Building a Sustainable Digital Nomad Life While Learning Bachata in Buenos Aires with Christine Ofner, Anti-Hustle Coach | Ep 10

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Still waiting for the "perfect time" to start your digital nomad journey?

Ryan welcomes Christine “Chrisi” Ofner, who transformed from working a traditional job in a small Austrian village to thriving as a digital nomad.  If you're tired of the "hustle harder" mentality and wondering if there's a more sustainable way to build a location-independent life, this conversation is for you.

You'll learn how to build a supportive community abroad, practical tips for getting started with minimal risk, and why you might not need to wait as long as you think to begin your digital nomad journey.

Chapters:
15:45 - Digital nomads stress despite having freedom
17:39 - Prioritize joy to energize and fulfill life
32:57 - Manage energy and not time
37:50 - Digital nomad spots
45:22 - Learning Bachata in Buenos Aires

Discover the real costs of living as a digital nomad and learn why some of the most successful digital nomads are slowing down instead of speeding up.

Chrisi shares practical strategies for building a sustainable nomadic lifestyle without burning out, including how she manages her energy instead of just her time - an approach for anyone feeling overwhelmed by traditional productivity advice.

Plus, find out how Chrisi turned her passion for dance into a way to connect with people around the world - proving that you can combine what you love with a location-independent lifestyle.

Listen and learn how to create a sustainable path to location independence that aligns with who you are and what truly matters to you.

Connect with Chrisi: https://www.instagram.com/christine.ofner

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DISCLAIMER:
Listening to stories of beachside zoom calls, mountainside work views, and island-hopping entrepreneurs may cause severe wanderlust and an irresistible urge to turn your laptop into a passport to freedom. Side effects include daydreaming about tropical coworking spaces, working with Ryan to learn how you can start working and traveling and buying a one-way ticket to Bali. Get ready to start living your dream life today!

Chapters

• 15:45 Digital nomads stress despite having freedom
• 17:39 Prioritize joy to energize and fulfill life
• 32:57 Manage energy and not time
• 37:50 Digital nomad hotspots
• 45:22 Learning Bachata in Buenos Aires

Transcript

Ryan Mellon: [00:00:00] Are you putting life on hold while chasing that next big career milestone? I sit down with Chrisi Ofner, who's an anti hustle coach. She is currently embracing the digital nomad lifestyle in Southeast Asia. Chrissy began her journey as a virtual assistant and now helps entrepreneurs to stress less, ~work less, ~and live more.

We explore how to build an international community through shared passions. Smart ways to live like a local while abroad. And if you've been waiting for the perfect moment to start your digital nomad journey, this conversation will show you why that moment might be closer than you think. Stay until the end as Chrissy shares her perspective on why waiting to reach financial freedom goals might be holding you back from living the life you dream about.

Hi, I'm Ryan Mellon and welcome to Digital Nomad Nation. Seven years ago, I was trapped in two dead end jobs. Now I'm a digital nomad and serial [00:01:00] entrepreneur who has achieved financial freedom. So now it's your turn. I will bring you real unfiltered stories from people just like you. We've broken free from the nine to five to create extraordinary lives.

You'll hear about the thrill of waking up to sunrises in Medellin, to watching sunsets in Bali, and the challenges of building a business or working remotely from the road. We'll explore the joy of forming connections across cultures and the occasional pitfalls of constant travel. Get ready for stories that will ignite your imagination and practical tips to fuel your own adventure.

The life you've always dreamed of is just one bold decision away. Your path to a life less ordinary starts now.

Welcome, Chrissy.

Chrisi Ofner: Hi, thanks so much for letting me be here.

Ryan Mellon: Ah, happy to have you. I'm very excited about today's conversation.

~So, nice. ~So, where are you from and where are you [00:02:00] traveling now?

Chrisi Ofner: So I'm from a really small village in Austria and currently I am in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Ryan Mellon: Awesome, okay. So, if you were going to compare,~ um, ~Cost of living. Let's say back home in Austria versus Chiang Mai. Is it a big difference?

Chrisi Ofner: Oh my God. Yes. Oh my God. Yes. Like, especially when we're talking about food, uh, when you go to a restaurant in Austria, like somewhere close to my village, you'll have to at least spend 20 euros and here you get a meal and a drink, like. One euro, two euros. So it's like, it's a huge difference. Huge difference.

Ryan Mellon: Massive difference. What about other things like, ~uh,~ places to stay and transportation? Other, uh, would you say it's as big of a difference or still a better deal?

Chrisi Ofner: So it's hard to compare that because, you know, I'm not from a city. ~Um, ~so transportation in my village, you need a car. Which is expensive like you need a car you need the gas ~Um ~[00:03:00] here you can grab everywhere and which is super cheap, too Like one euro to like scoot somewhere, you know, like on the back of a scooter, which is super fun ~Um, ~or just like take a car, ~um ~as well, which also is like about two euros depending on where you want to go So that is super cheap, too ~Um, ~I don't own my own scooter, but i've also heard from other people that that is not super expensive so You know, if we were compared to maybe Vienna,~ um,~ that isn't a different story, but I haven't lived in Vienna yet.

~So I can't give you like really good comparison there, I guess.~

Ryan Mellon: But overall Chiang Mai is saving you a lot of money as far as living at home. Yeah. Yeah.

Chrisi Ofner: yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, a ton of money.

Ryan Mellon: Nice, that's always nice. So, Why Chiang Mai?

Chrisi Ofner: So I was in Buenos Aires in the beginning of this year and I started dancing bachata. So I started to have my little nomad bachata bubble and community. And a friend of mine was like, have you heard of this amazing bachata festival in Chiang Mai? How about we all go? And then the plan started like just us two.

And then [00:04:00] more and more and more people joined. And now we're like, 15 to 20 people who are here at the same time for like two or three months just to dance bachata to go to the festival. And then I know about like 10 to 20 more nomads that are like not dancing, but I know them from other festivals. So we're all kind of here together.

So yeah, my reason was the bachata and the community that was here. So yeah. And I've

always wanted to come here anyway. So yeah.

Ryan Mellon: Okay, so it's your first time there.

