Remote Wanderlust Life: The Unexpected Twists of Reality Knocks

In the realm of work, I count myself fortunate. Presently, I revel in the freedom of remote work, unbound by the confines of a traditional office. With a reliable internet connection, I can ply my trade from anywhere. That have its advantages. One of which is not being locked to a specific location.

That being said, I have never been able to work on a beach or from the comfort of the lilos float while trading my art. Having no proper work space or flat surface to work on, is damn uncomfortable, and getting constantly interrupted by the people around you in a coffee shop or restaurant is distracting. If all those remote videos are promising you that, it’s bullshit. It is hard work with its set of rewards, salary isn’t always one of them.

Soundblocking earphones is very handy, but working on a laptop screen does tend to get to your eyes when you have to stare at it for hours. A co-working office does work, and a seconds bigger screen when working with codes and graphics is much more comfortable, but not always that mobile.

As the end of February approaches, I find myself confronted with the possibility of embarking on a new job search as my contract draws to a close once again. An annual repeat session. Freelancing is great, but not being at the office to cover your ass when things go bump, does have its drawbacks. Time will tell, as it does.

Exploring Possibilities

I am good at what I do. Being a freelance service provider on retainer does help to earn an income. My age and skin tone cease to become such a big issue. That being said, I may have to once again look for something more traditional at some stage. At the moment, I negate the oceans of digital assets to create a passive income of some other kind as a sideline. I have started, but the learning curve is steep. While being self-employed is great at times, trying to figure out how to do your taxes in that capacity really sucks.

I can return to copywriting, or doing crowdsource work, but the pay is really small change. You can try it out, though. Appen is continually looking for remote operators to participate in crowdsource projects. I have done that for a few years since lockdowns. Fiver and Etsy are other alternatives I am exploring, another learning curve.

If you have any other ideas, comment, but don’t spam me. I have very little interest in the crypto market or investing in dodgy schemes, even if I occasionally dabble. I already had two of those calls this week, and a few dozen spam messages I had to chuck and block, but they seem to be arriving like clockwork regardless. The pitfalls of doing freelance work online. Your contact information is there for the world to abuse.

I loved working on the farm over the last year, as a labourer and a volunteer, but the remuneration are good for pocket money or a small extra income if you have a support structure of some kind, or live with your parents, but rarely covers living expenses, or even rent. We will see what the future holds. Regardless of the challenges, we will face the future united, we are determined to make the best of any circumstance, as we always have, and always will.

Hoping for the best, while Embracing Change

Regrettably, my life partner does not share the same flexibility as I do. Perhaps you can suggest a random small, strange little town looking for an exceptionally handy guy into warehousing and stuff?

We hold our hope that a serendipitous opportunity may arise before we depart Gauteng’s boundaries. Nevertheless, after countless job applications spanning the past few years, placing our hope in the unknown requires another leap of faith. We seem to have had so many of those over the last few years.

With these considerations in mind, I extend an invitation to all who may possess knowledge of or require someone with the specific skill set below. Please reach out to Hein, leaving a message before our departure from Gauteng on the end of September 2024 if you know of something. Your offer or well wishes will be gratefully received.

It would be great to establish ourselves in the Western Cape again. Mosselbay would be spectacular, or explore the landscapes of Namibia further, possibly embarking on a new adventure in an uncharted location could be awesome. However, our travels are mostly being dictated by the opportunities that cross our roads and the roadblocks we can navigate. Namibia could be an option, but same-sex partners cannot apply for domicile. It would be great if there was a way to circumvent that issue.