Meet Our Brand Ambassadors: Vinisha!

Starting in 2022, Landing is thrilled to be partnering with members from all over the country as they travel, explore, and live their best life while staying with us. Fresh off a 2,400-mile road trip from Los Angeles to Nashville, brand ambassador Vinisha is excited to start off her digital nomad life while still maintaining her corporate nine-to-five job. 

Read on to learn more about Vinisha’s flexible lifestyle, her travel plans for the year, and her advice for people thinking about moving somewhere new: 

How I started my digital nomad lifestyle

My fiancé Connor and I have both lived in California for most of our lives. We originally wanted to move at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it didn’t really make sense because we were supposed to be sheltering in place. We both worked from home, so we didn’t have a real need to move, and we got really comfortable during that time. 

Then, two years into the pandemic, we realized that if we didn’t do this now, we probably never would. Connor was applying to Ph.D. programs that required a four- to five-year commitment, so even if I could still work remotely post-pandemic, he was going to have to be settled in one place.

We had never really seen any other parts of the country other than quick little trips where we didn’t really get to dig in and explore. So, we had this idea last summer that we wanted to travel as digital nomads from October through July. We do have to be back in California after that to prepare for our wedding in November. 

We got a little nervous about leaving for nine months, since we weren’t sure if we could do it and whether we’d be happy doing it. We had all these grand plans but were worried that this type of lifestyle wouldn’t be sustainable long-term. I know that I am not cut out for #VanLife—I need my running water, comfy bed, and reliable Wi-Fi. So, in 2021, we decided to do a trial run in Denver, figuring it was close enough that if we hated it, we could just drive home. But, good news—we loved it! 

My travel plans for the year with Landing

This year, we’re living in Nashville and Charleston for sure, and plan to spend a month each in two other cities. We haven’t quite decided where yet—we have a few ideas of places that would be fun, but a big reason we chose the Explorer Plan was to have the flexibility to move without a ton of planning. I’m a planner by nature, so it’s been a great opportunity for me to practice going with the flow and being more spontaneous. We just have to give 14-days notice, and we can move along to the next city! 

For our housing, we wanted to live with a company that offered furnished rentals in each of the cities we wanted to travel to. In the past, we had experienced difficulties with other housing companies, such as moldy and dirty apartments, so it was important that our next home was clean, modern, and attractive. Having a pet-friendly place was also non-negotiable since we needed to bring our dog along. 

I found Landing and the more I researched it, the more it seemed like a great fit. Pretty much every property was pet-friendly, and we were able to get a great deal on our rent by using Landing’s six-month Explorer option, rather than renting each apartment one by one. 

What a day in the life of a digital nomad looks like

When I’m traveling, I go out to coffee shops pretty much every day. I usually spend from 7:00 to 10:00 working out of a coffee shop, so I see that as my alone time to really get stuff done. Then, I’ll head home, take the dog on a walk, pick up our lunch from somewhere new, and come back. 

In the evening, we’ll take the dog on a long walk or to the dog park, then we’ll go catch a happy hour somewhere and grab some food. We’re usually home by 9:00 to make sure we’re well-rested for the next workday. Overall, we really like to try new restaurants, find fun trivia nights at local breweries, and take weekend trips, such as glamping in the Smoky Mountains outside of Nashville. 

I was initially concerned that I wasn’t going to have enough time to explore each city when I have to work all day, but it’s pretty crazy that we’re able to jam so many experiences into one day, from finding cool coffee shops and trying new foods, to hanging out drinking wine at fun happy hours. 

I think life is a little simpler when we’re not tied to all of the things that go into having your own apartment. So much of all the stuff that keeps me busy at home just isn’t prevalent here, such as doing chores or even hanging out with friends. When I was living in California, I’d spend so much time strolling through the aisles of Homegoods or Target, but I’m not doing that here because I have no home to buy stuff for! It leaves me with so much more free time, and life just feels a bit slower when we’re not at home with all of these obligations and responsibilities. And as much as it can get a little lonely not knowing anyone in a city, it’s almost a little liberating to start totally fresh.

Even on nights when you want to keep things chill, you can still have a new, fun experience. Just the other night, it was cold and raining here, so we grabbed a glass of wine and went up to the club room of our apartment complex, which has a pretty view of Nashville. We didn’t have to get dressed up or anything—we just watched the rain, admired the skyline, and chatted with someone else who had the same idea. 

Tips for other people embarking on a digital nomad journey

I have three main pieces of advice for other people thinking about taking on a more flexible lifestyle. First, if you’re working a corporate job, it’s important to set expectations with your team upfront about what you’re doing, how you’ll continue to get your work done, and what your hours are going to be. When you bring up working remotely and traveling around, people automatically start to freak out and worry about how you’re supposed to get your work done. But at the end of the day, whether you’re working from one place or another, the only thing that really changes is your background. Just be honest—it’s not worth trying to hide it, and people will find out eventually if you do. 

Second, one of the main concerns I had before moving was the attachment I had to all of my stuff. I had to learn to pack in a way that could fit in the trunk and cargo box on top of my car, since our backseat is reserved for our dog. It was really challenging. But one of the biggest realizations I had was that we weren’t traveling to super remote places. If you forget something, it’s not the end of the world—you can just grab it at Target, the mall, or even on Amazon. Don’t stress out too much about buying and bringing every little thing before your trip. 

Third, I’m big on planning and researching places so that I’m prepared with at least some fun things I’m excited about. It can be scary and nerve-wracking to leave all your friends and family and everyone you know behind, but it was fun to have a bucket list of all of the different things I wanted to do and see. Plus, if you don’t have plans on a random Tuesday, you can just refer back to your list! 

But, on the flip side of that, don’t over-plan to the point that you’re dictating what you are going to do every single day for an entire month. We found a lot of our favorite places by talking to random people on the street or seeking out recommendations from a bartender.