Lyd: Hello and welcome to the Business and Pleasure Podcast, that discusses what it's really like to be a digital nomad. We talk about the ups and the downs, the lessons learned, and the big discussion about whether you can really have it all. Today we have Niamh O'Doherty on this show. Niamh is a software implementation specialist for an e-commerce order in inventory management platform. I actually met Niamh last month in Sao Paolo, and we became digital Nomad Buds, which is super lush. So nice to work alongside with someone for a few weeks. Niamh has been a digital nomad for a year, let's find out more. Welcome to the show, Niamh. Thanks so much

Niamh: take much for joining us. Thank you for having me. I'm delighted to be here.

Lyd: so let's take it back to the very beginning. Can you tell us what you were doing before you became a digital nomad and why did your digital your nomad journey begin?

Niamh: I was finishing off my masters. I'd done a one year masters in Dublin and I literally just needed a job and I didn't really know what I was applying for. Um, and so I. Sort of randomly applied to the, the job I have. Um, and then started sort of traveling with it, with about six months into doing it. Um, and the rest is history.

Lyd: how did you navigate the change of lifestyle?

Niamh: Well, to be honest, I mean it wasn't so different from my last year of uni and my whole year of my masters because those I did during covid. So I finished my undergrad in 2020 and started my postgraduate in the latter part of 2020, and that was essentially just sitting in a rim with a laptop, which is not so different from this. So it really wasn't much of a change.
Lyd: Why did you start traveling? Why did you just stay at home?

Niamh: I totally fell into it. Um, which is kind of what I say to everyone when they ask what I, how I sort of began. So I had planned to take, um, two weeks off of work cuz I had been living at home at the time, um, in Edinburgh. And, uh, I just had taken two weeks off to see my friend in the States, and my boss happened to be doing some business trips out outside of the world and was like, would, would you mind staying in the America for a bit longer?And I was like, of course not. don't have to ask me twice, happily to happy to do it. So, um, I just, I, I totally fell into it. So I ended up staying out in the States for about six months. Six weeks, sorry. Um, And then, and then I came back to Edinburgh to live again and I was Like yeah, no, I'm gonna gonna go elsewhere. So then I went to Vienna for a month. I kind of, I have family in Ireland, so I lived in Ireland over Christmas, was in a, was in Edinburgh again. And then I went to room briefly and then Budapest. So it just kind of one thing after the, And then, and then it was like South America. That's a good idea.

Lyd: And how do you pick your next destination?

Niamh: Um, It's not anything that's fixed. I mean, I have a list of like dream places. Um, and then it's really just prices and um, and sort of other considerations like safety. Realistic things Like wifi, et cetera but other than that, I've just kind of got, I think everybody has a list of places in the back of their mind that they'd love to visit or they'd love to travel to. So it's Really, like that. It's just a bit kind of random, to be honest.

Lyd: And what would you say your best travel experience is so far?

Niamh: Oh, I dunno if I could pick just one meeting me, of course. Well after that, that's number one. Um, but it really, it really is actually meeting people just in general, like meeting, meeting people I didn't meet any, I've not met any other like digital nomads until I came to the Salinas, cuz I've met loads. Of people. but just meeting people and kind of, um, making friendships along the way, as corny as that sounds, that's probably the best part, to be honest. And like seeing places and like, you know, finishing your work day and then gonna be able to go to like the beach is pretty class like. that's that's kind of cool.I like that a lot.

Lyd: Yeah, definitely. It makes a big difference as well, doesn't it? Just like, for me, it makes a big difference in my mood. Like you can just be like, oh, well I have work today, but also I

Niamh: It's a motivation, it helps the productivity, it helps the, um, the work. Blues, uh, it helps. It just in general is like, and I mean, when I'm at home, um, in Edinburgh, I'm from there, so, It's, there's a little bit of like, well, okay, I'll finish my work day and then that's it. Whereas here, or when, anywhere when I'm traveling, there's so many new experiences. So I'd be like, okay, well I'm gonna finish my work day And then I'm gonna see this site, or I'm gonna go to this restaurant that I've heard about, or I'm gonna do this. So it helps, um, it helps structure the day, helps, helps schedule things. Um, so that's, that's great. that's a good part of it.

