RTO misses | Philippine retreats | Last call for Nomad Week | Issue #0021

A ton of nomads are landing this week.

In two senses - Nomad Summit is this weekend and Chiang Mai is busting at the seams with digital nomads.

Also, our subscriber count swelled in record numbers, thanks for joining us! We’re even getting found through AI searches now…you know who you are.

Here’s a taste of what’s in this week:

🧮 Big companies can’t count
🤝 Nomad retreats that are more than just networking and partying
💻 Trending remote working roles, according to the experts
📋 A growing digital nomads resources section

Happy Nomad Summit week!

NEWS
RTO is not going down well

Most of you are reading this because you’ve escaped office life, so return-to-office mandates are of little concern.

However, many under the spell of big companies that have had the taste of your digital nomad life have decided they like it. According to the University of Pittsburg, companies with RTO mandates faced abnormally high turn-over rates.

Two big hitters are struggling with getting their workforce on board - or even in the building at all.

Amazon have put plans on hold as they had not done the math and quickly realised they don’t have enough chairs for everyone to pile back into the office. A recent poll also suggest 73% of their corporate employees would consider quitting if forced back into the office. This comes as the University of Pittsburg found that companies with RTO mandates faced abnormally high turn-over rate.

AT&T employees returned to the office this week to find up to 30% of them will be without a desk, a parking space and not enough elevators (though helpfully pointing out that it’s better for them to take the stairs!).

So, you’re definitely better off by the beach, pool or in your coworking booth.

WHAT ELSE…

🛖 Killing a few myths A lot of nomads avoid AirBnB for a range of reasons, but here’s one who used them religiously for 2 years and wouldn’t change a thing.

⏱️ Getting there on time Have you booked a flight that will actually get you there when it said it would? Find out here.

🛰️ Getting there productively If you care less about when you get there as long as you can work en route, then Delta is about to solve that problem.

👮 An honest mistake anyone could make Check the rules. That’s all this nomad will tell you after getting locked up with a common bit of tech in her bag.

NOMAD SUMMIT & NOMAD WEEK 2025

Nomad Summit returns to Chiang Mai this weekend, with two days packed with speakers.

As the summit closes, Nomad Week begins. There’ll be talks, workshops and meetups all over Chiang Mai that will be free to attend for ticket holders, but available to all to book into.

Tickets are still available on the Nomad Summit website, but you can join the 40-plus planned events in Nomad Week if you don’t get into town until then.

POLL

ISLAND LIFE
If only there were a perfect nomad retreat…

Marie Tuason is a legit digital nomad. She’s often different places month-to-month (we chatted while she was in Bansko off the back of Spain, before which we’d met in Chiang Mai after a retreat in the Philippines!). She is absolutely living her vision for digital nomad life.

Her business - Kaya Connections - hold retreats that dial into the local community as well as help nomads building their vision. Her integration with the locals, businesses, and nomad scene offers a unique mix for retreat attendees…

How did digital nomadism start for you?
Technically 8 years ago when I left the Philippines for Germany. I was one of the few in the office to take advantage of a work-from-home option a couple of days a week. During COVID I got stuck in Canada for 4 months and it was then I realised even as an engineer could work from anywhere!

So you took the path to working remotely then?
Well, not immediately. I knew I wanted to work from the Philippines, but my company didn’t allow it (though secretly managed it somehow). Ph didn’t have the infrastructure then for remote working so I headed to Europe and landed in Madeira - that’s when I realised I was a digital nomad!

What’s keeping you on the road now?
I got into digital marketing - the attention to detail from engineering helped! - and built my own agency. My passion for wellness led me to what was originally a passion project, the retreats. Now I am adding new retreats every year!

The retreats then…tell us about them.
They are 4 weeks, and centred around self-growth and authentic local integration. We hold masterminds, do vision boarding, workshops (participants often host their own) and being in Siargao we surf, run wellness activities, and social events. We aim to create harmony between work and life, but also with the local community.

Who should sign up?
This is for digital nomads who want to experience the local side of a destination, build meaningful connections, and work on themselves and their business. The group work, surf, chill out and eat together so they need to be willing to participate and immerse themselves into the month.

What does life look like for you these days?
I plan life over a longer period, so my year is usually a couple of months in a coliving - usually in Europe - then a couple of months of traveling and enjoying the world, but also 6 months of “monk mode” and grinding on work. These get spread out over the year, depending on seasons and events.

Any favorite places you regularly go back to now?
I’m a small-town girl so cities don’t really work for me. Bansko has proven to be somewhere I connect with most - in fact I just bought a place there! The community, nature, and just a great place to put my head down. A special mention to Madeira though, and of course Siargao!

Get more information on upcoming Kaya Connections Retreats here.

Marie has served up a couple of deals for The Digital Nomad readers too. Mention us when you sign up for the April retreat and get US$50 off the normal price (though until tomorrow it’s $150!). Incredibly though, if you subscribe to their newsletter you’ll be in line for a WHOPPING 25% off the September retreat!

