Do you know that feeling when you’re walking down the street, and suddenly all the sounds become too much? As if someone turned up the volume to sixty, and people seem to be shouting in your ear, even though they’re having a normal conversation.
All you want to do is find some peace and quiet. You rush home, eager to escape—from the people, the noise, and the panicky feeling in your chest.
That’s how I felt regularly last year, on the rare occasions I even left my house.
There was nothing wrong with my hearing. I was just a bit burned out...
Which is pretty normal, I guess, when you’ve just moved from Bali to the Netherlands with your cat, lost a few clients in the process, haven’t looked for any new writing gigs, and watch your money disappear like snow melting in the sun due to sky-high rent prices.
Financial stress for freelancers is no joke. It panicked me so much that I didn’t know what to do anymore and even applied for a job as a truck driver (nothing wrong with that, but it’s quite a leap when you’re a copywriter).
What I needed was rest
But what did I do? I worked myself to the bone. I came up with all sorts of ways to make money: creating a new course, writing a new book, starting a mastermind, organizing retreats.
Did I look for new writing assignments? No. I didn’t have the energy for that. All my effort went into my new projects, but nothing really took off because I was trying to do everything at once.
The reason I left Bali after spending eight winters there was because I needed more peace. Bali is one of the noisiest places I know; there’s no escaping the buzzing of scooters, the drilling and hammering of construction workers, or the beats from the ever-growing number of beach clubs.
I hoped to find some of that peace in the Netherlands and partly in Galicia, which attracted me because of the waves, the stunning nature, and the fact that you can walk for hours without seeing a single person in the wild.
So when my money started to run out, I went into full panic mode.
I googled “entrepreneurs without income” and found two organizations that offer free advice to entrepreneurs in tough times.
What did they say? They told me I was shooting in all directions. I needed to regain my focus and get back to finding writing assignments and clients, not focus on my “passion projects.”
That was hard to hear, but it was exactly what I needed. Within a month, I had a steady income again.
Which meant I could go to Galicia!
And so I did. Completely on my own—with my cat. It was quite nerve-wracking, because I didn’t know a single person there.
Still, I found a house for a few months on Idealista.es, packed my things and my cat into the car, turned on Google Maps, and drove there.
My destination? Laxe. A small but beautiful coastal village with only 3,000 residents. Peace, quiet, and nature in abundance.
Exactly what I had been searching for all this time.
When I drove into Laxe, I saw there was a coliving space called iSlow. I had heard of them during a business program I did earlier that year, but I had no idea they were based in Laxe.
iSlow offers accommodation to digital nomads. They regularly organize workshops, events, and retreats, all aimed at giving digital nomads the chance to retreat into nature and still be able to work—if they want to.
It’s run by a young couple from Laxe who are some of the most welcoming and friendly people I’ve ever met. Expats, digital nomads, and locals are all welcome for language exchanges, cozy dinners, barbecues, hikes, and social events.
And now?
Now I can walk down the street again without wanting to run away. The noise is back to a normal volume unless I’m tired. But that’s just a sign that I need to take it easy—I’ve learned that lesson by now.
I’ve also managed to keep my focus, which means I spend 80% of my working hours on writing assignments. The remaining 20% I dedicate to my passion projects (like my new book that’s almost finished!).
If you also feel like the walls are closing in on you
and you have the chance to get away for a few days, take a look at what iSlow has to offer.
Maybe Galicia will bring you the same peace and inspiration it brought me.
