May 22, 2021 – We caught up with another digital nomad in Dubrovnik and the career of this one is not what you would expect from someone working remotely. Meet Vanessa Anderson!

Vanessa Anderson is a digital nomad and a lawyer. Two things that hardly seem compatible. Yet, she is making it work. COVID-19 changed the way she and her colleagues do their work and it made being a digital nomad lawyer possible. She knows Croatia well having been here before and running a travel website Balkan Eyes specialising in this region. When she heard about the Dubrovnik Digital Nomads-in-Residence program, she applied. Originally, she just missed out on the opportunity to join the program, but due to some last-minute changes, we've got to see her in Dubrovnik, joining the other digital nomads in the group. Vanessa hails from Portland, Oregon, and is now enjoying her working and living experience in Dubrovnik.

DNiR Program

The Dubrovnik Digital Nomads-in-Residence program is a creation of Saltwater Nomads in partnership with Total Croatia News. The program is a collaboration between the City of Dubrovnik and the global digital nomad community it hosts, all done with great help from the Dubrovnik Tourist Board as well. The DNiR program is producing interesting and valuable results that could have a real impact on the local community

The Interview

In our short video, we asked Vanessa about her experience with Dubrovnik. Regardless of the fact she visited this area many times, this is her first working experience in the city. It changed her outlook on the city.

„Now I've been here for a longer period and it's pushed me to look outside of the walls as well. Before I had done more of the tourist things. You know, the walls are beautiful and I love just walking around, but also seeing other neighbourhoods has really expanded my view of Dubrovnik.“

She finds it easy to work here having adapted her work to constant travel.

„I have my practice mostly online so I don’t carry around binders of documents which is key to being a digital nomad. I can talk to my clients over the phone, on Zoom. With the pandemic, there's been more of an expectation that that's how things are going to go. Right now, the court hearings are still done over Zoom as well, so my presence is not needed in Portland.“

Make sure to check out the full interview with Vanessa below and hear her advice on making Dubrovnik a digital nomad-friendly place.

Saltwater Nomads' Tanja Polegubic on Dubrovnik Digital Nomad-in-Residence Program

Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Frankovic on Digital Nomads, US Flights, 2021 Season

Winners announcement video:

Learn more about the Dubrovnik Digital Nomads-in-Residence program.

May 21, 2021 – We have been covering the Dubrovnik Digital Nomads-in-Residence program for some time now, focusing on the digital nomads themselves. We’ve decided to catch up with the nomad partners as well and find out about their Dubrovnik experience.

The Dubrovnik Digital Nomads-in-Residence program gathered ten digital nomads from various corners of the world. They have been working hard to give their input in an effort to create a strategic direction for Dubrovnik. This program was created by Saltwater Nomads in partnership with Total Croatia News, with crucial help from the City of Dubrovnik and Dubrovnik Tourist Board. During the four-week-long program, design thinking workshops are used to define the perfect image of a digital nomad-friendly Dubrovnik.

With all the emphasis on what digital nomads need in a destination, it is easy to forget many of them do not travel alone. Six of the nomads in the DNiR program have their partners with them. Whether or not a destination is attractive to their partners will undoubtedly play an important role in the decision to move there. We’ve gathered our digital nomad partners and did short interviews with all of them. It was very interesting to hear their stories. Much like the digital nomads themselves, their partners are a very diverse group. Some of them are digital nomads themselves, while some are using the time in Croatia to rest and re-charge. All of them love being in Dubrovnik, but all of them also have their comments on how to improve the offer.

The Interviews

Nicki is a digital nomad as well as his partner Kaisu who is one of the digital nomads in residence. He is often seen at the Lazareti co-working space making sure he stays on top of his work while staying in Dubrovnik

"...in determining whether to go somewhere or not, for us it's always about: Is there something to do? Is there a community? Is there something we can learn from? Is it an inspiring place?"

Jeff is here with his wife Marlee and they are both digital nomads in the broadcasting industry. Their needs are similar, but they also want to spend quality time in a nice location when working remotely.

"...meeting the people has been the highlight. Getting to know someone other just - 'Hi, How are you? Here are the keys to your home.- We've actually gotten to know people and spend time and talk...

Mira is a student from Hungary, so she doesn’t get to work much while in Dubrovnik. She needs plenty of activities and enjoys exploring the destination she finds herself in. Emi is also from Hungary. She is a digital nomad with a job that requires specific conditions in her place of remote work.