Chrisi Ofner: Yeah. It's my first time in Asia actually. Yeah.

Ryan Mellon: Oh, all right. Yeah That's awesome. I love Asia. Southeast Asia is like my favorite place in the world. It's just so different from so many other places, especially home for me.

Chrisi Ofner: Oh yeah, definitely. I mean, it must be a huge, must be so different from the U. S.

Ryan Mellon: Yeah, yeah, both in so many different ways, but,~ um,~ cost is a big thing,~ um,~ I feel like the people are just friendlier in general, and probably, you know, probably gonna piss off a bunch of people saying that, but that's [00:05:00] okay, and, uh, it's just good vibes here.

And it's, you know, it's summer most places in Southeast Asia when it's winter at home.

So a lot of those things are the things that that I'm looking for. ~But, um, yeah,~ so, ~um, ~other than bachata, what, what have you seen in Chiang Mai that's piqued your interest or that, that it feels like magical or that you really love about Chiang Mai?

Chrisi Ofner: So we were here during the Lantern Festival, which happens like mid and November, and that was super beautiful to observe and to watch. ~Um, ~we went to like a village outside of Chiang Mai and then everybody would light up these lanterns. To go in the sky at the same time. So it was like hundreds of lanterns going up and it was so beautiful.

It was a little bit dangerous. I have to say, because like some would light up on fire, like right next to you. And you're like, Oh my God, like what's happening. ~Um, ~because they just didn't know how to do it properly or I don't know. But it [00:06:00] was so beautiful just to like be there and like look up and you see all of the lanterns and that that was really cool.

I loved it and then we also got to see some temples like the white temple and the blue temple and yeah did some walking tours with monks who like told us about their life and it was it was super interesting like very different. ~Um, ~and I just, I love to see the different ways of living, you know, like I travel because I want to see all the different ways of how you can structure your life of how you can live your life.

So I love it. Yeah.

Ryan Mellon: ~that's awesome.~ Yeah, I've seen like photos and videos of the lantern festivals in Thailand and Vietnam, but I've never actually experienced it. So is there like, is it a specific holiday or like a reason for it?

Chrisi Ofner: So I know that there's a reason for it, but I honestly forgot. I can't, can't even say, I just know it. So like it was a three day long thing and. They even had like parades in the city. It was a huge thing. Like everybody was in Chiang Mai. You [00:07:00] could not book accommodation for a really long time because everything was full.

Everything was expensive. ~Um, ~everybody was here. ~Um, ~a lot of Chinese people as well, South Koreans,~ um,~ all kinds of tourists just for the lantern festival. And basically there's two different things. There's like the lanterns that you. You know, light up and they go in the sky, but there's also,~ um,~ something called cotton and it's like a flower arrangement of some sort that you light a candle and then you put in the river and that was also really beautiful to see.

~Um, ~there was no like mass release of those, like the lanterns,~ um,~ but it was still like a beautiful tradition. So they told us to like make a wish while you're releasing it to the river. ~Uh,~ what was kind of weird though, is that they also sold. Live animals like fish and turtles to release into the river.

So that was, yeah, that was, uh, I would question that. I'm not sure what the idea behind that is, but it was just weird to see that they put them in small plastic bags [00:08:00] to sell for them to be put in the river. And then you could see that the turtle could not keep up with, with the water. And like, it was, it was sad to see, honestly.

~Um, ~yeah. Yeah.

Ryan Mellon: yeah, I've seen it in Vietnam. And so the, the thought behind it is,~ um,~ releasing an animal back, giving its freedom back, gives you good 

Chrisi Ofner: Mm 

Ryan Mellon: I remember the very first day I was in Vietnam. I like wandered out in the streets of Ho Chi Minh, which used to be Saigon, like just first day ever out in Vietnam.

And it's, it's a chaotic mess. If you've never seen the streets of. Of a huge city in Vietnam like that And I just remember like turning a corner and all of a sudden there's a guy with a bird in his hand He just had taken out of a cage and he throws it up in the air And he's so excited and he looks at me and he's like grabbing me and he's jumping up and down And he's like saying something in Vietnamese.

And I, that [00:09:00] was like my, literally my first like 10 minutes in Vietnam. ~Um, ~and I didn't even know what was going on at the time, but it was a very interesting experience, but yeah, it's for good luck and. Obviously, I think there could be better ways of doing it, ~uh,~ maybe it's, uh, better for the animals, for sure.

~Um, ~but yeah, it's quite common,~ um,~ in parts of Asia, so, interesting, ~uh,~ experience. So,

tell us, yeah, yeah, no, it's something you, you, you don't expect to see, and so, yeah. But,~ um,~ you say you've been a digital nomad? Okay, all right, 

Chrisi Ofner: ~Um, ~it depends on how you define being a digital nomad. It's such a broad term. So I've been living abroad for the last seven years. But then I think only like a full time nomad for the last two years. So, I've did, I've done different things abroad. Like I've studied abroad. I did an exchange semester abroad.

I worked as an au pair abroad. So like, depending on [00:10:00] what you count as being a digital nomad, but I haven't actually like lived in Austria for the last seven years, I would say I come back to my family and see them. But I think maximum amount of time I spent in Austria was like three months per year. So yeah. Well, yeah,~ I mean, you know, ~I just, I love being abroad. It helps me grow. So yeah,

Ryan Mellon: a new place with a new culture and everything's different, like you're learning and you're meeting cool people. And it's, it's just amazing.

Chrisi Ofner: exactly.

Ryan Mellon: for a while, you're just like ready to get back out there.

Chrisi Ofner: Yeah, exactly. Like, you know, in my village, I can't really grow and I can't really see different ways of living. Everybody's doing the same thing that they did like 20 years ago. So it's just, it doesn't help me at all. But when I go abroad, like I have the opportunity to also, you know, learn You know, redefine myself, recreate my routine, thinking about what are all the different ways of how I construct my day.

Or could I have a [00:11:00] scooter, even though I've never ever earned a scooter or driven on a scooter, you know, like all of these things. So it's, it's just, it's cool. I love it.

