Disclaimer: I typed many of these words from the Starbucks at Las Palmas airport. That makes me a hypocrite but also very aware of the work at hand. It’s a “do as I say, not as I do” kind of piece.
SOME LIKE IT HOT
I’m sitting in an Airbnb with 3 of my colleagues working in their room or at the kitchen table. Most windows are open to get a breeze in. From the kitchen, I see the blue sky meeting the ocean.
It’s 10 am and 26 degrees.
I brought a sweater for this trip. I have not used it once.
Locals say it’s getting chillier. All the chills I got were from the drop of sweat coming down my back.
Don’t get me wrong. I see the overall appeal. Beach after work all year around… drinks on the terrace, outdoor workouts, generally happier people since no one is suffering from S.A.D .
And yet I find myself irritated, tired, and not at all productive.
It fascinates me how some of us are like fishes in the ocean in one environment, while others are like fishes out of water.
I’m just not wired for this life. And I think that’s great. It means we all have different needs for different spaces.
Just like there are introverts and extroverts, There are “hot water” and “cold water” fishes. I would be curious to see if they are correlated actually. But that’s another article.
HOME IS WHERE THE WATER IS
As I landed in Las Palmas I could not help but feel a sense of dread as all I saw below me was dry and yellowish. I was reminded of the water-filled green fields around Selgars with a small heartache. I felt for those trees and people below. It gave me anxiety (but then again, what doesn’t?). And I am not the only one.
Locals are worried. Water is very scares, and tourists and nomads coming from countries where taking a bath is a daily habit don’t necessarily understand the critical situation the islands are in.
So many of us from northern Europe or North America are used to opening the tap without second thoughts, hopping into the shower, and expecting strong pressure at any time of day or night. So many of us are taking “showering every day or twice a day” for granted.
THE “LIVING ON LOVE ALONE” FALLACY
I am the poster child for the annoying Digital Nomad looking for her oat latte in the morning.
I must not be the first one because several cafes are now offering fancy coffees at London prices. It is my own fault. However, my oat addiction is impacting others around me. Locals.
Despite coming with the best intentions, and being a rather open-minded bunch, our ways of life, ironically far from the simple “Living on love alone” imagery we like to share on social media, clash with the locals’.
And so our sole “en masse” presence raises the prices of accommodations, pushes locals further away from the center of the cities, increases restaurant and cafe prices, and uses up precious resources…
As I walked around on the last day of my stay, I spotted a couple of “Digital Nomads Go Home” stickers and “Tourists go away” graffiti on the walls. It made me want to shrink and hide in a mouse’s hole. But I get it.
During our stay, there was a demonstration against over-tourism.
We must understand the impact the constant search for growth is having on people and the planet.
Of course, Media are quick to sum it up and many around the world assumed Canarians were against tourism. That is not the case:
“We are not against tourism,” one woman demonstrator called Rosario Correo told Spain's TVE public television.“We're asking that they change this model that allows for unlimited growth of tourism.”
Like everything we do, we should seek balance. The balance between exercising the freedom that digital nomadism offers, all the while empowering locals, and local businesses, and protecting the environment of these places we so love to go to.
That means making a conscious effort, slowing down, and paying fair prices. As Salomé who runs Tulia Guest House in Tenerife shared during the coliving gathering, beyond “give & take” it can also simply mean taking less.
GOING SOUTH DOES NOT HAVE TO GO SOUTH
I am in no way saying “don’t go to Gran Canarias”.
Do go. It is beautiful, lively, full of nature, culture, and warm people (pun intended).
Do go, especially if you dread the winter. I have met wonderful coliving owners from there who are dedicated to doing things right and eager to show you around.
Maybe check in with yourself:
be mindful of the season - When can your stay make a difference? It might be difficult for some of us to understand at first, but May to Sept is the low season there. Tourists and DN seem to prefer destinations like Portugal, Italy, or continental Spain during the summer. But why not give the Canarian Islands a chance? It is around 25-28 degrees every day, offers so much beauty, the ocean and mountains, and being low season, it is an opportunity to truly discover the culture, and locals and, well, it is also more affordable.
Whenever we go anywhere really, let’s be considerate of our water consumption/needs.
Buy local is an obvious one (she says leaving Starbucks …shame)
ask for help from the coliving space owner: how can we get involved? How can we reduce our impact? and/or help?
Personal suggestions: check out 1907 Coliving, Tulia Guest House, or Ecoisleta
The usual disclaimer that this is coming from inside my head based on personal and at times, professional past experiences. You might relate, or you might not. It’s ok. Do not hesitate to talk to me about it!
Thanks for reading! You could share this with a friend (or an enemy).
I'll be coming back to this post for the recommendations and likely sending to others.
Totally agree that adapting to local norms is something for more DNs to consider. For me, it's actually part of the joy of travelling. It can as simple as when I'm in Portugal I take espressos like the locals rather than hunt down overpriced latters, all the way to your recommendation of changing up my water usage and dress sense according to the climate and culture. It's not an obligation, it's an opportunity for self-discovery.