It all started with an event on his Facebook timeline. At the time, Michael Hörnlimann still had a job at a Swiss web agency. Today, he works completely remotely. In an interview, Michael told us about the advantages and hurdles of this way of working and what you need for a life as a "digital nomad".

#1 How did you come to work remotely?

It actually all started with a very inspiring lecture by Nick Martin ("6 years of world travel, the coolest gap in your CV") at the end of 2016. At that time, I had already been working for a web agency near Zurich for more than 2 years. I was often the first one in the office in the morning and the last one to go home in the evening. So even before the lecture, I thought to myself that I wanted to change something. But I wasn't exactly sure what.

Finally, by chance, I found an event in my timeline on Facebook (when I was still active there) and above it a friend said that she was "interested" in attending. The famous "maybe" - neither accepting nor canceling. I attended the event, but I didn't see her there. It was one of the best talks I've ever attended! My flatmate said a few days ago that I was raving about it that evening after the talk and really wanted to do it for myself, i.e. combine traveling and working.

For me, that was the starting signal for more freedom, a higher quality of life and the key to my time and what I use it for.

Logically, I was completely unaware of this possibility before. It would never have occurred to me to consider something like this and to do a fixed office job in a café, coworking space or from home. Until this lecture, my idea of the world of work was therefore very classic and it was never an issue not to do work in an office with the same colleagues from Monday to Friday. But who still strictly separates their professional and private lives today? I don't know anyone.

#2 What are the biggest advantages of living as a digital nomad for you?

Definitely the ability to work from anywhere and at any time. For example, I'm most productive in the morning and less so in the afternoon and evening. So if the weather is good, I work in the morning, for example, and then spend the rest of the day outside in nature. The flexibility is enormous, as is the quality of life.

In short, I can organize my day from A to Z myself, sometimes working at the weekend and sometimes not working in the middle of the week.

#3 How do you find suitable accommodation and what do you look out for?

Of course, it's important that it has Wi-Fi, of course. I also like it when there is a kind of shared apartment feeling, i.e. when I live with other people who also work from anywhere. Most coliving companies already offer this today. However, if this is not available in one place, I usually switch to Airbnb or hostels, although the latter are more useful for short stays. Otherwise, it quickly becomes expensive and the price/performance ratio is no longer right for me.

#4 And where do you see the biggest disadvantages and hurdles?

For me personally, loneliness is the biggest disadvantage. Everyone around me works regularly and has weekends and public holidays off. I've only met very few people who are as flexible with their work as I am. Then the encounters are usually rather superficial. Although the basic ideas are similar, others are drawn in different directions, so that good friendships are not easy to realize. In this case, real contact is more important to me, whereas at work I rely entirely on emails, which usually make personal meetings superfluous.

Another point that is more related to business is customers who tend to think more conventionally. For example, I have already had two cases where the reason for not working with me was that I am not available by phone and physical meetings are not possible when I am traveling. I always accept this without asking any further questions, after all there are almost as many web designers as there are sands by the sea.

Another big challenge for me is video calls when I'm abroad. Keyword: time zone. Depending on the country, specifically New Zealand, it can be quite difficult to set up a call if there is a 12-hour time difference to Germany/Switzerland. Fortunately, it's not too often that I have live video calls with customers, because I try to communicate as well and accurately as possible in my written communication. This prevents misunderstandings and usually eliminates the need for video calls. In addition, video calls are usually longer than emails and either I or the other person tends to digress from the topic quickly.

#5 How do you feel about the terms "digital nomad" or "digital nomad"?

From a marketing point of view, it needs a term, of course. I just can't really identify with it, because a digital nomad would have to be constantly on the move. That's not me.

The real nomads in Mongolia have their herd of animals and live very modestly in a yurt. They also travel very slowly. Most of the digital nomads I know personally live above the standard and also travel quite fast, i.e. spend less than 4 weeks in the same country. For these reasons, I simply prefer to use the term "location-independent".

#6 Which countries have been your favorite for remote working and why?

Bolivia and Portugal. The former because I lived there in a group of 12 people in a coliving in the mountains. In the middle of nature at around 3,300 meters above sea level in a very peaceful environment. It was easy to go jogging or hiking, which I really enjoyed.