Ryan Mellon: ~Yeah, and I, I, like, I'm,~ I'm here in Bali and I rented a scooter by the month and like, there is nothing like it, especially when you come from a country where that's not very common, like getting around on scooter and cool places like Chiang Mai or anywhere in Thailand, really, or Bali. It's like something magical about just cruising around on a scooter and tropical weather and seeing amazing views and.

Seeing parts of the city or like you were saying taking a grab earlier, which is The equivalent to like uber or lyft in the u. s But it's a guy that shows up on a on a motorcycle or a scooter And you hop on the back and then you look at your credit card later and you know Your five minute trip is like a dollar twenty cents or something.

You know, it's like it's so crazy inexpensive and also very You quick to get around. [00:12:00] so yeah, such a good time.

Chrisi Ofner: And I have to say, like, I was very scared of the scooters. I was so scared, but like I had to do it because it's Asia. ~Um, ~I avoided it for a really long time and paid more for grab cars. ~Um, ~those are definitely like double the price of a scooter. And then at some point it was a super busy time and the cars kept canceling on me and I'm like, okay, you know what?

Now is the time to find my bad bitch energy. I'm going to go on a scooter. And then from that moment on, I'm like scooting all the time because it's so fun. Yeah.

Ryan Mellon: a good experience. You need to be careful. You know, of course, it's a little bit more dangerous than the car, but it's like You get around much faster as well, especially when there's traffic conditions. Like here in Bali, the streets are really small, so they're not really made for cars.

So when the cars, the cars are all clogging everything up. So you can save and like travel time 20 percent just by being on a bike versus being in a car. [00:13:00] So 

Chrisi Ofner: definitely.

Ryan Mellon: I was looking on your website a little bit and I saw that you started your. First business as a virtual assistant when you're 22, and that's a very popular way to start as a digital nomad.

And I was just curious, like, how was that experience for you?

Chrisi Ofner: It was really good. Actually. Like I've done a lot of research of what I could do online. ~Um, ~until a friend sent me like a VA course. And that was like the first. Real thing, like realistic thing I could imagine myself doing because at that time, everybody was like an influencer or like doing some kind of Amazon stuff.

And I'm like, I don't want to be an influencer and I don't want to do like selling. Shit. Like whatever I don't believe in. So, ~um, ~the virtual assistant thing was actually something that I could see myself doing and I was studying at that point in the Netherlands. So I thought, okay, cool. I have the safe space of being a student of learning something new.

So I'm just going to invest into that course and then learn something as well. And then [00:14:00] give myself the time to experiment with it. So I'm super happy that I did it that way because I could offer like a lot of You know, free work experimented a lot with it to figure out what I actually like about virtual assisting because as a virtual assistant, you could pretty much do anything.

Like it can range from here to here. You could do PR, you can do email marketing, you can do social media management, you can do podcast management, video editing, like whatever you want to do. Like it's so broad. So I just allowed myself to experiment with it for like one or two years. And then also got some consistent clients on the side, but it didn't have the pressure of making it work right away as some people do because I had, you know, the safety net of being a student and being supported by the government and like all of these things.

So I didn't really have to worry about the money side of things, which really helped in that sense. ~Um, ~so yeah, that was a really good experience. I would honestly recommend it as a really good stepping stone into the online world. Like, I didn't know anything about the online world. And once I started working as a virtual assistant, [00:15:00] I'm like, Oh my God.

Like all of these things exist. Like you can do online business management. There's people like selling all kinds of things online. ~Um, ~it's insane. What's what's possible. Like you can literally do anything online. So it like open up a whole new world for me where I really understood like this digital nomad life is completely possible.

And there's a million ways to make it possible. So I think that was a really, really great start. And I'm still super grateful that this friend sent me this course.~ Like that was like the start of everything I think. Yeah.~

Ryan Mellon: ~That's awesome.~ So what was the course about? Like how it just took you step by step, how to get BA jobs or,

Chrisi Ofner: ~Um,~ so it basically taught you the skills as well, because of course I didn't have any of the skills. I didn't know,~ um,~ the business side of, of Instagram or Facebook or anything like that. I didn't know how to edit podcasts. I think honestly, at that point, I didn't even know what a podcast was. Yeah, I think I think I didn't even know I was like, oh my god, this is so cool so basically taught you the skills and then You basically submitted,~ um,~ homework as well.

So they would,~ um,~ also [00:16:00] mentor you in a way, and then they taught you how to build your portfolio and how to build either Instagram, Facebook, some kind of marketing site, and then they taught you how to get your first client. And it's funny because I did an internship with the team that created the course.

And then ended up working for them for a whole year as their paid,~ um,~ VA. So it was funny that in 

like a full circle moment. 

Ryan Mellon: Do you remember the name of the course by chance?

Chrisi Ofner: Yeah. Yeah. Uh, it's called 90 day VA. Yeah,

Ryan Mellon: to check out for sure. I know. ~Um, ~it's, it's very popular for, for people wanting to get into digital nomad space, like really quickly.~ So. That's cool. Awesome.~

Chrisi Ofner: if people or your, your audience has any questions about that, like feel free to direct them to me, I'm happy to, to talk about that more, answer any of the questions.

Ryan Mellon: Okay, cool. Definitely. ~Um, we'll ask. I'll definitely ask at the end where people can find you and we'll hopefully send some folks away. ~So tell us about what you're doing now.

Chrisi Ofner: Yeah, so I still [00:17:00] work as a virtual assistant slash digital business manager for like 15 hours per week because I don't want to have any like kind of money pressure. Like, that's fine. I just want to have my consistent clients there that is kind of like. Boom, bam, done in that sense. ~Um, ~and the rest of my time, I am an anti hustle coach.

So I'm basically helping entrepreneurs to stress less and work less and live more. That is what I do now. So it's all about burnout prevention and or helping with burnout recovery, stress management, because especially as a digital nomad, like most people think it's, you're creating less stress because you have so much freedom.

Yeah. But then they don't give themselves the mental and emotional freedom, and they're still stressing themselves with going to places like every second day and then wonder why they never, like, can rest, you know, without feeling guilty or without like stuff going on. So, especially in the nomad and entrepreneurs world.