Lyd: And what would you say your worst travel experience is

Niamh: I would say, uh, in two places. Um, I had bedbugs and that was pretty stressful. Yeah, they were, they were, horrid. Um, and I ideal, not ideal, so I had never had them before. And I didn't, I didn't know what it was. I, I got like this, like these bites and, you know, you're in a new place. It could be anything. Reaction to the detergent or, or just kind of, I don't know. Any, any sort of environmental thing. And then I sort of peeled back one of the chests of drawers and I found one or two actually just like like with their wee legs up in the air.And it was so gross. It was, It was, horrific. And then trying to navigate like then, Trying to go to a doctor and trying to navigate that in like a different language. And we're, we are from the uk so the NHS covers everything, but then having to like pay medical costs, it's like, and it's always more expensive than you'd think. Um, and then it happened twice in a row. It happened in Vienna and it happened in Budapest. Um,

Lyd: Oh my God. where were you staying at the time? Was it a hostal or was it

Niamh: No. Airbnb or It was an Airbnb. Both places. Airbnbs, Yeah, and it was just, I didn't really, I didn't get any money back. Not for the second place, for the first place. I got a bit 60 euro back and that'd even cover the cost of the medical expenses. But, um, yeah, it was just so stressful. It was, it was stressful more. than anything. I mean, it's not that bad. you get like a cream and they, you're fine. Um, goes away pretty quickly. But yeah, it was just it was just cuz being away, the, the worst thing about. Being away is like even you're ill and you don't have like your parents or your, or your pals around you your Yeah. you just wanna like the couch and cuddle up. Yeah, exactly. So that was pretty stressful, but like not so bad.

Lyd: it's, Yeah. it's like one of those ones you can't really Get away from If you go into it has bedbugs, You don't realize until, like, until it's The tea's been done. Yeah.

Niamh: Well, they say, um, well, I, what I learned is that bef, if you've never had them before, the bites can take up to two weeks to appear. So like I was there for like, A week and a half before I noticed,which is so gross. And then, but if you've had them before, it can take just a couple of days. So, um, yeah,it's gross. So by the second time you had it, you were like,

Niamh: yeah, it was day, it was day, like one or two and I was like, Nope, not, not doing this again. I'm not doing again. Get me here. This, I can't believe this. Um, so that was million. That's, that's definitely the worst. But although, do you know what, that's not even that bad if you It's, it's fine. It's more, it's not that bad. Really. Really? It's not that bad.

Lyd: And have you had any bad experience, experiences when it comes to the work side of things or has it just been mainly like, the travel, getting your head run

Niamh: um, a couple of times like, uh, like hardware things like say like I didn't have the right adapter when I first got here.Um, so I had like, two weeks I had, or sorry, two days I had to use. I have another laptop, so that was fine. But that would've been just having to use a phone,
which is just annoying to work from, or, but I'm still able to sort of do it. Some extent, to some extent, the timer friends, like if I have a client in the UK and I'm in America, I'm five hours behind, but they might want to meet at 9:00 AM so I have to then get up at what, like four or, or be up at four for the meeting. Or I might have a, a meeting that's 10:00 AM 10:00 AM at home, but here I have to be up by six. So that, that just, yeah, your, it's fine.

Lyd: Yeah, you sort of get used to it. don't you? You're like, well, that much sleep. It's fine.

Niamh: Yeah. But then you can balance it out. Like you finish work Lyd: early and then you can like, treat yourself, go to the pool. Like it's, it

Niamh: balance out. Yeah, exactly. Exactly.

Lyd: And what do you? find hard about being a digital nomad?

Niamh: sometimes, like, especially when you first get to a place, it can feel pretty isolating because you don't know anyone. You don't know the place either.

