What’s life really like as a digital nomad? Pretty amazing, if you ask Isabel Leong (aka. @belaroundtheworld_)! Originally from Singapore, she shares her most memorable adventures from the road since leaving her desk job in 2018, her best travel tips, and what it really takes to become a full-time travel influencer.
Where are you originally from and what is your background?
I’m Isabel, full-time content creator at Bel Around The World and digital nomad. I’m from and grew up in Singapore with a Psychology and Communications degree. I worked in social media and PR for a while, living the corporate life before fully delving into travel in 2018 after my working holiday in New Zealand changed my life.
Where are you based now?
Bali, Indonesia!
What has been your best trip ever?
This is a hard one! Every trip offers a different kind of experience. I could say that these past two years as a digital nomad around Central America during the pandemic has redefined my identity once again. It’s definitely one of my best trips lately. From travelling full-time with a partner visiting Spanish-speaking countries to being robbed in Mexico and having my Airbnb burglarised in the Dominican Republic, it has been a year of trials and tribulations, but I wouldn’t trade them for anything else.
Favourite place in the entire world?
Another hard question! I always fall back to New Zealand, just because it was the country that quite literally changed my life. After doing a six-month working holiday there, I realised I’d fallen in love with nature and open spaces, the slower pace and the warmer hospitality – everything that a city was missing.
What’s (next) on your bucket list?
After many years of travelling and 50 countries later, my definition for travel has shifted. It’s now more about the experiences than it is about checking off destinations. I now get more excited at the thought of experiencing something new than visiting a new country. I’d probably say what’s next on my bucket list is doing some extended van life travels!
Your favourite travel buddy?
My travel pillow! It’s multi-functional. When the trip gets tough, it eases back pain. When the luggage overloads, you stuff overweight items in the pillow sleeve (don’t tell anyone). It never complains, it never denies, it only soothes.
Your favourite travel memory so far:
For the longest time (well, since pet-sitting for three months in Bolivia), I desperately wanted a cat to pamper. Lo and behold, on our trip to Peru right after our time in Bolivia was up, a cat cafe reached out to ask if we’d be willing to foster a pregnant cat. It was only a month, they said. Who knew that month would turn out to be one of the most emotional months I’ve ever experienced?
From watching her be skittish around her “new owners” to seeing her grow fond of us and then having to travel with us because our time at our Airbnb was up, I’d never felt so much love seeing her give birth when we came home one day to four cute little kittens, and then watching them grow day after day (albeit for a very brief period of time).
What’s something most people don’t know about you?
As much as I appear confident and eloquent, I used to be a shy, introverted, insecure girl whose self-worth depended on how likeable I was. It is thanks to travel that I’ve formed my own identity as it is today – carefree, adventurous, and confident.
Top travel tips for being on the road, especially extensively?
- Don’t over plan. Leave room for spontaneity. Be adaptable. There’s always a solution.
- Make friends, find a community, so you’ll always feel a home away from home. Life on the road can get lonely.
- Carpe diem. Seize the day, and every moment. Every day is a journey that you may never get to relive again.
Advice for people who want to become a travel influencer?
You’ve got to love to create content! Creating becomes a lifestyle, not work.
Finally, why do you love to travel?
There are so many things to love! I get to push myself out of my comfort zone instead of being complacent and settle for “good enough”, discover new things about myself, unlearn and relearn, look at the world through different lenses, and have interesting conversations with people from all walks of life. I’ve always believed that everyone has something to offer if you just truly listened.
Follow Isabel’s adventures on Instagram at @belaroundtheworld_
See more from our Globestrutter series!