This is so neat, and like I see it all the time, how people just stress themselves, even though they could have all the freedom they wanted. Like, they literally created the frame for [00:18:00] that already, but they're not allowing themselves to, to live it. So, yeah, that's what I do now.

Ryan Mellon: Okay. I like that. It sounds like a pretty good job and sounds like something that's very rewarding. And I saw one of your, You're talking about, you know, not putting off life, you hit this six or seven figure,~ um,~ goal. ~Um, ~and I think that's a trap that a lot of entrepreneurs and digital nomads fall into.

Chrisi Ofner: Yeah, it's just like, it's a very human thing. Unfortunately to think, Oh, but if I have the six figures, then I can rest, then I can go to Thailand, then I can go on that cruise. But it's like the minute you're going to hit six figures, it's not going to feel like you think it's going to feel like. So then you're going to set the next goal.

And then you're like, okay, nevermind. Actually, I don't feel safe with the six figures. Maybe I guess I need seven figures to go on that cruise. To go to Thailand, to go to Bali, and then this will be a never ending cycle. You will [00:19:00] always come up with new goals. And when you hit them again, you were not going to feel like you've made it because you're never going to feel like you've, you've made it in a way our brain is just not wired like that.

We are made to like always progress and grow. So if you're putting the, if then on yourself, no matter what it is, like, if I have a boyfriend, then I'm going to be worthy. If I have the money, then I can be a nomad. Like that's just. In that way, you will never, ever gonna live the life you want to have. There are a million ways on how you can already implement some of the things that you want in your dream life that you have on your vision board, like already, like I already host murder mystery, crime dinners and dance bachata and focus on things that do not bring me any money, but they bring me joy and happiness.

And I'm so excited. And because of this excitement and the happiness, I get more energy to do my work. Like it's the other way around. It's how can I take care of myself first so that I feel myself, so that I feel my cup [00:20:00] so that I can give more when I'm working so that I have more energy. When I'm working, people think they need to work more and they need to earn money first so that they can focus on themselves.

But that's not it. You will never be able to focus on yourself if you just focus on the money and the work, because that is a never ending thing. Like never ending loop.

Ryan Mellon: I agree. I agree a hundred percent with you. And I see it all the time with entrepreneurs, even the more successful ones are even the worst, you know, usually like I just see them going after the next milestone of building their business to this big or getting this amount of money or this amount of money.

And I have people all the time. Cause I come from a real estate background as a real estate investor. So I have a lot of real estate investor friends and,~ um,~ I get. I get these Comments from folks all the time like hey, man I would I love seeing your travels and how you live and how you're doing things and I [00:21:00] totally wish I could do that And in my head, I'm thinking you have like 10x the resources that I do

Chrisi Ofner: Yeah.

Ryan Mellon: And you totally can you're just not and I think Tony Robbins also talks about this quite a bit, too Like, it's important to know that like, if you're not growing, you're dying, but you don't always, I think a lot of entrepreneurs take that mean and, and they're like, if you're not growing your business and you're not growing financially, you're dying and that's it.

But that's not, that's not the case. You can grow in so many ways outside of business. Right, and your personal relationships with your partner and your friends and your family and your knowledge,~ um,~ and, and your, with hobbies and travel and learning other cultures and growing yourself,~ um,~ there's so many other ways to grow that's, that's Outside of being just financial and just business.

And if you don't include those, you're [00:22:00] just going to be really lopsided and it's not going to work out. It's just, you're, you're just going to be chasing that next dollar figure. That's going to get you no, no additional happiness or anything. And it's, it, it, it, I see it so much. So yeah.

Chrisi Ofner: Exactly. Like we identify way too much with the money we make, with the job that we have, but on top of that, You are a human, like you are very complex human, you have different life areas, like, as you said, health, your relationships, maybe spirituality or religion,~ um,~ your learning and growth journey, there are so many different things and with all of these things, like, who are you outside of the work and the money bubble, like, what would you, what would excite you, would it be volunteering for a school in Kenya?

~Um, ~would it be learning Portuguese? ~Um, ~you know, whatever that is just like complimenting you as a human being, like your interests and your passions, like the murder mystery for me. That's something [00:23:00] weird and unique that I just love or like, I'm a person who just loves to hug people has nothing to do with my with my work or money.

That's just me. I can't just love welcoming people into my space. And I think people are just not thinking about that enough. Like, who am I as a person? Everybody's introducing. Oh, Hey, I'm Chrissy. I'm from Austria. I'm a coach. We're only talking about the doing of life and not about being like, who are you as a person?

Who are you being on this planet? Because that is what actually matters. People are not thinking about, okay, what is the healthiest version of Chrissy? What would I like my relationships to be like and feel like in my dream life? What would I like my growth journey to be like? What do I want to do when I'm like, I have like all of this time.

Like what hobbies would interest me? Or like what additional thing would I want to learn? Like, I would love to study musical or acting just for fun. Don't want to do [00:24:00] it as a profession. I would love to do it just for fun. Or like MCing. So I was already looking up for courses,~ um,~ Yeah, I'm looking up courses that I could do maybe in Vienna at some point,~ um,~ German speaking, and I do that just for fun because I'm only here once.

I don't know how long my life is, but I definitely want to live it. In the best possible way. So I'm already gonna take that and look up, how can I make my dreams possible already? I'm not earning six figures and I can still live my dream life without earning the six figures by thinking about how can I make this possible?

How can I use my resources? How can I use my time and energy to figure out how I can make this possible for me already? And this is possible for everybody. They just have. The societal conditioning in them thinking that they need to focus on the money and the work first, because otherwise you can't make it or you're not successful.

You're not productive. You're a lazy ass, like whatever comes up, you know, but it's just, it's not healthy that way.

Ryan Mellon: No, not at all. And I love [00:25:00] that. And you can be a digital nomad for like half of six figures and less. Like it's all about where you travel, how you spend your money, how you manage your money, how comfortable do you want to be? ~Um, ~I mean, when I started, I wasn't, We've been making half of six figures as a digital nomad.