It always, after a few days or up to a week, you're fine. You meet people, you settle in. But the, for the first few days it can feel like a bit lonely. You don't know anyone you're having like, it's a lot of like having dinner by yourself

or, um, you know, you'll call your parents or you'll call your friends at home, but it's always a bit like a bit isolating for the first little while and then you end up meeting people and doing things and it's fine.Um, But that takes a bit of getting used to. I, I really don't mind my own company. I enjoy my own company a lot. I'm a real introvert, so I'm fine really most of the time. Um, but yeah, that's a bit that takes a bit of getting used to getting used to. And if you don't like your own company, then that would be hard, I think.

Lyd: And what would you say your biggest learnings so far? are from being a digital nomad?

Niamh: have learned another language. don't just have English.

Lyd: Yeah. Niamh: that's a big one. and The kindness of strangers. That sounds ridiculous, but you know, uh, like to a great extent, um, oh, I've been in some sticky, not sticky situations, but in some situations and people have really helped me out.

They didn't need to.They, but they did. They really did. Especially here in Brazil. Um, yeah, but all over people have just been very kind. but other than that, I mean, just. I kind of discovered this real love I have for traveling,um, and the love and the ability to do it.

I never, when I was in uni, I didn't really travel cause I had uni to go to. But now that I, I do it, I've discovered like that I can do it and then I love to do it. Um, so that's a big learning, a personal learning for me.

Lyd: Yeah, Yeah. definitely. I think as well with, uh, being a digital nomad and traveling by yourself, you are constantly learning more about yourself, which is nice. It's a real big

Niamh: big like personal growth Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Lyd: when I started. Two years ago, completely different to who I am now.

Niamh: Absolutely. Lyd: in a good way, but like It's just so nice.

Niamh: Yeah,

Lyd: feel like you are constantly progressing.

Niamh: Absolutely. There's a real sense of like, for me, like resourcefulness, um, kind of. I've been like, okay, like a couple of days ago, my phone just like stopped working and normally like, see if it was a year ago, I'd be like, oh my God, what am I gonna do?Oh my God. Like, ugh. And then I was like, it's fine. It's a

phone. I'll buy a new one. Like, it's cool, it's all right. Kind of stuff like that are like, I dunno. You, well, you really have to rely, like, rely on yourself to a great extent. Um, there are people that will help you kindness, the strangers and all that, but you really, in most situations, you just have yourself to rely on.

Um, So like real growth, I think for, from the last like year especially,

um, I I started out in the States and I was staying with a friend, so I had her not only to show me around, but that was a person and

her family who were helping take care of me. And then I was in Europe, so It's like an hour flight home and it's not very expensive.

But coming here it's like, well, I don't know anyone.

And it would cost probably way too much money to just get like a last minute flight home. So you're really kind of have to be self-reliant and self

soothing as well.

Lyd: I think that's really

nice as well, because it is.

It's just

such a positive, like you were saying, like

last year, if something went wrong

or something went wrong in a business sense, I would like, cry about it for a day.

I would be like oh God. Oh God. And now I feel a lot

more like I can actually handle these things.

Niamh: Yeah,

Lyd: and it's actually okay and just have a

bit

of faith. you have to figure it

out.

so

there's

Niamh: Yeah,

Lyd: point stressing.

Niamh: yeah.

Exactly. Yeah, for sure.

Definitely. Definitely.

Lyd: And how do you approach

Niamh: work and

travel?

I try my best to do, like to, to maintain what I would do at home, which is like a nine to five. Um, obviously that's gonna change if you have like a flight to catch or a train to get on a bus to catch. Um, But I approach it in the sense of like, okay, well if I'm traveling,

depending on what form of transport I'm on, um, I can use a laptop, use a phone, um, kind of use these sort of resources

around me.

And when I'm at a destination, um, I like to have a few things planned in advance before I get there. And then I just work. I'm pretty, I'm quite lucky. So my, my work is very flexible

with my working hours, so I can.

To an extent, start and finish sort of when I want. And then, And the, the latter part of today, I'll add an hour onto my, my

working day. and that means I can kind of, sort of go see sites or, or do this and that.

