~ Field Notes ~
The 10 best things about being a digital nomad in Estonia in 2023
If you’re seriously considering a year as a digital nomad, whether that’s to explore the world, setup a virtual business, or both, I strongly urge you to put Estonia at the top of your list for all the reasons I mention below – however don’t be surprised if you don’t want to return back to your country of origin at the end of it!
Secondly, I make no apologies for being so enthusiastic about the place, I’ve travelled in over 60 countries across the world and feel like I’ve found somewhere that is truly remarkable for many good reasons that people aren’t yet aware of.
Sports and exercises for good mental health
As millennials that grew up in the internet age, we’ve faced challenges that our parents and previous generations haven’t had to deal with. This requires a different outlook to those in the past, simply ‘getting on with it’ is no longer good enough.
We’re the most globally-connected generation and therefore, more exposed to what’s going on in the world – which includes the bad parts. To stop ourselves being overcome with anxiety and panic, it’s important to maintain a healthy balance of work and ‘play’ – that doesn’t focus on drinking alcohol or spending vast amounts of money.
Motorbikepacking expedition 2: Riding to Nova beach from Tallinn
My second trip this year, is to visit a public camping site on Estonia’s northern coast that I’ve found thanks to the super useful forest management agency, Riigimets’ (RMK) online map of all hiking routes, camp spots, and nature places.
I load my Yamaha Tenere up with my winter expeditions tent, some food, water, a sleeping bag, and other essential items for what I’ve started referring to as ‘motorbikepacking’ trips. As you’ve probably already guessed, Motorbikepacking trips are essentially the same regular bikepacking trips, albeit with a motorbike instead of a pedal bike. The main advantage is you can explore places that are further away, yet still a moderately low cost.
Bikepacking the Eurovelo 11 route across Estonia
The Eurovelo cycling routes are one of Europe’s best kept secrets. Waymarked by blue signs with occasional directions to the next town, the routes criss-cross European countries.
The entire Eurovelo 11 route is c.6500 kilometres, starts at Nordkapp (the most northerly point in Europe) and finishes at the southern tip of Greece, covering 11 countries on the route. It’s apparently referred to as ‘the Beast of the East’ (according to the official website) and completing it in stages is quickly becoming a personal goal.
Bikepacking expedition 3: first multi-day test ride for the Eurovelo 11 attempt
My third bikepacking trip is a test ride for a big multi-day trip I want to do later in summer that would see me riding all the way across Estonia following the Eurovelo 11 cycling route towards the end of summer when the weather has got a little cooler. It would be 500 kilometres (c.300 miles) so I will need to be used to spending multiple days out on the road.
How slow adventures can be good for your career and mental health.
When you’re so intensely focussed on your career or family, your attention to where you are in life can go unchecked. For some people, this lack of checking-in with yourself can last years or even decades. For others, they check in too often and it stops progression forward and upwards. I think this ‘analysis paralysis’ can be a cause of unhappiness for some.
Taking a sabbatical to row across an ocean, cycle across a country (or continent), or run across a desert, might seem like unhelpful to some, but I think it can be useful in ways we don’t really consider.
1 year on from a complete life reset
I’m lucky for many reasons: Not just because I’m surrounded by people who put their own lives on hold to limit the impact of my near-fatal fall, but also how things turned out for me since my life almost came to an abrupt end some 12 months ago.
Nearly dying something you love
When I write this article, it doesn’t bring back terrible memories – they were wiped clean in the accident. But the pain comes from hearing your loved ones recounting when they were told that you’ll either die or spend the rest of your life with life-changing injuries or big personality changes; hit me harder than anything else I’ve dealt with in my entire life.
How improving our situational awareness can help lone travellers stay safe in this new and difficult era
As a young soldier getting ready to deploy to some challenging environments, I found the concept of ‘situational awareness’ challenging to grasp. I remember coming away with a feeling that it was in part, guesswork combined with Spiderman’s spider-sense ability and a touch of clairvoyance.
But it has now become my most effective skill in managing my safety when I’m travelling alone overseas.