Living An Offbeat Life With Debbie Arcangeles

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This week on the podcast we are chatting with Debbie Arcangeles. Debbie is a remote entrepreneur and the host of The Offbeat Life, a podcast where she interviews individuals who are location-independent and digital nomads.

As a teen, Debbie caught the travel bug and set out to build a career that allowed her to earn a living while exploring the globe. And she did just that, but after a couple of years working as a travel journalist, she realized that she was burnt out. So she returned home and started a more traditional career.

Years later after finding success in early childhood education she once again came to the realization that something was missing. The stability and quality of life were great, but the freedom and creativity weren’t there.

So Debbie set out on a new path and found a way to bridge travel and location independence with a fulfilling and successful career.

Check out Amanda and Ryan’s interview on The Offbeat Life Podcast: https://www.theoffbeatlife.com/episodes/travel-podcasters/

Debbie from Theoffbeatlife.com
Debbie from Theoffbeatlife.com

Discussed in this episode:

  • Debbie’s experience moving to the U.S. with her family and why she connected with travel
  • How Debbie found a role as a photojournalist and what it was like to work and travel in the trade
  • What is day to day life like working as a photojournalist
  • Getting burnt out and looking forward to different career opportunities
  • Working in a more traditional job and feeling like something was missing before realizing that creativity and location independence was important to her
  • How Debbie decided to start The Offbeat Life to share stories of location-independent workers and creatives
  • What Debbie has learned from talking to 100s of location independent workers
  • How can people come up with ideas for opportunities they can pursue online
  • How travel evolves when it becomes part of your job
  • Check out Amanda and Ryan’s interview on The Offbeat Life Podcast: https://www.theoffbeatlife.com/episodes/travel-podcasters/
  • Learn more about Debbie at theoffbeatlife.com
  • Connect with Debbie on Instagram

If you would get access to the past and future episodes of our nomad series as a World Wanderers Insider, head on over to Patreon.com/theworldwanderers. Thank you so much for your continued support!

Digital Nomad Life: Offbeat With Debbie

Welcome to the World Wanderers podcast, your source for travel stories, travel destinations, and travel philosophy. We are your hosts Ryan and Amanda, and we will be taking you on today’s adventure as we speak with this week’s guest.

In this episode, we are introducing you to Debbie Arcangeles from The Offbeat Life podcast.

Debbie is a remote entrepreneur, host of the Offbeat Life podcast, and a digital nomad. 

Interviews with individuals who are location-independent and digital nomads are the focus of her podcast.

Looking for a balance between work and travel? We discuss Debbie’s experiences as an entrepreneur and as someone who has lived out of a suitcase. She shares her travel experiences, and then we cover one of the most essential parts – her experience in growing an online business.

By giving great advice on how to take on new opportunities from your own home, she will definitely make you feel inspired and probably spark a flame about living a nomad life!

Where it all started: Debbie’s experience moving to the U.S. with her family and why she connected with travel.

Unlike most people, Debbie’s story of her first encounter with travel is a bit different. She comes from an immigrant family, so she says her first travel experiences were not as pleasant as one would expect. At around eight years old, her family moved from the Philippines to New York – the place she now calls home – to secure a better life. So leisure and travel were not two things you could put in the same box, until later on.

“Travel was not something in my family that was for leisure for the most part because I come from an immigrant family. I’m also an immigrant. So traveling for us meant looking for a better life. The first time I ever traveled was when I was about eight or nine years old to come here to the United States, and that was to move to New York to have a better life…” starts Debbie.

Even after having this experience at such a young age, Debbie still caught the travel bug a bit later in her life. This came from the fact that her father was a Merchant Marine who would always bring different things home from around the world. And Debbie was one curious kid who wanted to explore the world for herself.

Therefore, she chose to go to France on her first leisure trip rather than host a sweet 16th birthday party. 

Stepping out into the world made her even more enthusiastic about travel, and that passion has only continued growing ever since. 

“I didn’t get the bug until I was about 16 years old. My dad was a Merchant Marine, and he used to travel a lot for work, and I was always interested in everything that he was bringing back from all of these different countries from all over the world. So instead of having a sweet 16, I told my parents I’d rather go to France. And that’s really where it started. After that, I couldn’t stop.” -Debbie.

Consequently, she set out to make money for her explorations and feed her appetite for travel. When she turned 18, she traveled across Europe to all the places she wanted to see. That’s the beginning of her life-long adventure that will, later on, become a lifestyle.

How Debbie found a role as a photojournalist and what it was like working and traveling in the trade.

Debbie further shares how she moved around the globe constantly during her twenties and what that was like. Thanks to this time in her life, she was able to focus on what she already loved doing – traveling. 