I mean, yesterday. The last week was really, really sunny.

Today is not at all.

It's actually very cold. Well, kind of cold. I mean, they say it's cold, it's 15 degrees. That's summer where I'm from. Um, and it's

rainy. So again, that's summer where I'm

from.

Um, oh,

it's not, I mean it's fine. It's fine. But yesterday was 27.

I was

Lyd: Oh,

Niamh: up

Lyd: it changes so

Niamh: unit, doesn't

it?

No, I know. It really does. Like it was, Really hot yesterday and I was in Rio over the weekend. It's even hotter there. People said that. I was like, how could I get hot? And it

was really hot. It was really like insane. I was at Koana. I got a real real tan. I don't know. if you

can tell,

um, I've got, got a darker shade of alabaster, but, um, yeah, like, yeah, yeah.

So the, the weather crew change. So I mean that, that influenced it.

Lyd: Well, you're

adjusting work to what you want to do in your, your life. which is Nice. Cause normally for a lot of people

it is the other way. around. You're like, right, I've gotta do this

Niamh: this,

Lyd: or gotta do this.

And then if I have time, I'll do what I,

Niamh: I,

Lyd: want after work,

Niamh: work,

Lyd: or whatever. But

Niamh: it's nice

that you

can't be so flexible

with

them. Yeah. I am very

lucky. Like, I definitely, I recognize that like, I'm really lucky with, um, with my work and my job. in that sense. And like I had said, like, well, I wa like it's winter here, so it gets dark around five.

And I was like,

well, I wanna take advantage of the day. So if I want to,

I can come back and maybe do like a shift from like five to eight or five to

nine, which is, which is pretty good, which is really flexible. So that's something that I enjoy,

um, and that I'm very grateful for.

Lyd: Yeah, definitely. And you mentioned that

before you arrive in a place you have.

Some things

Niamh: already planned

out.

What are

those

things?

I'm never too fixed. But what I find is really good because sometimes, like say if I get to a place I normally stay for sick up to a month, and that seems like an awful lot of time, but suddenly two weekends have passed and you've only got like a few, a few, like a weekend left, which is like, what's happening

to me now? I can't believe I'm leaving next week. It feels like I just got here. Um, and so what I do is before I get to a place I kind of. Research is a strong word, but just basically kinda look up what's around there, what, um, what people do when they

get there. And

maybe I'll book a couple of things in advance.

Not everything, not loads of things, but just be like, okay, well let me see on this Wednesday afternoon. I'm gonna book a tour. And then, On this weekend, I'm gonna do this or whatever. Like I booked, when I was in Vienna in advance, I booked a ballet class,

which was re, it was so much fun. I

really enjoyed it.

So I brought, like my ballet stuff with me.

Um, when I was in Budapest, I booked a couple of tours in advance. And when I got here, um, the Selena's have, you know, on the app they have like events or tours or whatever, so you can book a couple of things in advance. So when I got to Rio, I had booked a tour in advance, which actually never ended up happening and I wasted money on that, but that's fine.

Whatever. Um, talk about that. Um, And so, yeah, I, it gives you a bit of structure because

I think sometimes, see if you have like a huge amount of time or what seems like a huge

amount of time, it's almost overwhelming because there's half of you that's like, I need to do everything. I need to see everything while I'm here.

And another ha

another part that's like, but I have so much time, like, oh, you fine. And, um, you kind of end up being like, oh, I've, wasted time.

You're not

Lyd: Yeah.

Niamh: Yeah.

Lyd: think the thing

as well is because,

because you are working and even if you are in a place

for like a

month, you're like, oh, I do

have loads of time. But then you're working as well, even if you

can like sort of build out your day and fit things in.

Niamh: in

Lyd: Time

still

flies and a lot of the time I think, oh God, have, I have, I

just been working for two weeks and

I've not really seen or done anything so that I like

doing the same. I

try and book a few things in just so

Niamh: So I know

I'm yeah, absolutely. Yeah, because I mean, the work is gonna take up most of your time cuz you've got like an eight hour day or

whatever, so that's gonna take up most of your time.