So it's, it's definitely doable and, and it's crazy. ~Um, ~a lot of people think you need a lot of money to do what we're doing. And, and you definitely don't,~ um,~ it's much more affordable than you 

Chrisi Ofner: Yeah. I think people don't understand the difference between like, Traveling in terms of, I'm taking a vacation and then actually living in countries like the way we do it, because when you live like a local, you're paying the local prices. Okay. In some countries we are paying more because we're experts or like whatever, but it's still cheaper than like one week off a vacation in Mallorca in a five star hotel resort, like friends of mine paid 2k for one week just to go on vacation with [00:26:00] their family.

I did not spend 2k in one month in Chiang Mai. I think I spent a thousand, 200, a thousand, 300 euros. Maybe when I was living in Buenos Aires, same thing. Like I would not even use the 2k, you know? So it's like, I

Ryan Mellon: For a whole a huge difference. Yeah,

Chrisi Ofner: for a whole 

Ryan Mellon: and you're talking about everything, like not

just a hotel, you're talking about food, transportation, all the things that you need to live. 

Chrisi Ofner: Yeah,

yeah, exactly.

Ryan Mellon: ~no, I love it. I love to hear, um, it's so,~ it's so doable and it's like even here in Bali, I can get a room for 400 a month.

That's perfectly fine. Or I can get something like, you know, 5, 000 a month. Like the sky's the limit. So it's like, where do you want to be? How comfortable do you want to be? Like, it's so easy to, to make it happen for a reasonable amount. You don't have to go crazy with it.

Chrisi Ofner: Exactly.

Ryan Mellon: ~When you're ~[00:27:00] when you're choosing your next destination as you move about,~ um,~ what factors influence that decision?

Chrisi Ofner: I think for me the most,~ um,~ important I spent so much time really getting to know other nomads because I wanted to build my community. I don't want to travel alone anymore. Like, I did that for such a long time. And I can't force the whole like nomad relationship thing, right? But I can have my nomad community, my nomad family that I travel with.

So one most important factor is where are my nomad friends going? ~Um, ~or where are most of my, where's my nomad community at? Let's just say,~ um,~ the second factor for me, my hobbies are like, what do I want to learn next? ~Um, ~do I want to improve my bachata? Do I want to learn Zouk? Do I want to learn a language?

Like, do I want to learn Spanish? ~Um, ~So based on that, I will also choose my next country. So for me, the most important two things are like hobbies. Most most of it is going to be dancing. I just love dancing way too much. So it needs to be some kind of place where I can dance. ~Um, ~and my my nomad [00:28:00] family, nomad community.

Yeah, those two. And then, yeah, cost of living, of course, as well. ~Um, ~but that's that's No, I think the least important, because honestly, I think most places that interest me that are on my to live in list are very like cheap, you know, especially like all the Asian countries like Vietnam or Indonesia or Malaysia, like all of these places, they're not, they're always cheaper than Austria.

~Um, ~and, or South America, like all the places that I want to visit there. I also don't have to think about that because like by default, they're like cheaper than, than Austria. So this is not the first thing that I, that I look at now, but it's definitely a factor too.

Ryan Mellon: I asked this question a lot. You're the first person to say hobbies or, you know, something that you're interested in learning. And I think that's really. Important and I like that. I like that. That's like on the top of the list because I think more digital nomads should be thinking about that.

Chrisi Ofner: That is exactly why so many are like stressed out or only focusing [00:29:00] on work and business. Like, you know, I'm, I, I need to focus on myself first. And that's why I like hobbies. And what I want to do is part of how I can keep myself like calm and peaceful because I know I'm fueling my energy with the new things that I'm learning or the hobbies that I can do,~ um,~ in that country.

So that's my, my number one, one focus in that way. That's how I'm creating my dream life along the way, along the journey.

Ryan Mellon: yeah, yeah, it's super important. It's super important to remember those things to remember to integrate your hobbies and what's going to excite you and what's going to give you energy and what's going to be an awesome story to tell your grandchildren if that's a thing later, you know, like, I think at the end of the day, anybody, it's gonna Look back, you know, I've heard this saying when you're on your deathbed and you're old and you're about to die, are you going to be like, man, I really wish I didn't travel to Thailand and I really wish I worked harder and made just a little bit more [00:30:00] money like nobody's gonna, nobody's gonna say that looking back.

But it's so easy to, in the right now, choose money and business and growing, growing, growing, and only that space over getting out there and living your dream life.

Chrisi Ofner: Yeah. And like, that is what I do a lot for myself, too, is reminding myself that my life is going to end at some point, and I don't know when that is. So sometimes I'm even going to have thought experiments with myself, like, what if I die tomorrow? Is there anything I would do today? Or is there anything that I would change?

Now,~ um,~ or is there anything, any person that I would want to call or anything I wouldn't want to say,~ um,~ just to remind myself that all of these small things that we stress about are actually not that important. Most of the things we stress about are not important. Like we shouldn't give a fuck about most of the things that stress us.

They're so not important. ~So, um, that, yeah, that's what I do.~

Ryan Mellon: I agree 100 percent with you. I [00:31:00] love the way you put that. ~Um, ~and that's, yeah, like, do, have you heard of stoicism?

Chrisi Ofner: Yeah. Mm hmm. Yeah.

Ryan Mellon: So that's like one of the big stoic principles is, you know, thinking about yourself lying dead, getting eaten by worms in a box. It's kind of morbid, but it also kind of makes you think like, oh, that's definitely gonna happen someday.

And it could be tomorrow. So why? Am I worried about this stupid shit that's not really that important today? And why am I not, like, going after, like, my real goals?

Chrisi Ofner: Exactly. And I mean, it's, it's always a balance, right? It's a balance of, okay, I get to rest and I get to focus on myself and I get to focus on my hobbies, but like I'm a big person on, on growth too, but it's about the balance of how can I achieve my goals, financial goals, relationship goals, like whatever goals in a way, in a way that is sustainable for me.

And it. supports me in staying healthy on a [00:32:00] mental level, emotional level, and physical level. A lot of people are just asking, how can I get there the fastest possible way? But the real question is how can I get there staying mentally, emotionally, physically healthy, because then you're going to look at it from a different angle and you're going to come up with a way that is actually sustainable for you.

