How to Live in 8 European Cities with Your Own Items

Submitted by Alex from Germany

I’m from Germany and by 2024 I’ll have lived in eight nations in Europe.

Living overseas is superb, and I like to recommend it to everybody who has an adventurous spirit. 

But how do you proceed to maneuver throughout Europe with out having to purchase new furnishings in each new metropolis?

What should you don’t wish to soar between Airbnb, and benefit from the familiarity of your personal issues, and personal pillow?!

Here’s how I lived in 8 European cities with my very own objects.

The Plan: Live in Different European Countries

I work as a contract developer, and this provides me the liberty to work from kind of wherever I need.  As lengthy as I’ve my laptop computer and an web connection, I’m free to roam. 

I like to discover new locations and made a promise to myself that I’d see as a lot of Europe as I may earlier than I hit 35 (yet another 12 months to go).

So far, I’ve been having the time of my life. I’ve met so many individuals, realized about so many alternative cultures, and seen so many lovely sights. 

It helps that European nations are so tightly packed collectively and it’s straightforward to maneuver from one place to the subsequent.

It’s nonetheless my objective to have spent at the least just a few months in every European nation, though I’ve observed the final couple of years it has been tougher to uproot every little thing. 

The List of Countries

So far I’ve lived and moved to the Netherlands (Amsterdam), Belgium (Antwerpen), France (Marseilles), and Spain (Barcelona).

The remaining ones are Portugal (Porto), Italy (Catania), Greece (Athens), and Austria (Vienna). 

Visas was once one of many greatest points for digital nomads, as a result of vacationer visas had been capped at 30 days, that means your work routine was continuously disrupted.

But now an increasing number of nations are attractive distant employees to remain for an prolonged time frame, and Europe has many nations that provide digital nomads beneficiant long run visas.

I like the climate within the south of Europe, the meals and the way pleasant the individuals are.  But the cities of the Netherlands and Austria additionally had a variety of cultural and inventive points of interest and had been actually extra cycle pleasant. 

Generally, I choose to discover cities on a motorcycle, as you may cowl a variety of floor, however nonetheless go at a pleasant gradual tempo if you wish to, or take just a few hours break at a pleasant restaurant or cafe.

How Can I Move So Often?

People usually ask how I can simply pack up every little thing and transfer to a brand new place so usually?  Of course, I’m fairly lucky that I’ve a good wage, however I do attempt to reside very modestly. 

Most of the time I prepare dinner for myself. I shouldn’t have a automobile.

I wish to exit, however not each night time, and to not costly touristy locations within the heart, however fairly to extra native bars and eating places.  

I’m additionally acutely aware of making an attempt to not accumulate too many objects, making an attempt to be fairly minimalistic. 

My Stuff

When I used to be backpacking as a young person, I may fortunately reside out of a backpack, with only a few garments and necessities, however now I’ve gathered some furnishings and varied bits and items that make life a bit extra pleasing. 

Things like a BBQ, bicycle, comfy workplace chair and an enormous desk, good couch and low desk for placing my ft up and watching movies or gaming within the night, and naturally, an enormous fridge for beers! 

But these purchases are normally one-off.  My mantra is, purchase high quality, it should final, and perhaps you gained’t have to purchase one other one within the subsequent 10 or 20 years.  So far, that’s true.

So I don’t wish to go away all my stuff behind or purchase anew every time I transfer, however fortunately there are European shifting firms like Smoover. With only a few weeks’ discover, they relocate me every time to my new journey. 

They normally got here with a small truck. This was ample as a result of as I transfer so much, I attempt to have simply the naked necessities in relation to furnishings. 

• 1 mattress (160*200)
• 1 wardrobe (IKEA Pax)
• 1 standing desk (necessary!)
• 1 workplace chair
• 1 Large display 27”
• 1 Macbook
• 1 small sofa
• 1 Coffee desk
• 1 TV (55”)
• BBQ grill
• 2 Bicycle (one for town and one for racing)
• 30 shifting packing containers with books, garments, and different miscellaneous objects

Digital Nomad: Deluxe

Because I keep at the least six months at each location and transfer with my very own objects from residence to residence, I think about this a new and upgraded model of a digital nomad life-style.

I benefit from the freedom of no everlasting residence with the luxurious of my very own important furnishings and objects. The traditional digital nomad would simply transfer round together with his backpack and a Macbook.

Here, I can sleep in my very own mattress, make espresso with my favourite Aeropress, take pleasure in a soothing night experience on my Cannondale, and be tremendous environment friendly when working with my 27” 4k Samsung display.

Of Great Assistance: Smoover

Smoover was tremendous useful when there have been challenges.

In my first cease in Amsterdam, the staircase was tremendous small and really steep (as it’s usually the case within the Netherlands). They organized an outdoor elevator and lifted the furnishings over the balcony.

In France, my neighbor and I organized a wild goodbye occasion in my condo. It was undoubtedly price it, however once I moved from Marseilles to Barcelona the condo proprietor wasn’t too amused and requested that I paint and clear the condo to get the safety deposit again.

Smoover truly had a cleansing and portray staff. The condo seemed like new (they despatched me footage whereas I used to be already on the seaside in Barcelona). I received again the safety deposit shortly thereafter. 

On my subsequent cease, I’m shifting from Barcelona to Porto. I’m taking a two-week trip in Thailand in between, so my issues are being put into storage. They will probably be delivered two days after I land in Porto. 

I Dare You to Move

I can actually suggest making an attempt this out. Europe is so tradition wealthy, there’s so many issues to see.

Talk to your employer to maneuver your work on-line, and embrace the gradual journey life-style.

Use Smoover to handle the shifting, portray (or, simply don’t throw wild events), cleansing and storage.

Maybe we’ll be neighbors quickly!