What is your favorite country?
What is your favorite country - I get asked this question A LOT and it surprises me every time, mostly because the question just doesn't make sense to me.
To me, every place I visit offers something magical. It fulfills a need I have that maybe another place cannot. For example, I spent May in a tiny town in Northern Washington called Port Townsend. It was small and quiet and lovely. It was basically a retirement town. So slow. Would I want to live there permanently? Of course not! In fact, Im enjoying the fast pace of New York City at the moment. But at the time, I needed the peace and quiet to refresh and recenter. At that time, Port Townsend was the best place in the world for me to be in.
Right now, New York is the best place for me to be in. Im doing lots of business here, meeting lots of people, and the fast pace of the city is pushing me to get a lot of work done. Its exactly what I need right now.
In the winter last year, I went to New Zealand because it was summer there, and the sun was up during the summer hours. I get energizes by the sun, so when the sun started setting at winter hours in the Northern Hemisphere, it killed my energy and productivity. I needed New Zealand for the winter. This year, Im going to Australia in November for the same reason.
I love Japan for the challenge of it - the culture, the language barrier, the food, the neon lights. Everything is different from what Im used to and I have to work hard every time I step foot outside. Im a foreigner. Im different and dont fit it. I love it so much, but its definitely nice to switch it up and be back in the Western world sometimes where everyone speaks my language and I know the right thing to do in every situation.
I really enjoyed being back in San Francisco (where I lived previously) for a few weeks recently because everything was familiar to me, and I knew exactly where to go for my favorite food and exercise classes - not to mention, I got to see and catch up with my good friends and family.
The best part of being a digital nomad is that I dont have to have a favorite place. My favorite place could be based on weather or if Im stressed and need a break from the city or my business needs or my curiosity about a different culture or where my friends and family are and my need to be or not to be around too many people. The freedom to switch based on my needs is exactly why I love being a digital nomad.