I really like the coastal region of Portugal. The nature there is also breathtaking and I was able to go swimming in the sea in the morning before work, which is a great way to start the day.

#7 If I want to become a digital nomad soon, what things should I consider?

My recommendation is to start slowly and in small steps. The bigger steps will then follow as if by themselves. So if someone is still working full-time in the office in the traditional way, perhaps there is the option of working from home. From there, I can then think about going to the local café or library to work. Depending on whether you prefer a quiet place to work or something more lively, like a café. Of course, the extent to which it is possible to work for the company in another city or even abroad also depends on the employer (assuming you are not self-employed).

To earn money as a digital nomad, it is usually not necessary to reinvent the wheel. Classic examples are graphic designers, social media, marketing or web design. In my opinion, there is potential wherever there are no regular meetings and the work can be done mainly on a laptop.

Of course, having a financial buffer is always an advantage. For example, I had saved up around 10,000 euros before I became self-employed full-time. I also had a 6-month transition phase beforehand, i.e. 60% employment at the web agency with a fixed income and I built up my sole proprietorship in parallel. That's great for the beginning because you usually can't be profitable from day 1 and administrative things have to be done.

When I choose a place to work, I make sure that there is a reliable and (more or less) fast internet connection. It is also important to me that there is a grocery store near the accommodation. I want to be able to wash clothes in the accommodation itself, because if these things are not available, it takes up time that I would rather invest elsewhere. Another plus point is that either German or English is spoken at this location, as this makes it easy for me personally to have an in-depth conversation. In my opinion, this is particularly valuable abroad, where I often find myself making small talk with strangers or they simply speak to me, which usually results in a great conversation. This is more difficult in other languages.

A fixed place of residence is therefore not necessary, but you can of course also start with a fixed place of residence. For me, working independently of location therefore also means that everyone should find the best form for themselves. There are no fixed guidelines or patterns that have to be adhered to and everyone can set things up the way that suits them best.

Some people may then ask themselves: "How do I continue to receive my mail?" A good question, but one for which there is a simple answer.

I use the Swiss Post service to have my letters scanned. So when a new letter arrives for me, it is scanned for me and I receive a notification by e-mail. I can then decide on the basis of the envelope whether I want to have the letter scanned to see the contents or have it destroyed directly. The service offered by Deutsche Post is called E-POST, see here.

In addition to the post office, I use the following tools that make it easier for me to work from anywhere:

1. NordVPN to protect my privacy, to be secure on the web and, for example, to access customer projects in public WLAN (airports etc.) or even to carry out e-banking transactions.
2. Slack to communicate with other nomads, the local WordPress community and Raidboxes.
3. ProtonMail to be able to send encrypted emails with my own domain. In my opinion, this is the best alternative to Gmail, as the user is not aware of the encryption and the process takes place in the background.
4. Tresorit to store my customer data securely and encrypted in the cloud. I use it to manage my quotes, invoices, accounting and backups.
5. appear.in to make video calls easily via the browser.
6. PDF Expert to be able to edit and digitally sign PDF files. This has already saved me having to go to the post office for some matters, as the digital signature was sufficient.
7. 1Password as a password manager. This makes it very easy to use complicated passwords and saves time every time you log in to any platform or website in the browser.

#8 Has life as a digital nomad changed you and if so, how?

Oh yes, definitely! I've become much more open and approach people with confidence. In most cases, the resulting conversations are enriching, something I didn't have the courage to do before. I've also become more loyal, especially when it comes to other cultures, as this lifestyle allows me to get to know them authentically and over a longer period of time.

#9 Could you ever imagine returning to fixed structures (locally and professionally)?

Not at the moment to be honest, no. I like to compare it to riding the train in 1st class. Once you've done it, you're very reluctant to go back. For me, the advantages clearly outweigh the disadvantages, which is why I have no plans to change this. For this reason, I can't say how I imagine my life will be in 5 years' time. But my hope is to be in stable hands by then and to find someone who shares my passion for this freedom and flexibility. After all, happiness shared is happiness doubled.

Dear Michael, we would like to thank you for the interesting interview and your honest answers and say goodbye to Switzerland. If you have any questions about working remotely, please leave a comment!

Pictures: Michael Hörnlimann