This professor traded her tenure in for Wi-Fi as a digital nomad. Here's what she learned

Ruth White has lived a life that for many sounds like a distant dream.

The Canadian professor’s path seemed laid out for her when she got tenure at Seattle University. Then she decided to take a risk.

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The 60-year-old Toronto native said she didn’t expect the decade-long journey that decision would lead her on. Armed with a laptop and aided by Wi-Fi, White has travelled the globe as a digital nomad, visiting more than 20 countries across four continents.

White is one of several Canadians who’ve given up traditional jobs, choosing opportunities instead that allow them to explore the wonders of the world.

What is a digital nomad?

The term “digital nomad” refers to individuals who leverage technology to work remotely allowing them to travel and live anywhere with an internet connection.

Some countries offer a digital nomad visa – a document to legally recognize an individual’s freedom to live and work in a foreign country.

They are unique to standard work visas because an applicant’s income source won’t be within the country they plan to live in.

CTVNews.ca asked Canadians, like White, who’ve embraced this lifestyle, or have done so in the past, to share their stories — the challenges, triumphs, and everything in between.

Here’s what they had to say about the realities of working wherever the road takes you.

A decade of travels

White’s nomadic lifestyle began with a one-way ticket, and turned into a decade of crisscrossing the globe, scouring flight sales, and heading to whichever destinations had the best deals.

Before she became a digital nomad, she was luckier than many who wish to travel. She was occasionally sent on business trips, to which she could add on days of personal travel. The additional costs of these “bleisure” (business-leisure) trips came out of her own pocket, but the business part was paid by her employer.

“When I went on a work trip to a conference in Singapore, I added a daytrip to Kuala Lumpur and spent a few days in Bangkok,” White said.

But her job required her to be at home most of the time, and she had to keep a close eye on dwindling vacations days, she told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview.

In 2013, an opportunity arose at the University of Southern California – an opportunity she called a pioneering fully virtual, synchronous social work program – and White made the decision to give up tenure at Seattle to accept the new role.

What sold her was that all White needed was a strong Wi-Fi connection to do the job. The job wasn’t tied to a specific location, “and so, once I realized I could be anywhere, I was anywhere and everywhere,” White said.

“For 10 years, I would visit friends and family all over the world, as well as discovered new places. I worked from 20-plus countries on four continents: Asia, North America, South America and Europe.

Ruth White is seen in Edinburg, Scotland. (Photo by Ruth White)

“I’d go to Chicago for two weeks. I'd be in Florida for a month. I'd come to Toronto. My sister was in Mississauga. I’d go to London and spend months there at my best friend’s house. I had a friend in Paris. I visited Germany,” she said.

“I taught from Cartagena. I’d spend weeks in Jamaica – my parents lived there. I’d do my grading, write things there.”

White holds three passports, something that eased her ability to cross borders.

As she travelled, she found similarities between cities and countries she knew well already.

London she compared to Toronto for its multiculturalism, saying it was one of her favourite destinations. She also loved Jamaica, a place that she said culturally and spiritually fed her.

“I developed a system for making myself feel at home,” White said.

Of course, not everything was easy.

Before Airbnb rentals became an option, White said, hotels were a challenge, because their Wi-Fi could not accommodate her work needs, which included having to stream up to 15 videos at once.

But sites like Airbnb enabled her to select options with the Wi-Fi speeds she needed to be able to do her job.

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What also helped her nomadic lifestyle was something White calls her “superpower”: the ability to connect with people from all walks of life.

White said she found it easier to connect once she’d experienced where people have been.

“I loved seeing how other people lived and where they ate. I didn't want to be in the tourist zone. I wanted to meet a local person and hang out with them,” she said.

“I realized you can live in so many different ways. It has made me an extremely flexible person and adaptable. I’m able to read a room.”

While being a digital nomad isn’t cheap, White was able to sustain this lifestyle on an US$88,000 to $105,000 salary at the time, partially because she looked for savings and chose her next location that way.

“I travelled according to flight deals,” she said.

Ruth White is seen at the Great Wall of China (Photo by Ruth White)

In addition to her University of Southern California job, White also held positions in the technology sector that allowed her to travel, but a combination of layoffs and other factors in her life, including the loss of her parents, led to her settling down again.

“I do miss waking up in a new place and saying, ‘Let's go see what's down at the square.' That sense of adventure and newness, I miss that, and I miss the freedom of the open road,” White reflected.

It’s an experience she recommends to those who can find a way to do it.

For cheaper locales, White suggests anywhere in eastern Europe, Central America including Costa Rica, Mexico and parts of Africa, like Ghana and South Africa. 

Ruth White can seen at La Libertad, El Salvador (Photo by Ruth White)

From Hamilton to Madrid

Fifty-year-old Preston Ciere from Hamilton, Ont., had an epiphany when watching a travel documentary.