"For me, the challenge has been getting around in the public transportation. That's an everyday challenge."

"I have different requirements than some other digital nomads. Because I teach online, so I need a quiet room. That is actually something not everybody needs."

Pete comes all the way from sunny California and is enjoying his stay in Dubrovnik. The nature of his work doesn’t allow him to work remotely. So, his main focus is on exploring the area and enjoying his stay in Croatia.

"...some of the challenges, especially when your partner is working, you are kind of just left on your own. But, luckily, Dubrovnik has great things to do. So, I've been kayaking, snorkeling, scuba diving, eating a whole bunch..."

Sam is a writer and a digital nomad, just like his wife Charlie. They are flexible and determined to enjoy the digital nomad lifestyle. But being a digital nomad couple often means having different requirements than when you are an individual traveller.

"...because we are a couple we like doing things independently as well. So, for the people that are here in the co-living space, you've instantly got that community together. Whereas being a couple, we obviously like a bit of our own time as well."

With all these different views and opinions, it seems catering to all of them is not an easy task. However, if you already have beautiful areas and friendly people in your community, most other items on the wish list are quite manageable. It is safe to say all of them have one thing in common. They are happy in Dubrovnik and want to be a part of the community.

Saltwater Nomads' Tanja Polegubic on Dubrovnik Digital Nomad-in-Residence Program

Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Frankovic on Digital Nomads, US Flights, 2021 Season

Winners announcement video:

Learn more about the Dubrovnik Digital Nomads-in-Residence program.

May 17, 2021 – Our digital nomads are paving the way for their future colleagues in Dubrovnik as a part of the Dubrovnik Digital Nomads-in-Residence program. We caught up with Kaisu Koskela to get her thoughts.

When it comes to being a digital nomad, Kaisu Koskela is the „real deal“. She has been embracing the life of a digital nomad since before the term existed. Originally from Finland, Kaisue feels at home anywhere she finds interesting. She holds a Ph.D. in social sciences from the University of Helsinki and an MSc in social anthropology from the Institute for Migration and Ethnic Studies at the University of Amsterdam. Her Ph.D. research dealt with skilled migrants, their communities, and social identities. All this makes her outstandingly qualified to take part in a project dealing with digital nomads in Dubrovnik.

DNiR Program

The Digital Nomads-in-Residence program was created by Saltwater Nomads in partnership with Total Croatia News. With both the Dubrovnik Tourist Board and the City of Dubrovnik supporting it and collaborating on it, the aim of the program is to create a strategic direction for the city. Through design thinking workshops the potential future of digital nomads in Dubrovnik will be described.

Kaisu found out about the Dubrovnik Digital Nomads-in-Residence program through a friend. She applied intrigued by the prospect of contributing to such an interesting project. Today, she is one of the ten nomads in residence in Dubrovnik.

The Interview

She shared some of her thoughts with us during a short interview. It was interesting to hear her opinions on living and working in Dubrovnik as a digital nomad. Also, Kaisu was clear about her personal likes and dislikes about the experience.

„I think the challenges are to do with the tourist season being so intense and the prices hiking up in that period. Because, as a nomad, you have the whole world to choose from. You have so many locations you can go to at any one time. Personally, for me, what is most important is to have nice sunny weather, which we have here currently and through much of the year. You get to experience really nice weather here, so that's great.“

She is also happy with the colleagues in the Dubrovnik DNiR program as well as the participation of the city and the local tourist board.

„...the fact that the Dubrovnik city and tourism authorities are a part of this I think is a really encouraging sign for digital nomadism in general. So, I am very happy to be a part of the whole program.„

Check out the full interview with Kaisu Kaskela below.

Saltwater Nomads' Tanja Polegubic on Dubrovnik Digital Nomad-in-Residence Programme

Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Frankovic on Digital Nomads, US Flights, 2021 Season

Here is Kaisu's application video:

Learn more about the Dubrovnik Digital Nomads-in-Residence program.

May 16, 2021 – We caught up with Albert Cañigueral, a digital nomad from Barcelona who is a consultant freelancer dedicated to exploring the future of work and the effects of digitization on the labour market and workplaces.

