the slow rediscovery of what balance truly means.
Veronica Paula left a tech career, spent eight months in Southern Africa, and came home with a business idea. Her story is about building a life and a company on your own terms in a practical, deliberate way.
Neil Hughes lost his wife Carol to cancer in 2025. Within weeks, he was on a plane to Belize and honouring a promise they made together over a James Bond martini in Monaco.
Shafinah Jaafar spent years racing through travel like a scoreboard. Now, based in Singapore, she's building a life around presence, intention, and participating fully in every day.
Zara Aitken travels solo, works flexibly, and lives by her own rules. Inspired by her nan and Nietzsche — a story about building something completely, unapologetically your own.
Natalie Rushing has a full-time job and a senior dog — and she's still built a life on her own terms. Her story is the one most nomad blogs forget to tell.
Maricla left Tuscany for Cambodia and never looked back. A freelance writer on what real freedom means, why location doesn't change you — and what does.
Giorgia Vicedomini is building a life of freedom and independence—one decision, one risk, one step at a time. Here’s what that really looks like.
Masha Eretnova left Russia, let go of a business, and slowly rebuilt a life of freedom and clarity across continents. This is her story of reinvention.
Lot Wildiers burned out in the 9–5 and built a life as a travel writer instead. In this honest story, she shares what freedom—and exhaustion—really look like.
Lynn Schroeder shares how slow travel became her version of freedom—and why choosing a life off the traditional path never felt like a risk.
Smita Bhattacharya shares how she redefined success, choosing a slower, more intentional life through travel, writing, and freedom.
Johanna left city life behind to return to the ancestral shores of Cebu. What she found was quiet, slowness, and a deeper sense of home.
James Fahey shares how he built a life of freedom—working online and travelling through Asia—one honest decision at a time.
Johanna Kristin lives on €1,000 a month, builds SaaS products between hostel dorms, and has been on the other side of "should" since she was fifteen. This is what just existing somewhere else actually looks like.