The following is a guest post by Kelly Dunning as part of our Kindle Review Month here on Her Packing List.
As a digital nomad freelance writer, sometimes my office is on a tropical beach, sometimes it is on a train and sometimes it is in a cafe in the middle of a busy city. I live out of a backpack and I bring my work with me wherever I go.
In order to be so mobile with my work, I use a few important tools. The first one is my laptop, which is where I do my writing. Another important tool is my Kindle.
I could survive as a digital nomad freelance writer without my Kindle, but having it is definitely an advantage. I have the Kindle Keyboard 3G and I use it in a lot of ways to enhance my lifestyle and my job.
I Can Take My Bookshelf in my Backpack
As a writer I naturally love to read and back when I had a home I had a huge bookshelf filled with fascinating books. However, it would be impossible to carry all of these heavy books when I live out of a backpack. I still want to have a book to read on a plane, bus or train, which is why the Kindle is so awesome. I have so many books on there that, if they were in paper form, I wouldn’t be able to lift them.
These days, many authors are releasing their writings as e-books in order to keep costs down so sometimes the books I want to read are not even available as paper books. It is also difficult to get paper books when you are traveling in non-English-speaking countries. I have been in Southeast Asia for the last three months and if I had wanted a paper book it is not likely that the very few English book stores I have seen would have carried it.
I Can Check My Email Anywhere With Phone Coverage
As a freelance writer, I need to have access to my email pretty much 24/7 in case I get sent an article at the last minute which is due that day. However, when you are backpacking around and taking 12 hour train journeys, sometimes this can be difficult.
The Kindle has 3G which means that you can get online from pretty much anywhere with a mobile phone connection. The browser is a little clumsy and not ideal for using for anything other than email and simple web browsing, but I have used my Kindle to access important emails from my clients while on long bus and train journeys or anywhere else that I didn’t have WiFi.
Also, the 3G allows me to download books no matter where we are. One time I finished the book I was reading right before boarding a long flight and I was able to download another one so that I had something to read in the air.
The Kindle is not an essential tool for a freelance digital nomad writer, but it is sure a nice one to have. To be able to have a bookshelf in my backpack and be able to check email and download books from almost anywhere is wonderful. My Kindle and I have traveled to many amazing destinations around the world and we look forward to many more.
>> Learn more about the Kindle Keyboard 3G on Amazon, or read more reviews from Kindle users right here on Her Packing List!
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About the author: Kelly Dunning is a Canadian freelance travel writer. She and her partner Lee Carter are living the digital nomad lifestyle and traveling around the world with only the possessions that they can fit in their backpacks. Global Goose is a chronicle of their lifestyle as perpetual wanderers as they migrate around the globe together. It offers an insight into the lifestyle of full time travel as well as destination guides, practical tips and interviews with inspiring travelers. Follow on Facebook and Twitter.
Be sure to read Kelly’s other guest post on disposable clothing right here on HPL!
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