Tenerife: Digital nomad for a month

I have always dreamt about being a digital nomad for a year. Working while traveling and enjoying cocktails on sunny beaches while working on my super digital nomadic Mac (or as my friend calls it “a fruit laptop”). And in November 2020, when the whole world was dealing with the second (or still the first?) wave of the covid pandemic, I decided to check this dream off my bucket list.

Gran Canaria or Tenerife?

When the Czech government introduced even tougher pandemic restrictions, and we occupied the top first positions of the worst covid countries list, there was not much to wait for anymore. Taking my bad lung conditions into consideration (and my mental health), I decided to leave my beautiful country for some southern lights. I decided to go to the Canary Islands. The reason number one was that the pandemic situation was not that bad in there as in the rest of Europe and there were no compulsory covid PCR tests introduced at that time. The second reason was that my friend Lauren has been living in Gran Canaria for a few years now and this would be a great chance to visit her.

In the end, I did not meet with Lauren in Gran Canaria because I learned that my friend Honzi was going on holiday to Tenerife with some of his other friends and they offered me to join them. Two days later, I was sitting on a plane heading to Tenerife. I only stopped for a 2-hour layover in Milano airport.

Pro tip: if you have the red pass card for VIP lounges, remember there is only one right before the security check. Unfortunately, I realized that in a queue long enough not to try to go back, considering the social distancing that was in place. I then comfort myself with the idea of not gaining kilos from all the food and drinks in the VIP lounge. I must say, I have not eaten almost all day that day. #staystrong

The reality of digital nomading lifestyle

3 hours later, we were landing in Tenerife South, with me sitting completely still in my seat because the wind was playing with the airplane like if it was a feather. My friend Honzi picked me up in style – with this red beauty:

To be honest, it wasn’t all “sunshine and rainbows”. I was super tired almost the whole time I was there. Not sure if it was because of the warmer weather or just stressing about things happening in my life at that time (a toxic relationship, doubts about my career, the covid pandemic, a possible move back to Canada…). It was hard for me to focus on work for more than a few hours a day. I have a high work ethic, and if there is anything needed to be done, I will do it by the deadline. But sometimes it is more struggle than other times. I bet you all know what I am talking about.

I also tried going to the beach and working from there but, man, how hard it is to lie down on a deck chair and trying to do any decent work. Not talking about my Mac overheating, the sun shining directly on my screen, or my constant feeling like sleeping. After an hour I gave up. The funny thing is that it was enough to go 50 meters to the closest restaurant and work from there. I have found out that I am perfectly comfortable working from the cafes surrounded by other people (something I have never thought of before as I needed a quiet environment for my work). So that’s that.

The first two weeks were also hard for me to focus since I shared an apartment with my friends who were on holiday. But I wasn’t in a holiday mood because I knew for me it was not a holiday per se. Nevertheless, I was glad I could stay with them, as I felt a bit lonely and I missed my family and friends. But I know leaving the Czech Republic was a smart decision considering the situation. I was going crazy when trapped in my small Prague apartment, everyone around me getting sick with covid. But still, I kind of missed Prague. The old Prague, when there were no restrictions and we could go out, have fun and live normal lives.

Breathtaking sceneries

In Tenerife, on the other hand, you could go for dinner in a restaurant (and the food there is top-notch, especially the grilled octopus!), go sunbathing to the beach or go on a trip. I must be honest; I have never thought that Tenerife could be this beautiful. It’s so diverse – a green park of Anaga in the North, amazing views in Masca, volcanic landscape in Teide National Park, breathtaking rocks in Los Gigantes, and epic surfing beaches.

There is so much to do in Tenerife. I lived in Los Cristianos, which during non-covid times is flooded with tourists. For me it was convenient when running on the beach I did not have to scramble through the crowd of people. I did feel really sorry for the tourist industry though. Seeing all the empty restaurants and hotels was not something I would enjoy.

Turtles and dolphins everywhere

Besides working and sometimes running, I got to go kayaking where I saw cute turtles and dolphins just a few meters from our kayak. It was a super exciting experience for me.

When my friends left back to England after 2 weeks, I stayed for a few days with their friends who live permanently in Tenerife (check out their Instagram page). After that, I found an apartment right next to the beach with a super nice Czech girl who was also a digital nomad.

One of my best friends came to visit me the last week of November and we both celebrated our birthdays together. I got her a snorkeling adventure for her birthday and she got me a whale watching tour for mine. We both agreed that these are the best birthday presents ever. You buy memories and shared experiences and not just things.

Time to say goodbye

What I will miss for sure are the sunsets. Every sunset in Tenerife is a special one. Sitting on the beach and watching the sunset there gave me a special feeling of calmness. I did, on the other hand, hope to be sharing these sunsets with someone special. And I am 100% sure that one day I will. Because no matter where you are, it is the people you are with that counts.

Even though I enjoyed Tenerife, I knew it was time to come back home. And I knew new adventures were waiting for me. But that’s another story.