Relationships are built with time and you don’t have much of it when you’re only staying places for a few weeks. Where can you find the right community for you? How can you do it fast?

We asked Megan how she does it because she’s great at it. She reached out to us before arriving. Two days after landing in South Korea, she was already helping us with prepping the opening event of Hoppin House (our coliving & coworking space). If you see a big brown IKEA table in the living room, think about her sweat and tears, because figuring out what went where was work.

We miss her energy and enthusiasm. She’s gone for now, but she’ll be back… 💚

How important is finding a community for you when you go to a new destination?

I think finding a community that works for me can make or break a destination. It’s my number one criteria when choosing where to go. I have been to places that were beautiful, and the lifestyle I wanted for myself was there, but because I couldn’t find a community I felt at ease with, they didn’t work for me.

Before we talk about how you find communities, maybe we should explain you’re a travel advisor…

Haha, yes. It is my job to plan custom trips for the luxury leisure market in America, so, on a personal level, I do like doing research, scan instagram, connect with local businesses. It helps.

When did you become a digital nomad?

I discovered the lifestyle in 2017, when I went to some events for digital nomad communities back in my hometown in the US. But I couldn’t do it right away. I had to quit my job, figure out how to switch to another one. In the end, I didn’t start until 2020 and we all know how that year turned out... My dream was short-lived then but I started again this year!

So, how do you find a community ahead of traveling somewhere? Tell us about your process.

Like I said before, community is such a huge factor for me when planning a trip. I don’t mind going anywhere alone for holidays, but as a nomad, it’s different. I need social stability in some ways. My first step is to do a lot of research in the broader digital nomad communities. Wifi Tribe for example. They have a big Slack group chat where I’ll ask: “hey, is there anyone in this area?” “how is the lifestyle there?”, “how are the neighborhoods?”… Then I’ll search on Reddit, Nomadlist, etc. I also follow a lot of what Selina Hostels (a network of coliving) are doing because I like their atmosphere.

Then I’ll go to Instagram and look for communities. They’ll often have “digital nomad” in the bio or the keywords so they’ll pop up quite fast.

I found Digital Nomads Korea through Instagram actually. It was active and I just loved the workation programs. Then I started interacting with the content there, tried connecting directly with some members, asking to meet in Seoul or just asking for tips and recommendations. I joined the Whatsapp group. It was fun to be like a fly on the wall and be part of the conversations before arriving. I liked how inclusive it felt, and that people seemed to be coming from all types of careers and from all the continents. It made it a super easy and comfortable decision to go to a place I didn’t really know anything about, that had such a different culture and a language barrier.

Is Instagram the only option?

It’s my go-to, but some people also check out Facebook groups which can work really well depending on the destination. Another good place is the Meetup app. The important thing is to look for communities that you’ll have common interests with, it doesn’t matter if it’s sport, cultural activities, art…

Why do you like getting involved so much with communities when you get someplace?

It just enhances a destination to experience it with others. For example, Korea is a country that is very targeted at groups. Take food, you can rarely do barbecue on your own.

What did you love most about Korea?

Easy. The convenience, the safety, and how welcoming people are. I’m back in the US right now and I keep comparing. Korea was so safe…

Things you liked less?

I could do without a lot of the sugar! Of course, the country is very developed, so the cost of living is much higher than most other digital nomad destination. I also missed foreign fruits and vegetables. So, so much.

What made you choose to go to Korea?

To be honest, I didn’t know much about South Korea apart from it's culture in the media, the food, cafe culture, etc. I just kept hearing such amazing things about it and as a travel advisor, travel trends point to it as an up-and-coming destination so I just wanted to see what it was all about. I was actually thinking of going to Japan as a nomad, but everywhere I checked (reddit, digital nomads forums, personal contacts, etc), people said South Korea was 100000000% better than Japan with my priorities in mind: finding a community, living an active lifestyle, and experiencing culture through food and history. I mean, sounds like Korea right?

Megan’s Recommendations

🌅 A place to see the sunset

I went to Baeogae Cafe, to enjoy a gorgeous sunset over Seoul’s skyline with friends. An hour before sunset, we went from Dongdaemun all the way to up to the cafe-restaurant. The view was incredible and the owner is adorable. Then, go down through Ihwa Mural Village to get some hot sizzling barbecue in Hyehwa.

☕️ A cafe you'll remember

Gute Leute, to drink the best coffee. It’s my FAVORITE cafe in Seoul. Get the black sesame latte and thank me later!

🍁 A place to see in October

I've never seen anything like the pink muhly field by Cheomseongdae Observatory in Gyeongju before. To have this cloud of pink in the middle of the temples, the grass tombs, and the autumn folliage was incredible. And also something so unique to South Korea.