SPREAD THE WORD

Have you been forwarded The Digital Nomad by a friend? If so, make sure you don’t miss out on future issues and sign up to get it every Tuesday.

Or do you have friends who are digital nomads, or are planning to be? If you think they could use a quick weekly fix of what’s happening in their world, then share this link or simply share it on your socials - links are at the top of this newsletter.

REMOTE WORKING
Are you in a trending job, or can you segue to one?

A million different headlines are telling us remote working is trending down, trending up, RTO is rising, companies are going remote…what can we believe? Not to mention many roles are listed as “hybrid” or remote, but not really remote.

Well, data is a good place to start. Even if you have your own thing keeping you nomadic, or are working for a company who embrace it, it’s worth keeping an eye on what is happening in terms of trends.

Flexjobs are a leading resource for remote jobs and has revealed the top growing careers for FULLY remote jobs.

We’re not going to lie, we’re surprised how high some of these ranked - engineering and nursing in particular - but food for thought if you are looking for a change, or a role that you can start nomadding with.

BRAIN FOOD
In The Digital Nomad inbox this week

Book - Brianna Wiest’s philosophical writing is well-renowned. Grab a compilation of short reads from her in 101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think.

App - Some of you love the disorganised, fly-by-night travel experience. The rest will love Wanderlog.

Useful - Get out of a funk with these quick-to-action tips.

Fun - Into 8-bit music, Sim City, and have an iPad? You need this.

If you have any recommendations we should share let us know.

CONNECT TO CHIANG MAI
Fill your social calendar in Chiang Mai

Steve’s Email A weekly resource and email for events around the city.

Digital Nomad WhatsApp A long-standing group that spawned a range of sub-groups for almost any niche and interest in the city. This group fills up fast, so please wait to join until you're in Chiang Mai or going there soon.

For up-to-date events in the city, join the Activities/Events WhatsApp group.

Chiang Mai Fit WhatsApp: If you want to do something active (trust us, being fit isn’t a prerequisite!) then find wholesome activities throughout the week here.

Yellow Coworking Telegram. For more about what is happening at Yellow and to be part of their conversation, join in here.

COWORKING IN CHIANG MAI

If you are in the city, or heading over soon, then check out the current packages - from day passes to monthly or annual memberships - here.

Or, just get in touch with Mickey or the team at Yellow Coworking at [email protected].

MAKING YOUR DIGITAL NOMAD LIFE EASIER
Resources for digital nomads everywhere

What we’ve accumulated from previous issues - from fellow nomads, interviews with thought leaders, great deals from partners, and some local heroes in Chiang Mai too:

• SafetyWing, who also offers digital nomad insurance, also started running community events in various locations around the world. A few participants in a Chiang Mai one even won a meal out at a top restaurant in the city!

• Genki also does worldwide digital nomad insurance.

• Remote Rebellion. Start or re-ignite your remote working journey with Michelle - a career coach specialising in remote roles and nailing them down.

• Connect with other digital nomads and build your network with Digital Nomad Adventures.

• Get a storytelling masterclass from Nir Zavaro.

• Learn copywriting and how to turn it into a business with CCA.

• Contact Liselle for a LinkedIn or resume revamp.

• If decision-making is not your forte, get in touch with Hannah Wang - a decision-making coach for entrepreneurs, business owners and big corporates.

• Stay safe online (and get TV from any country!) using NordVPN. They’ve got a festive deal on with up to 74% off and 3 free months.

• Simo - we featured these guys and their hotspots last week, but it turns out they’ve got an even BETTER deal on now. 35% off hotspots up until 23rd.

• Airalo - a marketplace for eSIM data packs for more than 200 countries. Get 15% off if you are new and use this link and the code NEWTOAIRALO15, or 10% off if you are an existing user using AIRALOESIM10.

If you’re in Chiang Mai, these are some of the nomad favorites:

• Healthy Junk is the go-to for healthy food when you are in Chiang Mai. Dine in, out, or get it delivered.

• Grab a locally sourced coffee a few steps from Yellow at Toffee Roasters. Go say hi to Tem, the owner, who is also opening up a sandwich joint next door in the coming weeks.

• Get your meal prep from Chef Fuji. Healthy, macro-focused food, delivered across Chiang Mai.

QUIZ
Where did it all start?

A fun quiz that we actually learned something useless from. Did you know Amazon didn’t start as Amazon? They aren’t the only ones. Can you remember the original names of these brands?

COMMUNITY
Get seen by digital nomads everywhere

We would love to hear from you if you have some valuable knowledge, products or services, information, or just a fun or crazy digital nomad story. Get some extra eyes on your thing or maybe you just like sharing with other nomads!

Fill in this form if you:

• have a product or service that could help other digital nomads

• operate a travel blog, channel or platform that we can spotlight

• took a photo we could feature along with your portfolio or IG

• …just have a great digital nomad story!

WHAT DID YOU MISS?

If you are new to The Digital Nomad - or just want to go back and read a previous issue - then you can find them all here.