Because most of these goals, you don't want them for the short term. We want them for the long term. ~Um, ~and we can only sustain the goals as well and achieve the goals if we keep ourselves healthy. ~Um, ~there's so many entrepreneurs that I worked with a couple of years ago that now have a burnout, but especially those coaches were like screaming from the rooftops about how it's important to make six figures and like all of these things.

And like, now they're all burned out and you're not doing anything because they can't, they literally have to recover from their burnout. And that is their journey. Like, that's not bad. It's fine. It's their journey. I'm just saying like. All of these people screaming about all of these financial goals. I'm not sure if that is super sustainable.

If you're only focused [00:33:00] on that. And most of these people are just working 24 seven. And personally, that is not on my vision board. I don't have the desire to work 24 seven. Like even Alex Homozy is so honest about it, right? I'm not sure if you're following Alex Homozy, but he's even saying on Instagram that he's literally working 24 seven and still people admire him for that being like, Oh yeah, I want his financial goals, but then they completely ignoring.

He's literally working 24 seven. So I'm like, do you really, do you really want that? I'm not sure.

Ryan Mellon: No, it's funny that you bring him up, and not to trash Alex Ormosi. I think he's got some really good content, and he's really good business minded out there, but he says that You know, I work all the time, like seven days a week, I just grind, grind, grind. And he's younger than me, and he looks, he aged, man.

I just look at him, I'm like, ma, you gotta slow down. Like, that just can't be good for [00:34:00] anybody's health. I just, it's just my opinion that, you know, like, is it really worth it?

Chrisi Ofner: exactly. No, no. But, like, again, everybody's on their own journey. We don't want to trash Alex Samozy. Like he's amazing, but just like, I wouldn't want that life. So I'm just saying like, be very careful with picking your like role models

in terms of what kind of life you want to live. It's just, yeah, you, you might not want that.

Ryan Mellon: Absolutely. ~We'll probably edit that out. so can you, we might cut that a little bit short.~ Alright, so can you describe a typical work day for you traveling? Like how do you manage like your work and, and being able to enjoy the place? At the same time

Chrisi Ofner: So I don't really have a typical. Workday because the thing is,~ um,~ that's also one part of what I do with my clients. Like I manage my energy, not my time. So I work based on my energy, meaning a work based on, for example, my female cycle, [00:35:00] my sleep patterns, my circadian rhythm. ~Um, ~and that is changing every week, especially for the female cycle.

So One week in my summer phase, for example, could look very different than two weeks later when I'm on my period. ~Um, ~but just to give you an example, maybe with the circadian rhythm, because that is like the most consistent one. Um, so I would wake up at around eight, eight 30 ish, and then I have a slow morning,~ um,~ that usually is like an hour just by myself doing whatever I feel like doing,~ um,~ maybe some journaling, some meditating and, or just.

~Um, ~just having breakfast, listening to a podcast, whatever I need to do,~ um,~ looking at my goals. And then I would work either at home or in a coworking space or in a cafe. ~Um, ~and then I would have lunch and I would go home and nap. I need my nap. So I have like a longer afternoon break, maybe between like one and three or four ish.

And then I would get an energy surge again and maybe [00:36:00] work between like four and six or four and seven or like however long I feel like I have the energy to go for. And then it depends on where I am,~ um,~ or what phase I'm in. So I would either go dance bachata, that is very highly likely. And, or I would meet some nomad friends.

And, or if I feel like socializing, I would go to a new event,~ um,~ like a speed friending or whatever. ~Um, ~or if I'm on my period or lower energy phase, I would literally just Go to bed and watch Netflix and journal or like do whatever I need to do. So that's, that's usually, yeah, that's how I could sum it up, I guess.

But yeah, like every week kind of looks different for me.

Ryan Mellon: different. Yeah, and I like how you're matching your energy to what you're actually doing So that makes sense, you know, there's parts of our day where we just don't feel like the most energetic So don't schedule that podcast for that time or don't schedule that one There's in person one on one client calls and stuff like that.

It's [00:37:00] super important. ~Um, ~Just to so that you're feeling your best for whatever you're doing. So I like that.

Chrisi Ofner: Yeah. Like it's never about managing time. It's about managing your energy. That's actually the real, the most important factor.

Ryan Mellon: That's the secret. I love it. So What advice would you give someone wanting to start as a digital nomad?

Chrisi Ofner: Just start. Don't overthink it. So, ~um, ~do some research. Find one way, or let's put it that way. Write down a list of the skills that you're having. And look at how you could transfer that, or transfer that in some kind of remote career. I mean, there's remote jobs. You could start businesses, you can go to Amazon, like whatever you want to do, but like look up all the different possibilities and see which ones would excite you.

And if you have any skills already that could translate into that and or honestly invest in a course that teaches you the skills, it's totally worth it. Like it's a hundred percent worth [00:38:00] it. ~Um, ~and then honestly, I'm not. I know many nomads would say just book the ticket and go and then one way return ticket to Thailand, like whatever.

Uh, I'm not a fan of that. I want my nervous system to be regulated. ~Um, ~I would do it slow. ~Um, ~I would make sure that I have a source of income on the side and it doesn't, you know, need to be a lot. It just needs to be the amount that makes you feel safe enough. Like what is your enough? And that could be coming from a part time job that could be coming from the government because it's some kind of support.

It could be coming from so many different sources. It doesn't matter, but I want you to feel safe while you're transitioning and then going to some kind of place that already has a good nomad community. And there's so, so many places. And, or going to a big Nomad Fest like the one in Bansko, or going on Nomad Cruise, or going to the Nomad Fest in Madeira, or like, there's so many Nomad Fests now.

To [00:39:00] get to know other nomads and get inspired by their journey because maybe they can give you more tips. They can help you figure out like the whole accommodation thing. They can help you kind of ease into it. And you're immediately in the bubble. And that helps a lot because when you're surrounded by all of these millions of ways of how you can be a nomad, then you're going to be like, okay, I guess I can do it too.

And then you can like go on your journey and you can make plans with the people that you meet there. And then it's like, Self fulfilling prophecy in a way, it's just easier that way. Yeah.

