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This essay is Ruth Faulknera 34-year-old digital nomad living in Australia. Edited for length and clarity.
I’m currently a digital nomad based in Adelaide, South Australia.
I trained as a journalist in London and started my career covering the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games, then moved to Accenture in content before joining creative agency Tonic, first as account director and then as head of content.
In December 2023, I launched my own business, Toucan Content, which specializes in content and communications strategy.
In 2022, his marriage broke down and his work life became difficult.
Two years ago, I was dealing with the end of my marriage while trying to show up to work every day for my many clients at Tonic, and I decided not to take the time off I probably needed.
I was working to distract myself from my personal life: I undertook additional study for my MBA foundational courses outside of work hours in order to secure a role on the senior leadership team.
I hit a wall and sunk into a frozen depression. One day in December of that year, I woke up unable to get out of bed or stop crying. I finally decided to take a two-week mental health leave and seek counseling. Most importantly, I gave myself the space to acknowledge my feelings.
The next challenge arose just as I was finally getting on track.
In March 2023, I had an unplanned positive pregnancy test. At the time, I was unhappy, unwell, living in a shared house and not in a long-term relationship so the decision to have an abortion was clear.
I made choices that were right for me and my body, but the process was emotionally exhausting.
So much had happened so quickly and I needed a change. I had spent my entire career focused on working for others, often working 50-60 hour weeks and completely ignoring the concept of work-life balance.
December 2023 was my last day at the company and I started working independently.
I decided to emigrate to Australia.
I grew up in a working class family on the Isle of Wight and coming from a very small place, as I became more financially stable, seeing the world became a big priority.
Between the ages of 22 and 30, I traveled to over 30 countries, mostly with my ex-husband. Now, I want to travel solo.
I have very close friends in Australia, so I decided to move there to live with them in January. Finalizing a divorce, starting a business, and moving across the world. Dealing with just one of these things is emotionally and mentally exhausting. Facing all three sometimes felt like too much psychological strain.
This transition has been difficult but exciting — it feels like a new chapter of growth after trauma and turmoil.
I took the business
I am on a working holiday visa, which is easier to manage. Working for yourself still requires energy and long hours, but only you decide the flow of your days.
One of the hardest things about the past two years has been not feeling able to speak up at work for fear of being judged or coming across as unprofessional. Living with pain and trauma in secret makes you feel even more alone.
Today, my business values ​​are based around being human and communicating openly. I share my story regularly and my clients work with me knowing exactly who I am and what I stand for.
I have three freelancers who work with me part-time and can incorporate a wider range of freelancer contacts into my team if required for a particular client project.
There is no typical day
I live with friends in Port Norunga near the beach. There are some cultural differences between the UK and Australia, most of which I feel are minor. One that really stands out is how Australians seem to value and embrace work-life balance.
I start my day slowly late at night and check all the emails and messages that came in during the night. I am rarely disturbed during the day.
I usually take a break around 3pm to go for a walk on the beach before the UK comes online. In the evening I’ll be on calls and meetings with the UK, working with clients and partners. I try to be finished by 10pm. I’ve always been a night owl, so this method works great for me.
Being a digital nomad means striving to see more of the world, and I try to embrace this by prioritizing spending time outdoors and exploring.
I am incredibly happy with the changes in my life
I feel like I’ve embraced and accepted myself, rather than trying to fit into a box.
I miss my family – my parents live in France and my grandparents are in the UK – I have friends all over Europe – and while the time difference, costs and travel time make Australia feel far away from it all, for now life here makes up for it.
I am the best version of myself right now. I feel like this is what I was always meant to do. I know running a business can be tough, but the autonomy is what I enjoy most. A 9-5 schedule doesn’t make me feel energized. Now the work flows more naturally with my energy.
In the future, I plan to go to Bali in 2025 to train as a yoga teacher, and also hope to travel more widely in Australia and the Asia Pacific region.