🏠 Are we done with Airbnb?

Welcome to the Freaking Nomads Newsletter, your weekly dose of stories, insights, tools, and opportunities for digital nomads and remote workers building a life without borders.

Hey Freaking Nomads,

I almost never complain about Airbnbs.

I’ve had genuinely great experiences over the years. Places that felt like home, hosts that went above and beyond. So when something’s off, I tend to give it the benefit of the doubt.

But this week in the Canary Islands tested that a bit.

It started small. Then the roof started leaking. The electricity kept cutting out. And somehow, it was freezing cold, the kind of cold you don’t expect here, which made it harder to deal with everything else going on.

What made it tricky wasn’t just the house, though.

It was the feeling that things weren’t really being taken seriously. Communication with the host felt off. A bit dismissive and even confrontational at times. And that’s when it really starts affecting your day-to-day.

There’s often this idea that digital nomads are the ones creating imbalance, driving prices up and taking advantage of short-term rentals.

And yes, there’s nuance to that conversation.

But there’s also another side to it.

When you move around a lot, you rely heavily on trust, on listings being accurate, on hosts being fair, on things working as expected. And when that breaks, you’re the one navigating it in a place that isn’t home.

This time, instead of just adapting and moving on, I handled it a bit differently.

I documented things. Kept communication clear and on the platform. Reached out for support when it felt necessary.

If you ever find yourself in a situation like this, I’d say:

Pay attention early if something feels off.

Keep a record, it helps more than you think. And don’t hesitate to speak up if needed.

Most experiences won’t be like this. Mine usually aren’t.

But when they are, it’s a reminder that this lifestyle comes with both sides, and learning how to navigate them is part of it.

Irene

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Who is hiring this week? Here are some top roles to check out:

At some point in your nomad journey, you’ll probably start asking yourself: where should I actually base my business?

We’ve been looking into this lately, and one option that kept popping up is Panama, where a lot of digital nomads are already setting up.

IFZA Panama is a company that has helped remote founders set up and run their business there. In simple terms, here’s what they offer:

You don’t need to be tied to Panama. You can stay fully nomadic and operate globally, just with a more structured base behind your business. It's one of those bases worldwide worth considering.

(Disclaimer: Not tax advice and we are not tax professionals. Just a useful resource we came across while researching this ourselves.)

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We'll see you there, Freaking Nomads 👋