William was born in Taïwan before his family moved to Australia, and then France. This last stop is where he says he grew up. His love of exploration came from his parents and his childhood.

If you had to describe him, William is incredibly easygoing. He loves hanging out with friends and going on trips for weeks at a time. He can also disappear into his work - and he’ll expect you to drag him out of there before he forgets what the sky looks like. He likes taking pictures more than being in them, of which his Instagram is proof. 

Like most of his destinations, South Korea was chosen because of friends. But it wasn’t his first time coming here. William lived in Daejeon for five months as an exchange student at the famed university KAIST, all the way back in 2015. He hated it. 

So, here’s to a journey of rediscovery - where traveling with friends can change your mind… And change your life.

Why did you become a digital nomad? 

It happened randomly. In 2021, I’d been living in Berlin for three years. I hated it there. I hadn’t moved to Germany because I wanted to, but for a job that ended up not working out. I started thinking: ‘If I stay a little longer, I’ll be stuck here forever’. 

How did you manage to get out? 

I desperately wanted to escape Berlin. Seeing people escaping to different places to avoid lockdown, I suggested going to Canarias with my friend who immediately agreed. It wasn’t supposed to be the start of my digital nomad life at all. We went to Lanzarote, and we loved it. We stayed a lot longer than planned because of Covid, but I thought it was incredible. I was freelancing, eating delicious food by the beach, and traveling among volcanic cliffs and dunes.

Did you even go back to Berlin? 

I did, but I kept seeing videos of my friend dancing salsa in Mexico. He’d flown there for a two-week holiday… and never left! (laugh) So, I made up my mind. I sold everything in Berlin, packed, and left for Mexico. 

It sounds so easy.

It was. I was freelancing by then, and I had a good friend to meet in Mexico. What could go wrong? 

Ominous… (laugh)

I bought a ticket to Columbia because I needed a flight out of Mexico to enter the country. It was the first time I’d booked a trip randomly, like this. But then, randomness just kept happening. When I was supposed to return to Mexico from Columbia, I overslept (laugh). I missed my flight, so I thought ‘Since people are going to the US to get vaccinated… I’ll just do that as well’. I bought a ticket to Miami for the same day and booked a place to stay. 

Would you say you’re someone who is organized? (laugh)

Well, I organize at the last moment (laugh). 

So you’re in Miami. Completely random. Are you alone? 

No, a friend of mine was there so we met up. I stayed for a short time, then went back to Mexico. For the second shot of the vaccine, I decided to head to San Francisco because some friends from school had moved there. Then I went back to Mexico because I wanted to get started on a new project: opening a Japanese restaurant with my friend. 

A Japanese restaurant? 

My friend is Japanese and he always wanted to start a place so we thought, alright, let’s do it! (laugh)

Did you want to settle long-term in Mexico? 

I stayed nearly six months, but Christmas was coming up so I returned to France before flying to Chile. A friend I made in Mexico was there, and it seemed like a good opportunity to see a new country. The problem is, I spent all my time working, so much that I was depressed. I only knew my friend and she included me in her social life, but it was only her. I had no life of my own. I needed to do something to shake it off. 

Let me guess, you went traveling with a friend? 

The same one I went to the Canaries with! I called him to ask if he wanted to come to South America. He did and we went to travel to Patagonia together. During the trip, he quit his job (laugh) so we headed to Buenos Aires, in Argentina, next. Then we joined another friend in Colombia in Cartagena and Medellin.

Why do you think you like traveling so much?

I love being in a new environment. I don’t feel comfortable staying in the same place for too long. Especially in France, I get the itch to move around. Strangely, I don’t have a bucket list of places I want to visit or things I want to eat. I’m just happy to discover a nice place. 

Do you ever travel alone? 

I wouldn’t go to a new place just by myself. I find it lonely. My mind is very busy with work so having friends is good because they pull me out of my own head. Usually, I work too much to make the effort of meeting new friends. That’s why I like going to bigger cities. I find it easier to meet like-minded people and go to digital nomad events. 

So how did you get from South America to Asia? 

I went to Japan with a friend when it reopened in October 2022. After our trip, he headed home since he’s not a digital nomad and I went to Taiwan for the first time in ten years to meet my family. I stayed for three months, then traveled to Thailand because I heard many good things about it. 

Were you meeting anyone there? 

No, it was the first place I went to because I thought ‘I should visit this place as a digital nomad’. In February, I landed in Chiang Mai. I knew no one and it was horrible because it was burning season. Everything was white, you couldn’t see anything further than one or two meters because they were burning all the crops. Everything was gray and dusty. 

What about Korea? What brought you here? 

I was starting to think I should settle down a bit. Not only for work but also to build meaningful relationships, and maybe even find a partner. When I started traveling, I was poor and broke and just knew I wanted to leave Berlin. But things changed along the way. I decided to stay in Mexico for six months and not travel at all. I got a temporary residency there. I met a French girl, we dated. But when it didn’t work out over my summer in France, I didn’t feel like returning to Mexico right away. That's how, surprisingly, I ended up in Korea again. (laugh) 

Do you like it better than when you were a student? 

Back then, I was studying every day until 3 in the morning. I was living in Daejeon where there’s nothing but my university, KAIST. It was so boring. This time around, it’s super different. I’m just doing whatever I want. I’m feeling a lot freer. 

How do you like coworking at Hoppin House? 

I think it’s really cool that there’s an organization trying to make things work in Korea - making the community events regular and having a place for people to gather to live and work together. Oftentimes in places where there are many digital nomads, things happen organically. If you’re lucky, you’re there at the right time, meet the right people, and get to do interesting things. But 8 out of 10 times, without proper organization, nothing happens. 

Will you come back to Korea after? 

I don’t know yet. First, I’ll meet my friend and travel the country at the end of September. Then I’ve got plans to go back to Taiwan, and then Mexico to renew my residency. Considering all the effort I put in to get it, I feel like I should renew it. As a digital nomad, I think it’s always good to have doors open in different parts of the world.

Do you have any advice for people who want to start a digital nomad life?

You need to know what you want to gain by being a digital nomad. For me it’s being able to meet new people, being in a new place. That’s why I’m not interested in a bucket list with boxes to tick off. But if, for you, it’s the bucket list, that’s great. If you don’t know what you want, no matter how much you’re prepared, you’re not going to enjoy traveling. My Canaries friend, for example, doesn’t want to be a digital nomad. This lifestyle opens many doors for me, but for him, it would be different. What he wants is to go to work, to have his place to call home, and to go to the same gym regularly. It’s fine. It’s not about living a dream life. It’s about living the life you want. 

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William’s recommendations

🍢 A place to eat

Igane Yangkkochi Daechijeom restaurant is delicious. Korea is famous for pork and beef BBQ, but the best one I’ve had is lamb skewers. They’re stacked next to each other and turn on the grill, it’s very hypnotic and cool. 

🌊 A festival to discover

Ten years ago, when I did my exchange here, I went to an event that happens only once a year in March-April: the Jindo sea parting festival. We took a bus there and arrived around 2 or 3 in the morning. They gave us fishermen boots and then we walked to an island during low tide. There were fireworks, people wearing costumes and we were all in the dark. It was fun. 

🚲 An activity to enjoy

Use Ddareungi to tour Seoul by bicycle along the Han River! We met at one of the bridges and then went up towards the North, and ended our little tour in Myeongdong’s bike lanes. The app was hard to use but it was cheap! (To get a pass, choose ‘foreigner’, then ‘buy a pass’ on the app. The buying part can be a bit frustrating but it works. You don’t need anything special, just patience.)