Albert Cañigueral is a man on a mission. This freelance consultant is out to learn about digital nomads by becoming one of them. He will use this knowledge later in his work that revolves around the impacts of digital technology in society, the future of work, and the collaborative economy. In his professional life, Albert is exploring the impacts of digital innovations on societies and traditional companies. He is currently working on a documentary on how the changes in the workforce and workplaces affect the cities. He is also a published author and a very interesting guy. Albert comes from Barcelona, one of the jewels of the Mediterranean.

After learning about the Dubrovnik Digital Nomads-in-Residence program, he wasted no time applying. It was clear from the start, Albert is a great match for the program dealing with issues so familiar and important to him.

DNiR Program

The Digital Nomads-in-Residence program will create a strategic direction for Dubrovnik in order to show the way for the city to adapt to digital nomads. Saltwater Nomads created the program in partnership with Total Croatia News. With collaboration from the City of Dubrovnik and Dubrovnik Tourist Board, design thinking process workshops are organized to facilitate the co-creation model the program is based on.

The Interview

We took Albert Cañigueral away from his work for a few minutes to ask him about his impressions of Dubrovnik and working with his fellow nomads. Through a short interview, he was able to tell us a lot. His views on the city and the Dubrovnik Digital Nomads-in-Residence program are very interesting. As one of the main advantages of being a digital nomad versus being a tourist, he emphasizes time to explore and engage with the city.

“I like the sights of the city. I came here 15 years ago, more or less, so I’ve had a more touristic perspective, and now, being here almost more than 15-20 days already, you learn more about the other parts of the city. We are in Lapad, in Akademis. We’ve been enjoying all this area which is probably not so well known for someone who comes here for just one day or one weekend. As a digital nomad, you enjoy more of the city, the diversity, other beaches, other areas… more time to explore in a more relaxed pace.”

When it comes to working within the program he is very happy with the group. The initial meeting and introductions set the correct tone from the start.

“I think the landing was super smooth. I really enjoyed… the welcoming dinner. We met and that was very important. That social part, to create a group. From very early on, I’ve spent quality time and energy on that. Because it smooths the rest of the process. “

Below is the full interview with Albert. Make sure to watch it and find out more about his views on the program and living in Dubrovnik.

Saltwater Nomads' Tanja Polegubic on Dubrovnik Digital Nomad-in-Residence Program

Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Frankovic on Digital Nomads, US Flights, 2021 Season

Here is Albert's application video:

Learn more about the Dubrovnik Digital Nomads-in-Residence program.

May 6, 2021 - The Dubrovnik Digital Nomads-in-Residence program is well underway with the nomads getting accustomed to their new place of residence and colleagues. We have caught up with one of them, Ron Tardiff.

Ron Tardiff is quite a guy. He is a highly educated marine ecologist with an impressive educational background. He studied at seven educational institutions pursuing marine sciences (BSc), maritime studies (BA), and aquaculture (MSc). Ron dedicates his work and effort to bettering aquaculture and fishing practices. He advocates better regulation based on scientific research. Ron is also actively voicing his concerns regarding overtourism. Being a dedicated marine ecologist, he is well aware of the environmental damages it brings. In his spare time he practices yoga and learns foreign languages.

Getting to Dubrovnik

Aside from being a dedicated ocean advocate, he is an avid traveller. Not only that, but a true digital nomad. With no preferred spot in which to spend his days, Ron has found himself working, studying and living in 10 different countries. COVID-related travel problems prevented him to get back to Europe. While trying to find a solution, the Dubrovnik Digital Nomads-in-Residence program caught his eye. Now, he is testing the waters of the Croatian South and sharing his insights with us and the local community.

Ron is frustrated with the slow pace at which national governments adopt policies related to digital nomads. For him, it seems like the struggle between the comfort of familiar but outdated practices and progress is taking too long. All he wants is a chance to work in different spots, helping local communities in the process. It might be time to listen to what he has to say.

In a quick interview below check out some of his impressions of Dubrovnik, life in Croatia and Dubrovnik Digital Nomads-in-Residence. Through conversation with Paul Bradbury Ron reveals the reasons he never considered Dubrovnik before as a digital nomad destination. He also says a few words about cooperating with the other nomads. Find out more below.

You can learn more about the program here. 

Saltwater Nomads' Tanja Polegubic on Dubrovnik Digital Nomad-in-Residence Program

Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Frankovic on Digital Nomads, US Flights, 2021 Season

For the latest digital nomad news from Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section.

The winner announcement video: