How to Become a Digital Nomad With a Pet in Tow
Written by Ed Carter – Featured “black cat” photo by Ruca Souza (Pexels)
Editor’s Note: We welcome yet another blog by guest author Ed Carter on a subject near and dear to my heart. It was not until I retired before I discovered the joy, responsibilities (and challenges) of pet ownership. I have two little doggies (one bichon frise named “Gracie” and a yorkie-poo named “Brewster”) who keep me engaged and occupied throughout the day. “Daddy, I’m hungry.” “Can I have a bone?” “It’s time to go out…” Those frequent walks are good for me and part of this retiree’s long term wellness plan! But, pets may also restrict the flexibility of your schedule and limit travel. You cannot necessarily “drop everything” at the last minute and take a cruise or long car trip. (I’m not putting my “kids” in a pet jail, aka a kennel!) Planning is essential. Ed shares new perspectives on merging the demands of your digital job (encore career, business or retirement pursuit) with the needs of your sometimes fussy furry family members. PKF
Deciding to pack up and chase the digital nomad dream isn’t as easy when you have a pet depending on you. But it’s not impossible. You’ll just need a different kind of strategy—one that balances your professional goals with your animal companion’s comfort and safety. If you’re ready to take your work on the road without leaving your dog, cat, or other furry friend behind, here’s how to make it happen and thrive.
You Are the Brand—Market Like It
You’ve probably heard this before, but now it’s even more true: your personal brand matters. When your lifestyle is non-traditional, clients and employers want reassurance that you’re still professional and reliable. Build an online presence that highlights your experience, your skills, and the unique flavor you bring to the table. Whether it’s a clean portfolio website, a LinkedIn page with testimonials, or social proof via Twitter threads or TikToks, you’ll want your digital footprint to reflect someone who gets the job done—dog barking in the background or not.
How Education Can Reboot Your Career Path
If you’re feeling stuck in your current role or ready to transition into something more dynamic, going back to school can be the smartest move you make. For instance, by exploring a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, you’ll open the door to new opportunities in tech, where the demand for problem-solvers and creative thinkers never slows down. Also, learning online means you’ll have the flexibility to pursue your degree at your own pace, so you can continue working while you build your future.
Pick a Job That Gives You Breathing Room
Not all remote jobs are built equally, especially when you’ve got a pup tugging at your sleeve or a cat trying to walk across your laptop. Jobs with flexible hours or asynchronous communication are a goldmine here. Think virtual assistance, freelance writing, UI/UX design, social media management, or coding—anything that lets you pause when you need to and doesn’t expect you to be online at 9:00 a.m. sharp in someone else’s time zone. It’s also worth considering pet-focused work like blogging about your travels together or offering online pet training consultations if you’ve got the skillset.
Stretching the Budget Is an Art
Moving around with a pet in tow doesn’t just cost more—it requires creative budgeting. Flights often come with extra fees for animals, and not every country has affordable vet care. To save, consider slow travel, staying in each spot for at least a month to cut down on housing costs. Sign up for loyalty programs, travel with collapsible gear to avoid bulky luggage fees, and always build an emergency buffer for unexpected pet expenses.
Downtime for You, Uptime for Them
You’ve got Zoom calls and deadlines, but your pet doesn’t care. Their boredom can quickly become your stress. To keep them occupied, build routines they can count on—morning walks, midday playtime, and evening snuggles. Fun pet toys, lick mats, and interactive feeders are your new best friends. If you’re in a location for a while, look into local pet daycare options or even trusted pet-sitters who can help when your calendar’s packed.
Communication Is Still the Currency
When your lifestyle is flexible, your communication needs to be rock solid. Clients shouldn’t have to guess if you’re off-grid or just ignoring their messages. Use tools like Slack, Notion, or Trello to keep everyone aligned. Set expectations upfront about your availability, stick to response time windows, and always double-check your time zone math before scheduling meetings. Transparency builds trust, and it’s the one thing you can’t afford to fumble when you’re juggling time zones, Wi-Fi hiccups, and a restless Labrador.
Get Paid Without the Headache
No matter where you’re working from, you still need to get paid like a pro. Skip the international wire transfer chaos and set yourself up with services like Wise, Payoneer, or Deel that cater to global freelancers. These platforms help cut down on currency conversion fees, and many now offer debit cards linked to your earnings. Just make sure you’re still handling taxes back home—yes, even if you’re on a beach in Bali.
Plug Into the Right Tools
Your tech stack can make or break your setup, especially when your “office” might be a hammock or a hostel lounge. A reliable VPN keeps your data secure on public Wi-Fi, while apps like Clockify help you track billable hours. Backup power banks and a universal adapter are non-negotiables, and a noise-canceling headset can turn a chaotic café into a client-ready zone. For pet tracking, consider a GPS collar if your dog has wanderlust, or a camera you can check from your phone to ease any separation anxiety.
Taking your life and career on the road with a pet isn’t going to be flawless. There’ll be missed trains, barking during meetings, and that one time your cat jumped on your keyboard mid-presentation. But with some intentional planning, the right tools, and a healthy dose of flexibility, the rewards far outweigh the bumps. You’re not just choosing freedom for yourself—you’re creating a life where your companion gets to come along for the adventure.
Check out other articles by Guest Author Ed Carter at this blog site:
- Returning to the Classroom in Retirement – Smart Planning for a Fulfilling Experience
- Monetizing Our Skills and Passions – Creative Ways for Musicians to Make Money Beyond Gigs
- Unleashing Your Sound – A Musicians Guide to Making Waves and Gaining Fans,
- Music and Literacy Skills – How to Use One to Improve the Other,
- Do You Have a Side-Gig? Four Tips for Artists Seeking An Extra Income Stream.
© 2025 by Paul K. Fox and Ed Carter
What are your greatest weaknesses?
Because we all have weaknesses but rarely want to admit to them, it’s best to begin with a truthful answer and build your script from there. Select an answer that a hiring manager would not consider to be essential qualities or skills for the position as well as qualities that you are actively improving.
Example weakness: Difficulty with an area of expertise
Focusing on Robin Ryan’s “interview tools” such as “the five-point agenda” and “60-second sell,” her book 60 Seconds and You’re Hired ” is inspiring and provides much greater depth (76 pages!) on answering those “thorny” interview questions. Nearly all of the sample questions above are also analyzed, offering easy-to-understand comments and recommendations for specific career paths. For example, Robin Ryan also weighs in on that inquiry “What is your greatest weakness?” – first offering to joke about it “I cannot resist chocolate!” and then, if it is reiterated, endorsing a strategy to share a work habit problem (like being a “Type-A” person) on which you are currently improving but is not critical for the position they are seeking to fill.
what your image (and “personal brand”) say about you on all the social media platforms?
Instead, your profile information should reflect integrity and responsibility, so you should expand or add content that:
Streamline your selfies.
If you need more than ten suggestions or a lot more detailed instructions based on the specific social media platforms, check out 
now would be the perfect time to explore supplemental resources and get a “head-start” on additional pre-service training for next fall. These tips are especially valuable to anyone entering his/her senior or final year as a music education major, finely honing in and marketing your skills as a professional in order to be prepared for finding and succeeding at your first job.
Mix and mingle to improve your networking opportunities
Understanding specific educational jargon and the latest approaches, applications, and technologies in the profession (e.g. Backwards Design, The Common Core, Whole Child Initiatives, Multiple Intelligences, Depth of Knowledge and Higher Order of Thinking Skills, Formative, Summative, Diagnostic, and Authentic Assessment, etc. – Do you know the meaning of these terms?)
You need to ask yourself the question, “What are my greatest weaknesses in music education?” Or, to put it another way, “What school assignments would I feel the least confident to teach? After earning your state’s all-essential credential, your certificate will likely be general and only say “music Pre-K to Grade 12.” Administrators will expect you can “do it all” – introducing jazz improvisation at the middle school, accompany on the piano or guitar all of the songs in the grades 1-6 music textbook series, directing the marching band at the high school or the musical at the middle school, starting an elementary string program, etc.
Since music teachers are all “fiduciaries” (do you know the meaning of the word?) and legally responsible for our “charges,” wouldn’t it be a good idea to review our state’s regulations and code of conduct, and hear about the challenges and pitfalls of ethical decision-making before we jump in and get “over our heads,” so-to-speak?
ask your cooperating teacher (or his/her supervisor’s) permission. Some school districts have “do not photo” rosters. (However, in my district, only a few elementary students were “on the list” and most defaulted to a “permissible” status unless the parent opted out. The principal’s secretary had a record of all exceptions.) It is also suggested that you focus your camera mostly on YOU and not the students, from the back of the classroom or rehearsal facility (possibly from afar), so that the student faces are not clearly discernible. To respect their privacy, in the recorded excerpts, do not use any segment announcing the names of your students.
Educators are among the singular professions which have a “fiduciary” responsibility. The term “fiduciary” can be defined as “a person or organization that owes to another the duties of good faith and trust, the highest legal duty of one party to another, and being bound ethically to act in the other’s best interests.” Joining doctors, lawyers, clergy, and mental health therapists, educators ascribe to the highest standards of training, moral decision-making (“code of ethics”), behavior (“code of conduct”), and self-regulation and assessment of the “best practices” regarding the mastery of skills and subject areas necessary to their field. However, unlike these other professionals, teachers do not receive regular and systematic pre- and in-service training on ethics, and our “clients” are a “captive audience.” Regardless, the duty of all teachers is to act as a fiduciary in their students’ best interest and to create and maintain a safe environment for them at all times.
Always looking for the signs of…
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 provides data privacy and security provisions for safeguarding medical information.
Proponents of this belief will tell you to go ahead and stick your neck out, feel free to do something “for the good of the order,” and later “beg for forgiveness” if/when it goes south and your administrators say they do not approve.
My advice: “Forget your rights” and be more aware of your image and how your actions will look to the public. Reputations are hard to restore. Being an effective teacher is all about trust and integrity, and (sorry, one more cliche) “your actions speak louder than words!”
As a “professional,” you have an open, inquisitive mind, constantly strive for self-improvement, continuing education, and retooling, embrace change and better ways of doing something, and “practice” your craft. This means you read your educational publications from cover to cover. For example, these were a few of the tips in a recent PMEA News article, “I’ve Got an Interview, Now What?” shared by Dr. Kathleen Melago, PCMEA State Advisor and Associate Professor of Music Education at Slippery Rock University, and Doug Bolasky, retired band and orchestra teacher and former Department Chair of the Southern Lehigh School District:
paulfox.blog 