🫰Finding the right digital nomad community for you, with Megan

✨ You’re reading the DNK September 2025 Interview
💬 Contact: [email protected] 

Annyeong Digital Nomads Korea community !

Welcome to our interview of the month, where we put the spotlight on one of our community members. They’ll share their digital nomad story, how they experienced Korea (so far) and give you three personal recommendations at the end.

Today’s a Summer special: we’re resharing with you one of the early portraits of this series. Written in February 2024. 

How important is finding a community for you when you go to a new destination?

I think finding a community that works for me can make or break a destination. It’s my number one criterion when choosing where to go. I have been to beautiful places that had the lifestyle I wanted for myself, but because I couldn’t find a community I felt at ease with, they didn’t work for me.

Before we talk about how you find communities, maybe we should explain that you’re a travel advisor…

(Laughs.) Yes. It is my job to plan custom trips for the luxury leisure market in America, so, on a personal level, I do like doing research, scanning Instagram, and connecting with local businesses. It helps (laughs).

When did you become a digital nomad?

I discovered the lifestyle in 2017, when I went to some events for digital nomad communities back in my hometown in the US. But I couldn’t do it right away. I had to quit my job, figure out how to switch to another one. In the end, I didn’t start until 2020 and we all know how that year turned out... My dream was short-lived then, but I started again this year (n.b. 2024)!

So, how do you find a community ahead of traveling somewhere? Tell us about your process.

Like I said before, community is such a huge factor for me when planning a trip. I don’t mind going anywhere alone for holidays, but as a nomad, it’s different. I need social stability in some ways. My first step is to do a lot of research in the broader digital nomad communities. Wifi Tribe, for example. They have a big Slack group chat where I’ll ask: “Hey, is there anyone in this area?” “How is the lifestyle there?”, “How are the neighborhoods?”… Then I’ll search on Reddit, Nomadlist, etc. I also follow a lot of what Selina Hostels (a network of coliving) is doing because I like their atmosphere. Then I’ll go to Instagram and look for communities. They’ll often have “digital nomad” in the bio or the keywords, so they’ll pop up quite fast.

Is that how you found Digital Nomads Korea? 

Instagram, yes. It was active, and I just loved the workation programs. Then I started interacting with the content there, tried connecting directly with some members, asking to meet in Seoul, or just asking for tips and recommendations. I joined the WhatsApp group. It was fun to be like a fly on the wall and be part of the conversations before arriving. I liked how inclusive it felt, and that people seemed to be coming from all types of careers and from all the continents. It made it a super easy and comfortable decision to go to a place I didn’t really know anything about, that had such a different culture and a language barrier.

Is Instagram the only option?

It’s my go-to, but some people also check out Facebook groups, which can work really well depending on the destination. Another good place is the Meetup app. The important thing is to look for communities that you’ll have common interests with, it doesn’t matter if it’s sport, cultural activities, art…

Why do you like getting involved so much with communities when you get somewhere?

It just enhances a destination to experience it with others. For example, Korea is a country that is very targeted at groups. Take food, you can rarely do barbecue on your own.

What did you love most about Korea?

Easy: the convenience, the safety, and how welcoming people are. When I got back to the U.S. afterwards, I kept comparing. Korea was so safe…

Things you liked less?

I could do without a lot of the sugar! Of course, the country is very developed, so the cost of living is much higher than in most other digital nomad destinations. I also missed foreign fruits and vegetables. So, so much.

What made you choose to go to Korea?

To be honest, I didn’t know much about South Korea apart from its culture in the media, the food, cafe culture, etc. I just kept hearing such amazing things about it, and as a travel advisor, travel trends point to it as an up-and-coming destination, so I just wanted to see what it was all about. I was actually thinking of going to Japan as a nomad, but everywhere I checked (Reddit, digital nomads forums, personal contacts, etc), people said South Korea was 100000000% better than Japan with my priorities in mind: finding a community, living an active lifestyle, and experiencing culture through food and history. I mean, sounds like Korea, right?

 💚 Megan’s Recommendations

+  🌅 Baeogae Cafe, for a gorgeous sunset over Seoul’s skyline
+  ☕️ Gute Leute, the best black sesame latte in Seoul
+  🍁 Cheomseongdae Observatory in Gyeongju, during pink muhly field season