“Throughout my whole twenties, I was just traveling a lot. And then even when I was in school, like most people, if you’re interested in it, that’s all you can think about. I thought I was fortunate because I discovered photography from that. And when I was in college, I ended up majoring in art and photography, which led me to be a photojournalist. That also allowed me to travel to all different types of places as well. It gave me a lot of what I wanted to do with my life—a sense of direction.” – Debbie.

Her love of photography began during college. She learned everything she needed to know from her mentor, who ignited the spark.

“When I was in college, film photography was still a big thing. I know how to develop my own film, print it by hand with all the chemicals, and my photography professor at that time was this incredible photographer that taught me about the value of photography and where it came from.” – Debbie.

Photojournalism was the result of her discovering this art form. She had found the ideal middle ground between these two worlds.

“I started getting into portrait photography and photojournalism. And, because I was interested in many different cultures from my background, that’s how it started. And with my love for travel, I kind of combined both, and I was working in galleries in New York City. So for a few years, I was doing that and I was traveling to different countries for photojournalism.” – Debbie.

However, traveling and working can be challenging to combine, everyone who does it will surely agree. And there is a big difference between traveling for fun and traveling for work. And this is precisely Debbie’s thought. Glamourising traveling and working give a false image of the actual thing.

But there are other positive sides to it, you might not get to enjoy every moment, but it is an eye-opening experience in which you get to explore and discover so much!

“It’s a different thing. I feel like there are so many misconceptions when you’re traveling and working at the same time that it’s all glamorous. At that time, there was no Instagram. So you, you didn’t have those Instagram-worthy type things. 

It wasn’t glamorous, but it was eye-opening for me. It made me even more aware of what was happening in the world, and it made me appreciate everything from my journey as an immigrant to what I have in the United States. And then to also see the other parts of the world and how they also live.” – Debbie.

What is day-to-day life like working as a photojournalist?

She remembers and explains what her daily life was like back when she started, compared to now, and there is quite a difference. 

In the end, she certainly encourages all digital nomads to learn from their experiences and be thankful for the changes and transitions that come with living this way.

“I was a backpacker. Everything was cheap. When you work with NGOs, you’re either working for nothing or very minimal. So I was really on a budget, on a complete budget. It was a lot of struggles; it was a lot of really getting used to. All of the different cultures, the people that you’re working with, the different companies…”

Getting burnt out and looking forward to different career opportunities.

Debbie honestly opens about all the negative emotions of this lifestyle and taboo topics related to it, as well as how settling down and seeking stability can be a very human instinct.

“ I was burnt out from traveling. I was really burnt out from photography, so I needed a real life.”

Moments like this might come. Debbie describes how she handled such a moment during her journey.

“I was traveling quite frequently, and I couldn’t take it anymore, and I had to step back from photography. So after that last show, I didn’t touch my camera for about two years or so.

Then, after that, I completely changed course from photography to travel to ‘’okay, maybe right now I need to find a big girl job – so I went back to school to get my master’s and then get my degree in education.” – Debbie.

Working in a more traditional job and feeling like something was missing before realizing that creativity and location independence was important.

Stepping back to “normal life” is a significant change. Taking a break when you know you need one is so important, and taking your time is always the right thing to do, regardless of how long it takes. As part of her story, Debbie continues to share what it was like to work a traditional job for seven years of her life and how it changed her perspective.

“I worked with kids after that for almost seven years, doing therapy for children with autism. So I think at that time I kind of wanted a break, and I wanted something different. And I think we all hear this. You need to get a real-life, you know, as people tell you, you need to grow up. And I think that was my moment when I thought I wanted to do that.” – Debbie.

But soon enough, she realized something was missing. And it is never too late to start building something all over again!

“But the entire time, I knew that I wasn’t at the place that I wanted to be. And that’s why I also left that, and now I’m doing something that is definitely where I need to be.”

Eventually, she learned that the key to making your dream life reality is finding a balance between what you love to do and how you can make it sustainable. 

“I think it’s finding the balance of what you want that makes you happy and also making that so that it’s sustainable. So I think if you can find a balance of both things, you’re on the right path.

What inspired Debbie to start The Offbeat Life to share stories of location-independent creators and workers.

How did she get the balance she needed? In figuring out there have to be others out there like her, she began researching, investigating, and meeting people, which slowly led her to the path she needed to follow.  The examples she saw sparked her creativity, and when she combined that with a strong determination, she hatched her idea.

“When I was traveling when I was a therapist, I met so many people who were remote workers, digital nomads, remote entrepreneurs, and I was extremely interested in what they were doing with their lives. I kept thinking; I need to do something like that. I need to do that.”

A big motivator to keep searching was the idea of being independent and being your own boss. The idea slowly evolved after her fiance introduced her to podcasts he found interesting.

“That’s what I want to do. I want to be my own boss. I want to work remotely. I want to be independent; that’s what I wanted to do. So at that time, I wasn’t looking into doing a podcast. I didn’t know a lot about it, but my fiance was listening to so many podcasts, and he introduced me to a few of them.” – Debbie.

