6 Beginner’s Tips For Becoming Location Independent

On September 7, 2009, I took my first leap into solo traveling and becoming location independent. When I first arrived in Rome, I was faced with immediate challenges. How was I going to make friends? Where would I live? How the hell am I going to get reliable internet?

Now, I still don’t have it all together, but I have fared pretty well for myself, so here are some tips if you were thinking about dipping into location independence.

1. Use the first 1-2 weeks to get settled
Before I left for Italy, I found myself, at times, in panic mode, wondering where I was going to live or how I was going to work. However, I resisted the urge to over-plan before I even got here, because I knew that I needed to get my barrings straight before I could find the right place to set up camp. I managed to find a fantastic little bed and breakfast for the first week I was here, which had free wireless internet and an English-speaking host. This was eternally useful, as she explained to me the public transportation system and was able to tell me whether an apartment I was interested in was in a good neighborhood or not.

The problem with booking long-term housing before you’ve even arrived in the country is that you run the risk of being scammed or, worse, signing a lease for a place that is terrible. It’s better to take the first 1-2 weeks to check out housing arrangements and then go from there.

Breakfast at The Pigneto House

2. Take the first 1-2 weeks off of work (if possible)
This is something I wish I had done differently. I did not give myself enough time to get adjusted before I had to go back to work immediately. Ideally, you should take work off for the first 1-2 weeks to allow you to get settled in, especially if internet is imperative to your job or company (as mine is). The stress of not knowing when I would have internet or if I could have it in my apartment at all literally broke me down the first night I moved into my place. Thankfully, I was able to find a USB stick that allows for internet anywhere in Italy for a monthly fee, but I still would have felt better if I was able to have a week or two to figure that out.

3. Rely ONLY on your intuition
Being in a foreign environment, you are not afforded the luxury of knowing when you are doing something right just by virtue of familiarity. Whereas in the culture you are familiar with, you know how things go and can gauge pretty well when you are doing the right thing. I will always say, no matter where you are, to follow your gut and intuition, but even more so in your new destination, it’s imperative to use this as your main compass. When I got to Italy, I did everything that felt right and never did anything where even 1% of my gut was telling me not to. I didn’t worry about where I was going to live, but instead sat with the peacefulness that I will find the right place.

And I did. I found an adorable penthouse apartment with a private terrace that overlooks Rome for a monthly rent within my budget. Had I panicked or used anything other than my intuition to lead me here, I may have found myself in a dodgy neighborhood and susceptible to some unwelcome surprises.

4. Don’t over-research; just explore instead
It’s the norm that when you tell people where you are going, they will insist on telling you what to expect if they’ve been there (maybe even if they haven’t!). While this is much appreciated, I would advise you to not over-research, as it will make you more timid than empowered. Some research is, of course, necessary, but everyone has a different experience when they visit a country and what happens to them may or may not happen to you. Especially the negative things that people want to tell you, I would stray away from allowing that to reign as truth, since you will arrive expecting the negative things to happen (and, of course, they will, damn self-fulfilling prophecy!).

For example, people had told me how terrible the public transportation in Italy is. For me, even though the public transportation in Italy is busy, it’s not at all uncomfortable. In fact, I find New York’s subway system to be far worse, but someone else could come to Italy and have a completely different viewpoint. As much as people can tell you what to expect, you are coming here to experience it for yourself. Learn to set boundaries with people and to filter out the information, so you don’t come to a country over-prepared and expecting a version of other people’s experiences.

5. Expect mistakes and embrace them
Before I left for Italy, a friend of mine, Adam, told me that the best advice he had on solo traveling was to expect and be okay with making mistakes. If you are one of those people that cannot stand making public mistakes, then, to put it bluntly, either fix that or don’t travel yet. You’ll fall apart, honestly. Because, really, you’re going to make tons of mistakes, especially if you are going to a non-English speaking country. Not only do you have to be okay with making mistakes, but you have to just lean into it and almost come to enjoy it. I laugh at myself daily about the Italian customs I don’t know yet or even how if you put your hand out to receive your change here, they’ll just put it on the counter.

Part of me feels a tug of embarrassment, but the other part knows I am stretching and growing past my comfort zone. Plus, I am really good at laughing at myself, which has come in handy quite a few times when I’ve made ridiculous mistakes like trying to buy a bus ticket ON THE BUS with everyone and their little Italian mother watching me struggle. After someone gave me a bus ticket to use, I sat down in my seat and just laughed at myself. Laughing, instead of crying in a corner (which I some times want to do!), is a huge key to surviving in a foreign environment.

6. Use Twitter and other networks to find friends
The one thing I drastically overlooked was the social aspect of solo traveling. I expected to be able to go down to the bar, meet some friends, and yay! Cupcakes and lollipops, it’s all good! Uh, no. I overestimated how comfortable I would feel when I got here and as a woman traveling alone in a foreign country, I really don’t feel okay going out to bars at night on my own. My friend, DeeAnne, suggested I find some people to follow on Twitter that were either expats or other LIPs. Within a day, I had found @Rome_Expats and proceeded to find out they hosted quite a few events. So, now I have plans for a Friday night to go to aperitivo (happy hour) with some other expats living in Rome.

Use your resources to find networks that have like-minded interests. I might even consider getting connected to these networks before you move there. This is not something I did, because I had a fantasy-like idea in my mind that I could meet my Italian BFFs on the street! Everyone in Italy is just waiting to meet ME!

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Becoming location independent is nerve racking, but the most important thing is to really just go with your gut. Resist the urge to over-plan, over-research, and over-do it all together. People may think you are crazy for not having a solid plan in the works, but you’re the lucky one that gets to see your life unfold as you follow your intuition to the right places. It may be out of your comfort zone, but come on, who are we kidding? You’re planning to go explore the world… we both know you want out of that comfort zone, right?