Ryan Mellon: Well, just having a enough money, even if it's just like money and savings, right? Like six months, let's say you don't make a dollar, you know, for six months and you, but you can still eat and travel and do everything while you're, You know, trying to get it, figure it out. But I also like the fact of you saying plug into a digital nomad hotspot, like maybe Mexico City or Chiang Mai or Bali or Lisbon, you know, some of those are the top ones in the [00:40:00] world.

And you're just going to have that support. You're going to meet those other digital nomads. You're going to get ideas from them. You're going to get,~ um,~ you know, Just friends and,~ um,~ and it feels like even like just working at a coworking space, like you're working together even though everyone's working on their own stuff, right?

You know, and it's just gives you that energy, like we're all here, you know, kind of doing the same thing, something that you normally only have when you have like an in person job back at home, but you can try it that like working at being at the coworking spaces like where I am right now, It feels like I'm at the job and like, I feel like I can like be more, ~uh,~ focused.

And, and then once I leave here, I'm back in, all right, I'm just going to scoot around and go to the beach and hang out and, you know, like I can turn work off for a little bit. So I love that.

Chrisi Ofner: And maybe what helps too, because I know that there's a lot of introverted people [00:41:00] too, like what I did,~ um,~ in my first year of being a full time nomad, like I've been to all of these events, right? Like Nomad Cruise and Bansko Nomad Fest and all of these things. I had questions prepared for the nomads that I would meet being like, okay, what is your highlight and lowlight of being a nomad?

What was your biggest mistake? So that I can learn from them. You know, and still have a really good conversation. And like, people remember me for that. I mean, they also remember me for the hugs, but like, they remember me for like asking questions like this. ~Um, ~I think those are going to help you to, first of all, to learn about nomadism, but also to connect with people.

~Um, ~so yeah, that could be, that could be an option to just prepare some questions.

Ryan Mellon: I like that. And that's a, that's one of the questions that I don't have on my list. So I'm gonna throw that back at you. What is one of the worst, ~uh,~ things or experiences you've had as a nomad or mistakes that you would say that you've had as a nomad that maybe someone else can learn from?

Chrisi Ofner: ~A mistake. ~Honestly, I think it has been going pretty smoothly. Maybe one [00:42:00] mistake that I made last year was that I traveled too fast for a month. Like, I know I'm not a fast traveler at all. Like, when I travel, I stay in a country for at least a month. Two to three months. I'm just used to doing that. I don't like the fast travel.

It stresses me out. Don't want it. Don't like it. But after nomad cruise, since everybody was traveling fast through Brazil, I was like, Oh, okay. I guess if everybody's doing that and I was basically creating, I'm planning the itinerary with a friend of mine. If she's doing that too, then I guess I can do it too.

But like, it was fine, but it. I think I wouldn't do it again like that because it really stressed me out. I couldn't really work. I couldn't really focus on socializing. I was like really scattered and I knew that about myself, right? But I still went with what other people would do. So I think the biggest mistake was just not listening to myself.

And afterwards I kind of course corrected it [00:43:00] anyway, because afterwards, after Brazil, I wasn't really sure where to go. I just knew I wanted to settle down,~ um,~ somewhere for a couple of months. And, and a lot of people ask me like, Oh yeah, maybe we can do that. We can trip and that we can trip and we can go to the equal zoo falls.

And like, how come you want to go to Argentina, but you don't want to go to the equal zoo falls before you go. And I'm like, guys, hell no. I just want to settle down. I don't. Fucking care about any waterfalls or national parks or anything you'll see Until there like you go there. I just I wanna go to buenos aires and breathe and settle down So that is what I did.

The rest of the people just did some more like fast traveling, but I cannot I just I cannot I I can go to the iguazu falls any other time like i'm so young i'm gonna do this digital nomad life For as long as I want it. I have the whole world You here at my disposal. Like I don't, I don't need the fast traveling.

So the biggest mistake just to keep it short was to not listen to [00:44:00] myself and not listen to my body and what I wanted.

Ryan Mellon: Yeah, yeah, no, I agree 100%. Like the more I've been a digital nomad, the slower I've gotten it at traveling. Uh, when I first started, I think I went to eight countries and like six months. And it was, even that was just too much. ~Um, ~you know, every three weeks I'm in a new country, figuring everything out and moving, moving, moving, and trying to see all the sites of a whole country.

And like, You know, like you're missing a lot of things and it's stressful and like, how much work are you really gonna get done? And now, you know, I'm on year six or seven of being digital nomad. This is my first time actually having a home base here at Bali for six months. You know, I'm looking for a permanent villa to stay in.

I have a motorbike that's, you know, mine I'm paying by the month. And I'm like, I'm kind of more living here and slowing down and meeting people, and I have much more stability, and I'm not [00:45:00] as stressed, but if I do want to go to the Philippines for a week or two, it's a quick, easy, and not too expensive flight, so I might do something like that, take a little time, but, um, I don't think I'll be working that much when I do, when I do that, so I can enjoy that experience.

So I think going slow is. Is definitely key, especially if you're really building out a business or,~ um,~ you're really busy with work because it's going to be less stressful on you.

Chrisi Ofner: Yeah.

I just, I wanted to say like just to add one more thing, like you can burn out from traveling. I've met many, Nomads who have burned out because they had the same strategy. Like, let me do a hundred countries in two months or like, whatever, you know, like just to take off the countries. And I'm like, is there really enjoyable?

Like, are you really having fun? Because like, yes, it's also about when you're going to different places fast, you might not have time to work, but it's also how much time do you actually have to [00:46:00] enjoy. That you're there and how much time you have to be present and to be grateful that you have this life.

Because like, if it's so fast, you don't have time for that. You're literally just figuring out where the next supermarket is, where you can get your water, uh, where you need to put the trash,~ um,~ for accommodation, like all of these things. And then you're out and then to the next place, having to figure out the same things again.

It's like, God.

Ryan Mellon: it's exhausting. It can be exhausting. Yeah, exactly. So just, just having a little bit more consistency, knowing the neighborhood, you know, you don't, you can just get out there and go get the things you need. You don't even need Google Maps anymore. You, you know, you know, where the, where, where all the spots are, where the coworking spot is, the supermarket, the gas station, like, All the stuff, some of your favorite restaurants.