But it's about fitting some things in,

around or between those times, um, to take. Advantage of

what's going on around you. That's sort of why, I mean, I think that's why people

do digital nomad or whatever the um, whatever you kind of call it,

whatever the verb is. Um, because you can

be in a place and you are working, but it's bounding balance between

being in paradise and working as well at the same time, if that makes any sense.

Lyd: Uh, do you have any advice for

Niamh: for for doing a digital

moment? do It just do it. Just absolutely. just do it. Um,

you can, you can do it for, depending on where

you live, you, you might surprise yourself with,

um, that it can be quite cost effective. Like, I don't, I don't, have a fixed owed, so I

don't pay rent.

In one place. Um, so I use my salary. So if you, if you have, um, the freedom and the resources, like do it. Just,

just do

it. Look into it even, um, plan it out if for the future. But, um, take, take the

opportunity. Absolutely do it. It's, it's, it's so rewarding and, um, it's great. I love it. I think everyone I've met who does it, just loves it as well.

So do it. Yeah.

Lyd: Yeah. It's the best lifestyle, isn't it? I'm, um, I spoke to someone

last week and they actually had a really

good piece of

advice. It was

like,

Niamh: like,

Lyd: just start by dicking your toe, like

start in your country and go

to

like

Bath

or Bristol anywhere, and Just,

try it for like a week or two and then slowly sort of build

Niamh: of

Lyd: out if you do wanna go further

Niamh: afield.

I

think that's

really

a nice

way to Yeah, even like I, I am definitely gonna come back to South America and do other countries, but I sort of dipped my toe in by just going to Brazil and just, I had São Paulo booked for a month.

Um, and that

was me sort of dipping my toe in into going further afield because this is the furthest I've been from home. Ever in my life with, without family. Um, and this, and before that I was in, um, Vienna or,

um, or, or with, or with friends in the state. So that was sort of

dipping my toe but yeah, absolutely.

Um, it's nerve-wracking. um,

but you'd probably be surprised.

With, um, like as we were sort of talking about before, about how self-reliant you

can be and

how resourceful you can be, um, when, when you're pushed to be, that, but, um, yeah,

your comfort zone. I think especially

after Covid, we were locked in for so long,

um, we didn't get to go anywhere or do anything and. That's what sort

of propelled me. Cuz

you know, when you're locked in, you, you, you desperately, we all wanted to kind of be out there in the

world. So,

um, yeah. Dip your toe

and do it. Absolutely. Um, it, it's a very rewarding experience for sure.

Lyd: Yeah. Just go for it. You'll

figure it

out It'll

be fine.

Niamh: you really will though.

Like you absolutely will.

I mean, like yeah, as long as you're

like kinda smart about

it, you're not like, You know, there's some parts of the world

that are maybe, um, quite

different from where you're from or have different customs or, or languages. but you will probably

f you could figure it out. Just be just, you know, get your health insurance research where you're staying.

Don't be silly, like,

Lyd: And I think as well it's just being

open to it. Like, cuz if you, if you go into

the digital

Niamh: moment,

Lyd: life sort of closed off, you're gonna have a very limited experience.

And the whole point, well to me

being a digital nomad is it's like

Anything is possible. You're gonna meet all these amazing different

Niamh: people, but you have to also

be open.

to

that as

well.

Absolutely. Yeah. being

free and

open.

Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Open.

Be, um, welcoming and have, you know, like the, I mean, we all, I don't know,

manifestation and energy sort of stuff like, but you know, like be open to things and, and people will be really interested in you as well, wherever you are, wherever you come from.

Like, I'm sometimes like, I'm like the first Scottish person anyone's ever met. Um, and that's cool. Um, someone said to me, they were like talking about, what did you think of Brazil before you got here? What do you think of it now? And um, and then I was like, oh, like what do you think of Scotland?

And they were like, oh, cold. I was like,

yeah, that's very and chic. And I laughed. I was like, Okay. Chic. I don't know if I'd call it chic, but, but yeah, like people will have these perceptions maybe of where you're from or, or whatever. Um, or not even perceptions, but just like ideas and you can kind of share that.