And just like that, she found her passion once again. She created a platform where she can be creative again and travel and share those experiences and stories with the rest of the world through interviews with people on the same path. 

“I just had that “A-ha” moment where I said-well, this is a great platform because now I can get advice from people, interview them, and this is content that I’m creating, and I can be creative again.” – Debbie.

What Debbie learned from talking to hundreds of location-independent workers.

Being able to speak to people with similar stories from all over the world has taught her so much. There is a lesson to be learned around every corner. One of the most important lessons that she learned made so much more sense than she already knew. She shares some of the most important lessons that guided her on her journey.

“It’s a learning experience, and I think life is a great way to learn; it’s the best school to have because it doesn’t care who you are. So there’s a ton of things I learned. And I think that comes from a lot of failures, which I love. Here’s one lesson to learn: don’t look at all of these failures as a waste of time or energy.” 

Her life as a nomad has been a learning experience. She also noted that every person she interviewed showed persistence. To build such a lifestyle, that point of view is crucial. 

“I think one of the main lessons that I’ve learned from myself and also from so many other people, over a hundred people that I’ve interviewed, was that you have to be persistent. They knew how to pivot, they took advice when it was right for them, and they just kept going.”

After listing everything she has learned, she wraps it up and brings it to a conclusion.

“So, changing your mindset, making things sustainable, having a balance of everything is what I learned from all of my experiences, from all my failures.”

How can people come up with ideas for opportunities they can pursue online.

It’s evident that Debbie has gained valuable experience. As a result, she shares with the audience some advice on how to begin doing the same. 

She encourages them to take the first step, sharing so many ideas and opportunities for everyone who wishes to work remotely and live as a digital nomad. The options are truly endless!

“I feel like everybody has some sort of skills that can be remote. I mean, if you don’t have any, quote-unquote, real experience right now, I’m sure you do. You know how to write, right? You know how to create emails, and you know how to post things on social media. 

All of those things are transferable to anything remote. Anything that you can pretty much do on a computer can be transferable to remote work. There are so many different things now. And I think there are just going to be more and more opportunities for us, for everybody. And if you have the patience and the drive to do this, and again, if you’re persistent, you’re going to land a job somewhere.” – Debbie.

Your career as a traveler evolves as you travel for work.

Changes in perspective along the way are something that happens while being location-independent. However, when travel becomes work or the other way around, you must keep balance and sustainability. Debbie explains how traveling shifted from being one thing to something entirely different for her now.

“Whenever I travel, it’s usually for work now, so it’s not the same anymore. A few years ago, it was mostly me, and it was for leisure, and now it’s really what my clients want me to do. So, for example, when I’m traveling for my clients, I have to do content creation. So I’m not sitting on my laptop the whole time because they want me to explore. They take me places. I have to do photography, I have to do interviews, I have to write, and I have to do all of these things…” 

She shares her feelings on this topic and describes her current situation. Instead of traveling on her own, she now travels for a company, but she always finds a way to resolve issues!

“If you love photography, but you’re afraid that if you create a photography business it’s just going to be work, that how travel for me is now. This is ironic because I wanted to be location-independent initially. After all, I wanted to travel so much, but now that I have that opportunity and get paid to do it, it’s become work. Because now I don’t travel for myself, I travel for a company and a brand.” – Debbie.

Debbie found a way to keep her love for travel alive for as long as possible by taking time to plan trips just for herself. She began differentiating leisure and work and, over the years, understood that those are things she should not mix – a lesson learned from all past experiences.

The approach she uses works for her, which is why she keeps doing it. Even though it might not work for everyone, it is an excellent piece of advice to find a way to keep their passion alive.

“Last November was the first time in I don’t know how long that I took an actual vacation, and it wasn’t a full-on vacation because I had some shoots there for some clients. But right now, to tell you the truth, I’m kind of burnt out from traveling, and everything is starting to look the same, so I do take at least one trip, maybe two, just for myself, to be able to gain that love back and not work during that time.” – Debbie.

Last Words

A digital nomad’s life goes beyond what we see on screens.

“It’s not always as it seems. You have to go through many sacrifices and a lot of work to get to this point. Most people don’t understand just how much work it takes to be successful in this sort of business because it’s cutthroat and not easy to do. But, still, most people just see the content that we create, the end project of it, and they don’t understand everything else that you’ve gone through to give them that, to make it look that good.”

Despite the joy it may bring, it is also essential to consider the downsides of being an independent digital nomad. Debbie was one of the brave travelers who brought attention to these taboo topics and spoke about the truth and both the positive and negative aspects of combining work and passion. 

Finally, we all agreed that the answer lies in finding balance and taking care of the things that matter most to you. It is essential to learn from each experience and to accept advice along the way. Only through constant exploration will you be able to adapt and find solutions to any situation.

When you are enthusiastic about achieving it, there is always a way. 

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