It's, it does make a big difference and it kind of makes you feel like you're back at home, but with a whole nother ~um, ~in a whole nother place that you still have lots of, lots to explore in the [00:47:00] experience.

So tell me, Give me one of your top five experiences that you've had during your travels.

Chrisi Ofner: Honestly, for me, learning Bachata in Buenos Aires, that was so cool. I mean, I didn't speak any Spanish, or I don't speak any Spanish, at least not the Argentinian version of Spanish. Whatever that is, but like it was so cool to be there with my nomad friends But also meet so many locals who were so nice like helped me with the bachata, even though we couldn't communicate You know,~ um,~ so it was just So cool to go to classes.

I did not understand what they would tell me, but I would just try to like do the things anyway, and it kind of like somehow worked out. I mean, I also had like a one on one teacher who became my friend. ~Um, ~he was from Russia and then we just created this whole community in Buenos Aires, even though we couldn't really communicate with each other.

Well, I had my, my Norman friends that I obviously [00:48:00] could communicate with, but. It was just, it was such a cool experience. And in Buenos Aires, I was also living with a local. Actually, I paid like 200 euros per month. It's nothing to live in Buenos Aires. Um, and I had a really, really great experience there.

Yeah, that was, that was,

amazing. Yeah. Yeah.

Ryan Mellon: So for those listening that don't know what bachata is, like, can you tell us a little bit about like what bachata is?

Chrisi Ofner: Yes, so it's a couple's dance from the Dominican Republic. ~Um, ~there's a lot of like Spanish music. ~Um, ~the music is really good. I love it. And then you just dance and it's in some countries, like for example, Buenos Aires, there's a really popular dance. Big scene of bachata. So people just meet up in the evening, everybody dances with everybody.

So it's not like a stiff dance where you have your one and only partner. And then you like dance with them for the whole time. Like you do in Austria for waltz or like whatever all the other dances are, but it's like so fun and like, so social and [00:49:00] everybody's so friendly. Everybody's dancing with you. ~Um, ~yeah, it's, it's just, it's really cool.

I love it.

Ryan Mellon: Awesome. That's awesome. And you're, you even took it to Thailand. You love it so much.

Chrisi Ofner: Yes, exactly. And I'm going to take it to Vietnam next year and then Columbia and like, yeah, I don't know, like there's so many places where bachata is a huge thing. So yeah,

Ryan Mellon: Okay, so you can find it pretty much anywhere.

Chrisi Ofner: yes, pretty much in every bigger city. And then this year also realized that in Europe, there's bachata festivals every week, just in different countries, but every week there's bachata festivals

Ryan Mellon: Okay, very cool,

towards the end here and I have a couple rapid fire questions. So, one item other than your laptop or your phone that you would not travel without?

Chrisi Ofner: And notebook. I journal a lot. I always need a notebook wherever I go. 

Ryan Mellon: It's so much, it's so easy for like just jotting down thoughts quickly. It's, Much, much [00:50:00] better than typing them in the computer.

Chrisi Ofner: exactly. Like I can't do the Google doc thing. I need the writing. I need the handwriting.

Ryan Mellon: ~very good Suggestion ~Where is your favorite co working space?

Chrisi Ofner: Favorite coworking space. Well, I would say real space in Chiang Mai.

Ryan Mellon: real space? Okay What's so cool about real space

Chrisi Ofner: The community. It's amazing. I mean, I just hosted a murder mystery crime dinner yesterday at the coworking space and I'm going to host an excellent you party tomorrow at real space, but they have board game nights almost every night. They have like so many events almost no, actually every day, not almost every day.

~Um, ~and so many different things, improv classes like whatever. And they also have a really nice like coworking space in itself where you can work. So I love it.

Ryan Mellon: nice and one more? What is? The best Money saving trick that you've learned as a digital nomad.

Chrisi Ofner: Best money saving trick. ~Um, ~Hmm. That is a good one. [00:51:00] Honestly, trying to find accommodation with locals. Like when you join like WhatsApp groups, for example, there are some,~ um,~ Like digital nomad accommodation. What's the groups for specific countries like the one I found for Buenos Aires and a local posted that they have a room in their own apartment.

And I was like, okay, actually this might be a really cool experience. And we hopped on a video call and he showed me the whole apartment and like everything looked great. And that was so cheap. I, I mean, 200 euros, whereas all the other nomads who were living in the expert area of Buenos Aires, who got the nomad experience, but not the local experience paid, like at least double that when not more, or if not more.

So I would highly recommend if you have a chance to get either like a local. Helping you with the accommodation or living with a local or something like that. I would, I would highly recommend that like you're getting so much more like behind the scenes. ~Um, ~then you would, if you would just stay in a normal bubble.

Ryan Mellon: Yeah. Yeah. A hundred percent. And it's [00:52:00] going to be, save a lot of money than booking or Airbnb or anything that's geared towards tourists. Cause that's already going to be on anything online. Like that's going to be pretty much top dollar.

Chrisi Ofner: Yeah.

Ryan Mellon: So yeah. Awesome. Well, thank you so much for taking the time today.

It was really good having you. And so where can people find you online?

Chrisi Ofner: Yeah. So I have a website, um~ ,~ christineoffner. com. ~Um, ~or you can find me on Instagram, christine. offner. Would love to connect with everybody. And if you have any questions, feel free to send them my way.

Ryan Mellon: Awesome. Well, definitely will. And we'll put that in the show notes and I appreciate you taking the time out and I hope you have an amazing day.

Chrisi Ofner: Thanks so much. Bye bye.

Ryan Mellon: Thanks for listening to another episode of Digital Nomad Nation. I hope today's stories have inspired you to take the next step towards location independence. If you've enjoyed the show, please share it with a friend and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite [00:53:00] podcast app. Your support fuels our mission to inspire the digital nomad lifestyle.

Before you go, don't forget to grab your free copy of my guide, Seven Ways to Become a Digital Nomad. It's packed with practical tips to kickstart your nomadic journey. You can find the link in the episode description. And remember, the life you've always dreamed of is just one bold decision away. Until next time, this is the Digital Nomad Coach, Ryan Mellon, signing off.