And,

um, yeah, there's a lot, there's so much to learning and, and.

If you're ever interested in learning a language, it's a really good way to do it because, um, I didn't know a where to Portuguese before I got here. I didn't know where to German before I got to Vienna. And I discovered that like, um, I think I dunno if you'll agree, but I think that, um, in some places in the uk, uh, the way that they teach languages is in, so good.

like I did French all of high school. I couldn't, I couldn't tell you a word. In French or whatever. Um, and being here and immersing yourself in talking with people who's, it's their first language, um, is a really good way of learning. And you're, you get immediately, um, how, how it's said, you know, like compared to written down, you can really

get pronunciate pronunciation down.

Um, And that's a great thing. So if you wanna learn in a language, it's so, it's, you know, kind of baptism by fire, but, I think that's also a good

point Cause at school you learn like

The things you don't really ever

Lyd: say. It's always like oh, I live here.

Niamh: I mean, sometimes

Lyd: you do say that.

Niamh: but when you're actually

meeting Yes. And trying to have a conversation with them, you figure out

the, the terms that you

Do

need

to.

Lyd: know to

Niamh: And

there's colloquialisms. Like there's um, like I was being

taught slang by some, by some, like, friends I met in Brazil. You're not gonna learn.

Those are really like, niche but important things

and yeah, they, they, yeah, I learned like so much. Um, yeah. So it's a good way to learn language. geo. geo. Linguals also a good thing

What's

next

for you?

Um, good question. Um, I think, I think, um, I wanna, I don't wanna do this

forever as much as it's amazing. Um, I've, no, I know people

have

been doing this for 10 years and I don't see myself doing it

for that long. Cause I would like to settle down at some point.

But, um, Just for now, I

think I'm just gonna kind of like keep going with it. and, um, see what it takes. I mean, there's so many

places I wanna go. Like we were talking about going to Asia, um, going further, a field coming back

to South America. Like there's so many places that

it's just some, an amazing

opportunity to kind of. I've only ever really been away from home for like six weeks at max

really. But I think I wanna

maybe try and do three months or maybe longer. Um, and that would be me pushing myself a

little bit more. So, yeah, that's, um, maybe that would be next, later on in the year, kind

of

planning something Yeah.

With your, with your health. Yeah.

I'll

see you

Yeah, I'll see you there.

I think that's

another good thing about being

Lyd: a

digital nomad. There's

Niamh: like, no,

no like

instruction book for it.

Lyd: if

Niamh: with like being into name cube

Lyd: is three weeks

Niamh: and front.

That's yeah. it's like nine months in one

country that's been, yeah, I

think you can it

completely

well, yeah. however

works for you, which is really nice.

And I think in lots

of jobs, normally you Having to change.

Lyd: fit to that job

Niamh: yeah,

Mm-hmm.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

Lyd: to you,

Niamh: I think as well, like, I mean, as you say, it's, it's, it's totally your own journey and it's, and you can, you can really push yourself,

but you can also, um, like I'm, I'm quite an anxious person sometimes, so you can, you

can still do, I mean, it seems daunting, You can find your comfort

zone, even if it's far away from home.

Um, you can make your own journey. You can make up as you go along. That's what I have been doing the last year, like, I'll be totally honest. It's a really modern way of working, and I think it's sort of taking advantage of, of technology and, and the way it can, can,

um, group us together and, and we can communicate like we're,

we're in different cities and we can kind of have a, a conversation. Um, and it's, it's a way I think of

um, of doing that and, and being able to really get the best out of a job because. Yeah, like you, in a traditional job, you you might be, uh, like limited by a nine to five you know, other, other things, whatever. But with this, you can, you can really make it work to fit

your schedule And the way that you work.

And, and yes. So it's, it's, it's great. I really enjoy it and I would highly recommend it to anyone who has the opportunity to do it. Absolutely.

Lyd: Definitely.

Niamh: Yeah.