“I could not stop thinking about it,” Ciere told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview.

Infatuated with the idea that his tech job – building and managing websites at Rain Digital – was a fully remote job and could be done anywhere, Ciere decided to start small.

He experimented with remote work and travel three months at a time, moving around Italy, France and Spain, flying back home to reset his visa days, and returning to Europe before Canada’s winters stormed in.

After a couple of years, Ciere decided to sell all his possessions including his condo. He set off for Europe in 2022 to make his travel dreams a reality.

More than 10 European cities later, Ciere said in November that he’s going to be a digital nomad until he can’t.

Ciere described himself as a “history buff,” and said his focus is on exploring Europe and the wonders he always read about.

Ciere has worked remotely from Italian cities such as Palermo, Naples, Rome, Florence and Milan; Seville in Spain; Avignon and Strasbourg in France; and Leiden in the Netherlands.

One of Ciere’s favourite places to work was Venice, where he said he immersed himself in the city’s charm during the quieter hours and then retreated to work when the tourist crowds arrived.

Logistically, Ciere has to be available for his job’s office hours in eastern time, so instead of a traditional work schedule, he often starts work in the afternoon.

“With remote work, you have a bit of a flexible schedule,” Ciere said.

“I visit local sites or just wander around during the morning. Then check out the local foods in the evening,” Ciere said in his initial email to CTVNews.ca’s callout.

Ciere said the different time zones are advantageous in cases where he’s available to talk to clients around the world or attend to projects that are local to Europe.

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“Often times I can do backups or run functions while everyone else is asleep.”

And while many would think it’s an expensive way to live, Ciere said he’s found the opposite.

“I’m surprised at how much money I’m saving because I’m not buying stuff. I live within two suitcases. Giving up your stuff is very freeing like big expenses – your rent, car,” Ciere said.

However, Ciere admitted that with a C$110,000 to $120,000 salary, he’s not living on the budget that many digital nomads would be, including those who might be better off travelling in cheaper places, such as Southeast Asia.

Preston Ciere is seen here at a Strasbourg cathedral in France. (Photo by Preston Ciere)

In 2024, Ciere decided it was time for a home base in Europe, and is now living in an apartment in Madrid, Spain. He went through a yearlong process and secured a Spanish digital nomad visa, so he’s able to stay a while.

Ciere cited Spain’s siesta culture as one of the shocks that he has had to adjust to.

“In the middle of the day, everything basically shuts down and people go home for lunch, resting, and even napping. It means your days are a little longer with this big gap in the middle.”

But he still visits and works from other locations, spending about four weeks somewhere before he moves on.

“You’re there long enough to get a real sense of what the place is about. You have to do things that you don’t on vacation, like get everyday shopping done,” Ciere explained of the timeframe.

After suffering a heart attack a couple of years ago, Ciere credits his improved health to staying active and the fresh food he eats in Europe.

Preston Ciere with his homemade paella. After suffering a heart attack a couple of years ago, Ciere credits his improved health to staying active and the fresh food he eats in Europe. (Photo by Preston Ciere)

For Ciere, his travels through Europe continue. Next on his list of desired places to work remotely from are Prague, Vienna and Poland. 

Discovering the world, one brush stroke at a time

Forty-eight-year-old Jillian Amatt and 46-year-old Chris DeCap had grown weary of the constant busyness of their lives in Powell River, B.C.

Days were filled with the grind of running three home-based businesses, and they said they were drowning in bills and debt.

“We just didn’t have time to do the things that were important to us,” DeCap lamented in a phone interview with CTVNews.ca. “We felt like we're constantly scrambling around, trying to stay afloat in society.”

That all changed when Amatt stumbled upon a Netflix documentary about minimalism, which made them feel that their inability to travel was because they had too many belongings.

The couple knew what they had to do. In 2017, they decided to sell all their possessions, including a house and two vehicles, and close their businesses.

"The biggest advice is to just go for it," DeCap encouraged. "You just have to have the courage to just go out and find your way and opportunities will present themselves."

And present themselves they did. The couple embarked on a full-time nomadic journey, living in many different countries throughout Central America, Europe and East Africa, and through it discovered a passion for creating murals.

"The murals really didn't come until we were out on the road," Amatt said. "It was an opportunity presented to us. A (Costa Rican) hostel owner said, 'Oh, if you guys are artists, you want to paint this for me to get a free room?’ And that sparked our idea for that."

The couple painted their first mural in 2018 and that led to many other murals around the world, including Guatemala, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Morocco and more.

Jillian Amatt and Chris DeCap in Morocco with their host, in front of mural they painted for him in 2020 (Photo by Jillian Amatt)

From January 2020 through March 2023, the couple travelled around the world, visiting places like Bulgaria and Turkiye and doing humanitarian work in a Ugandan village.

