The global corporate offices of the St. Clair Family
There’s working remotely, and then there’s working beautifully. You can find digital nomad locations for families all over the world, offering good wifi, delicious food and drink, and an affordable cost of living for the whole family.
Long-term travel doesn’t mean you’re on vacation
As our “go date” for global travel got closer and closer in 2022, one of the last things we did in Oregon we meet up with a group of friends we hadn’t seen in a while. They asked great questions about our travels, including some we hadn’t considered.
For example? People were going to think we were on vacation for a year.
That question makes sense. Sometimes people take a year off (known as a gap year), and they and their families do something out of the ordinary. Perhaps they go RV’ing around the US or Canada. Maybe they take on a big volunteer project somewhere far afield. Sometimes they even travel the world.
Whatever they do, they sometimes take a big career break or a sabbatical, and have savings set aside to see them through.
Or, folks might have a job that they can work from any location they choose, instead of having to be in one set physical area.
We’re not doing either.
Sure, Jodie and I are two slightly weird globetrotting, business-running, world schooling parents. But our travels aren’t a vacation, a break or a gap year. Along with running our business, we block in deliberate time to do activities or check out various sites and attractions.
We balance our sightseeing time with time for business and school. That also means that we don’t just run our business remotely. Our “offices” truly have become global—and quite lovely—in scale. Sometimes, our office becomes a bit of sightseeing in and of itself.
As we travel the world with our kids, here is a snapshot of 5 of our global corporate offices, which have also been lovely digital nomad locations for families.
1. Oaxaca, Mexico
On the rooftop terrace at our rental in Oaxaca de Juárez, I loved going to the roof for some creative business time. Sometimes I’d set up in a loungy rope chair. Other times I’d set up at a small table and a straight-backed chair. Either way, the view overlooking Oaxaca’s Cerro Fortin always made for a wonderful corner office view.
2. Bangkok, Thailand
At our 7th-floor apartment in BU Place, on a bustling street in Bangkok’s Din Daeng neighborhood, my favorite productivity space became the vanity-turned-desk in our room. The reason was mostly pragmatic ergonomics: I could keep my elbows at a proper angle and maintain better posture.
Jodie and I would swap out who got to use the bedroom desk. The table in our kitchenette made a good auxiliary productivity space in our front room’s open office plan too. Either way, it was always easy to snag a glance at the gorgeous Bangkok skyline.
3. Chiang Mai, Thailand
The winding central courtyard in our rental had tables and chairs aplenty, perfect for when the sun had passed back over the buildings and left the patio in shade. Or, if we wanted to be indoors, the building nearby had a wonderful lobby space. The space didn’t have wifi, but it did have quiet, and sometimes that was all we needed.
4. Chiang Rai, Thailand
Our room in The Riverie was one of the nicest places we’ve ever stayed. However, for getting things done, I preferred to go down to the hotel’s sumptuous lobby, which is also full of artifacts from the area’s Lanna culture. Tall windows overlook the wide, deep Kok River. I could settle into a squashy armchair, using my external mouse and keyboard while the laptop rested on a round marble table.
Or, on days where the weather was particularly lovely, I’d step out to the nearby balcony and set up at a wee couch surrounded by a whimsical flower arrangement (great as a photo backdrop too). Bonus: It was easy to bring down a cup of coffee from our room, or I could order a beer or a delicious mango smoothie from the lobby’s bar.
5. Siem Reap, Cambodia
As nice as our Chiang Rai was, our most recent global office may be my favorite so far. Our hotel near the city center was a comfy one-room space on the third floor, complete with a one-person desk area. For better concentration though, I preferred stepping through our sliding glass door to the tiled balcony and its wee slatted table and chairs.
The balcony overlooked the hotel’s pool and lush garden, full of palm and citrus trees. In fact, I’m writing this from that very balcony. Palm fronds are rustling in the breeze. On a couple of the trees, bunches of fruits are growing; they look like some sort of tangerine. Not too far off, I think closer to the city center, wafting on the sunny air is a sort of music-box like melody, played by something that sounds like a cross between a steel drum and a marimba.
You can find great digital nomad locations for families all over the world
A digital nomad life can take so many different forms. We look for places where we can have a family friendly budget, good wifi, and lodging that’s safe and comfy. Proximity to transportation matters more to us than being immediately at common tourist areas.
Whether running your own business or working a location-independent job, you can find excellent digital nomad locations for families all over the world.