Lyd: And we have just a quick fire round for you now.

Niamh: your favorite country visited

so

far.

Oh, I'm Brazil for sure.

Yeah.

Lyd: Why,

Niamh: um,

the pe I say quick

fire,

Lyd: I'm just gonna ask you loads of questions.

Niamh: the people, um, and the vibrancy, um, and the, the culture, um, the kindness of people.

I can't

overstate how how lovely people have been. Um, And just really nice from the day I got here. Um, just so kind. And Rio

was amazing. You're gonna love it. I

wish I had, I definitely wish I'd stayed longer in Rio, because it was just beautiful. Like I I, I loved it so

much.

Um, that is a great place. Like I would go back in a second. I'd go back today if I could handle the seven and a half of a brush journey.

love

Lyd: what would you say

Niamh: your favorite

dish.

Um, that

you,

Lyd: eaten is.

Niamh: So there's this thing, and I think it's like a traditional Brazilian snack and it's spelled c o x i n h A.

So like,

And it's like shredded chicken and vegetables, and it's sort of in this kind of like, it's sort of deep fried and it is, it's like in a cone shape and it's

like delicious. It's so nice. I actually had my first ever home when I was in Dublin,

randomly. Um, so cuz there's a, a large, uh, quite a big Brazilian

population in Dublin, so they were selling them

just like a street food.

Um, And I remember trying at me like, oh my God, that's the tastes thing I've

ever had in my life.

and your biggest

sacrifice?

Lyd: since being a digital nomad.

Niamh: Ooh,

seeing a family and seeing my close friends, um, that like

spending time with them. Uh, and yeah, that's the biggest sacrifice

Lyd: and then the final

question,

can you

Niamh: can you really have at all, can you have the

balance of

business? Uh, depends what you define by all. So I would say

at this, at this

time

in my life, my all is traveling and meeting people and being able to.

Um, progress in my career.

Um, being

able to do a good job at work, I

think. Yes. Um, it

depends like, as I say,

what what you define by that. So I think it might be difficult if you say had, um, a partner back home or if you

had kids or if you had

a mortgage or something like that, which I think is why it's quite a good idea that I'm doing it now.

Yeah, I mean, to

an extent I think it's per, I think that's probably, um, different for everyone. I think

for me, yeah. I'm quite

happy right now with what I have in like,

I'm happy with what I have.

So at the, at the, moment

you would say yes, because what you are doing work-wise is allow you to travel. Yeah. And with work is quite, yeah. Mm-hmm. But

it

sort

of depends what situation.

Yeah,

exactly. Like I, I have friends who.

I've progressed in their careers 10 times more than I have because they're, um, their goal at the

moment is to. Get the dream, the dream job. And they're finding like so

much fulfillment in that. But

they're not able to maybe go as many places or they're working quite a lot. Like I have a friend who is doing, who.

is, um, like a lawyer and lawyers, you know, they work so much. The hours are mental, they're

crazy.

Um, and so there's a few

places that she wants to travel to that she might

only be able and, and she does get to

travel, but she doesn't get to

travel so far. And so she was like, oh, I. Kind of see you traveling. And I'm like

well, I see you like making moves in your career.

So like it de it depends what your all is.

Lyd: I like that though?

That's sort, that's a good point. What is your all

And then

that sort of plays into

it.

Niamh: Absolutely. Yeah.

Lyd: Oh,

Niamh: Oh,

Lyd: When the podcast episode on

Niamh: On a,

question.

Yeah. What is your all.

and, and I think, yeah, no, that's

all right. I thought provoking question to end on. Yeah.

Lyd: Love that.

Niamh: Um, but yeah, thanks so much for having me. This has been so much fun. I dunno if I've just like chatted complete shape for the

last,

like

Lyd: no, I love it. I love it. That's what we need.

Niamh: Yeah.

Lyd: No, well, thank you.

Niamh: you.

Lyd: you so much for joining us. I'll include all your links in the episode show notes below. Uh, and yeah, thank you everybody for listening. We'll see you very soon.