First Impression | Living in Austin Texas As A Digital Nomad
I can proudly say that I am living in Austin Texas for the next 30 days. Every 30 days, I will move to different places. The decision is totally out of my comfort zone. Let’s just say, “It was time for a change.” Despite having all of the emotions around this big decision, I prayed, and God gave me clarity on making this choice and starting this digital nomad life chapter.
Good news! I will be bringing you along with the lessons that I learned.
Austin, Texas, is one of the top cities in the US experiencing a surge due to new opportunities and jobs. A few months ago, I fell in love with Austin on a trip to see my brother compete at a track tournament. The city ignited my journey to sell everything and travel. In June, I decided to sell everything and travel to rebuild my event business.
The first stop on my journey is Austin. I had to find out “is Austin a good place to live?” My biggest concern was Austin cost of living. The AirBnb prices alone were the highest out of the other areas on my list. I had created a housing budget to avoid price gouging.
UMLAUF Sculpture Garden
Lessons Learned
Honest and authentic lessons only in my blog. Honestly, I’m sure there will not be a shortage of lessons to learn. It can be frustrating to see only the highlight reels from people's lives. My digital nomad journey is shared on the Business On The Roads Instagram page and podcast.
What can I say about Austin? It’s my first week and wow! I’m truly revitalized about the opportunity to rebuild Luxegiving. The last 15 months have been filled with ups and downs. The pandemic has taught the importance of diversifying income, the ability to shift, and, most importantly, having faith.
The reason to start my digital nomad journey is to rebuild and network with people within my industry. The first week taught me the importance of being open to new friends and rekindling old ones. We don’t have to sit on a lonely island.
I was used to being solitary in Louisiana. I didn’t want to continue that tendency in new places. I plan to hang out with a friend to see the Van Gogh exhibit soon (stay tuned for that blog).
Finding A Coworking Space
Have you heard people say your environment and surroundings impact your energy? It sounds like some self help, motivational quotes, blah blah. Let me tell you. Finding a space to work outside of my Air Bnb was high on my list. I set out to find a great space in Austin and found Industrious Austin.
I’ve worked out of coworking spaces for most of my self-employed journey. The Industrious brand was new to me. I didn’t know what to expect. Once the elevator doors opened and I turned the corner, I knew this was the right place to be. I felt something ignite inside of me.
Both Beth and Anna greeted me on my first visit into space. Everything about the area inspired me to feel like a business owner again. Working from home sounds fun until you get into a slump. I like getting dressed to head into a workspace. Let’s say I can knock out a day of work in 4 hours at a coworking space. Home distractions are a real thing.
The beauty about Industrious Austin on Congress Ave is the big bright windows. I love light and brightness. It keeps you from falling into the “I need a nap” vortex. Lol.
The perk is everyone has been friendly. You can see a little sneak peek on my Instagram page.
Creating Time For Sightseeing
Another perk to working downtown is sticking to my commitment to make time to see the sites. You may or may not have seen my Instagram post about how I waited until the end of my Baton Rouge trip to sightsee. I promised myself that I would schedule downtime to see things while traveling.
What’s the point of traveling to rebuild my business and not see the places. Lol. That’s a real thing.
My first week living in Austin was filled with food and sightseeing. Well, like a lot of food (Don’t judge me). The Austin food scene has by far been one of the best that I’ve seen across the world. I had to legit talk myself out of eating out every day. My pockets can take that type of spending. Lol.
Barton Springs Trail
Outside of food, I was able to explore the sculpture garden and Barton Springs. Both experiences were pretty incredible, even as a solo traveler. My friends that live in Austin want to go kayaking at Barton Springs with me.
My first week has confirmed the need to change scenery. I felt inspired to wake up with my creative juices flowing and endless business ideas. The last three years will hold a special place in my heart. This new chapter in my life is using my last season as a preparation for the next level.
Have you found yourself in a slump? I highly recommend praying and meditating on guidance for the next step. Each step won’t be in your comfort zone. It will likely require you to have faith.
I truly believe that amazing things happen outside our comfort zone—DC girl in Austin for 30 days. Let’s see what the next 23 days bring. Stay tuned for more blogs about living in Austin, Texas pros and cons.
Do you have any recommendations for places to see (or eat) in Austin? Comment below.
The Mighty Cone Austin