“We ended up fundraising for the village to bring them food and fresh drinking water during their time of need, plus stayed for about a year while teaching them how to compost and improve the quality of their soils,” Amatt said.

Alongside painting, the couple also trades housesitting services for accommodation, which decreases expenses.

Amatt and DeCap said other times they rent.

“We don’t really make too many plans in advance. We let things fall into place, which is a big change from our static lifestyle.”

Jillian Amatt and Chris DeCap can be seen here feeding giraffes at a wildlife sanctuary in Uganda where they painted a large mural in the vistor centre. (Photo by Jillian Amatt)

Aside from trading services, the couple said they make money through online platforms like Etsy and Medium to sustain them while travelling. They document their adventures on their website, Artistic Voyages.

From March 2023 to September 2024, they came back to Canada to help Amatt’s ailing parents, and to sort out expired passports and visa cards. DeCap said even in Canada they were still nomadic, choosing to move around instead of settling into a home of their own.

They’ve since gone back to travelling and were in Albania when they spoke to CTVNews.ca. For Christmas, they plan to visit friends in Germany.

Jillian Amatt and Chris DeCap seen in front of Victoria Falls, Zambia. (Photo by Jillian Amatt)

Overlooking the sunset, the couple said they feel like they’ve gained back time.

“We can actually choose what we want,” DeCap said.

'Once in a lifetime'

Fifty-four-year-old Jason Sack of Mississauga, Ont., was ready for a change. In 2023, Sack found himself with an unexpected opportunity – the chance to embrace the nomadic lifestyle and explore Europe on his own terms.

With his laptop, a few essential tech accessories and an open mind, Sack embarked on a whirlwind adventure in May of that year that would take him from island-hopping in Greece to the historical streets of the U.K.

It started with a 26-hour trek to Athens, then Sack quickly settled into the rhythm of his new nomadic life.

He spent a month in Greece with a travel partner, visiting places such as Glyfada, Rhodes, Crete, Kos, Symi and Aegina.

Armed with software that allowed him to make calls over the internet, plus a flexible work schedule, he was able to transition his Mississauga, Ont.-based job to the time zones of Europe.

"My 10 o'clock start time at my office started at 5 p.m. in Greece," Sack explained to CTVNews.ca in a phone interview. "This was amazing – you could spend the whole day out, as long as you’re at your desk by 5 p.m. their time. My days were very full of fun.

“I would travel during the day and be at my next destination before I started work.”

Sack marvelled at the ancient ruins like the Acropolis of Athens, savoured the local cuisine, and pub crawled with some newfound Greek friends who welcomed him into their social circles.

Jason Sack visits the Acropolis of Athens in Greece (Photo by Jason Sack)

"I lost about 17 pounds walking in Greece," he recalled. "You’re eating lots of good vegetables, lean meats, lean fish; it made a big difference on my diet."

From Greece, Sack ventured to Cyprus, where a mistake led him to stumble upon what became one of his highlights.

"We had actually booked a hotel in the Greek-speaking south, but ended up on the Turkish side by mistake," he said.

Sack said it turned out to be a blessing in disguise – a completely different experience with a unique blend of cultures that they wouldn't have seen if they’d been on the other side.

Jason Sack visits the Girne (Kyrenia) Castle in Northern Cyprus. (Photo by Jason Sack)

After Cyprus, Sack headed to Portugal for a week, where he stayed with family friends and continued to balance work and exploration.

"The time difference was a bit trickier in Portugal, as I had to start work at 3 p.m. instead of 5 p.m. like in Greece," he explained.

Sack faced a few logistical challenges too. He’d been renting out his condo in Mississauga, and when his tenants left abruptly, this clipped his travels short, as Sack depended on the income from the rent to pay his mortgage.

Sack stayed in traditional hotels and Airbnbs and shared the expenses with his travel partner in Greece and Cyprus.

He left Portugal and headed for England, where he stayed for five weeks. Sack spent 10 vacation days in Scotland and four days each in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Jason Sack feeds a Scottish 'hairy coo' -- a highland cattle -- carrots and potatoes at Trossachs Wollen Mill, Callandar, Scotland. (Photo by Jason Sack)

When August rolled around, marking two months and two weeks of travel, it was time for Sack to come home. His work – a technology products distributor – had requested his return, and money was starting to run out.

Sack said the hardest part of his nomadic lifestyle was coming back home.

“I dreaded it. It was so freeing to be over there. One minute you’re walking in a place of antiquity where the ancient Greeks or Britons used to be… I really thought about going back in February (2024) and staying for another month or two, because at that price, it's quite reasonable. Once you're there, it's inexpensive to travel to the other destinations.”

Sack shared advice for those considering a similar adventure.

“Scope out where you’re going, the destinations you want to get to along the route. But also, be open to changing things along the way,” he said.

“It was a once in a lifetime for me, but I hope to do it twice in a lifetime.”