00:00:00:00 - 00:00:14:17
Ibi
So let's start. So first, Matilda. Tell me about yourself. Like, what kind of work do you do as a nomad? How long have you been a nomad? What's your favorite thing about being a nomad? Just tell me something. Something cool about yourself.
00:00:14:19 - 00:00:33:02
Mathilde
So I've been traveling my whole life. So my parents are travelers. We always go. Went on vacation. We always travel since I'm a little child. And then I. I went on a backpacking world trip for three years until Covid hit, and I came back from my world trip, and I really didn't like the job I had.
00:00:33:04 - 00:00:49:12
Mathilde
So I needed an escape. And the best way to escape was to turn my profession in into something that could make money off and to travel the world. So here I am working in HR and being self-employed, freelancing in HR.
00:00:49:14 - 00:01:01:20
Ibi
I love that I love that. Okay, so let's talk about before Covid. Before Covid, did you have any experience with remote working or being a freelancer or anything like that?
00:01:01:20 - 00:01:27:06
Mathilde
Not. Not at all. Before Covid, I was just backpacking. I was just traveling the world for three years, living off my savings. But I didn't have any idea about being self-employed, about freelancing, about marketing, about anything. I had absolutely no idea. I just went all in. It was like opening a Pandora's box. What should I do? Where should I like?
00:01:27:06 - 00:01:49:08
Mathilde
Where should I, have a company? Where should I live? What do I want to like? Do I want to have my residency in Switzerland? What do I want to do? What am I going to do with insurances? How do I even get clients? How to set up a website? How do I position myself all these questions? And then, well, step by step, I just I just got there.
00:01:49:09 - 00:01:55:21
Mathilde
I actually manifested it. I saw myself living this life and I was like, whatever it takes, I've got to get there.
00:01:55:23 - 00:02:18:00
Ibi
Okay. I love that a lot. That's that's awesome. Okay. So you you must have come in obviously with some years of experience and a lot of skills and a lot of like, I don't know, you had a job before that where you were working, I assume. So in terms of when you decided, okay, I want to step down this path.
00:02:18:02 - 00:02:35:20
Ibi
I want to go down this path. What were the thoughts? Did you think? Oh, yeah, I could just, you know, I have the skills that I need or I needed to find some new skills or my current income is all okay, and I just keep going with my job, or I have to set up a company. Like, what was the thoughts going through your head at that time?
00:02:35:22 - 00:02:57:21
Mathilde
Now all of them. I was like, how? Where do I even start? For me, it was I knew that I have to set up a company and start working as a freelancer, that, no, I couldn't stay in my job. So that was something that. Okay, I knew I have to go this way, but the most difficult one was, how do I find clients, especially like an HR in Switzerland?
00:02:57:23 - 00:03:19:14
Mathilde
People were saying, oh, interesting, you want to offer HR, that's a disservice. You offer, as a freelancer, it's not it's not very well known. But for me, it was obvious that that's what I have to do, because that's that's what I like. That's my passion. That's what I love. So in the beginning, I started also like, offering admin stuff just to survive.
00:03:19:16 - 00:03:27:20
Mathilde
And and that worked well in the beginning it was just like, whatever it is there, I'm going to do it. And now I can I can focus more on my HR part.
00:03:27:22 - 00:03:43:15
Ibi
And that's really interesting because the salaries in Switzerland are usually really high. And were you freelancing in Switzerland and getting by in Switzerland on this, on this kind of work? Because that's really impressive.
00:03:43:17 - 00:03:45:18
Mathilde
I was out of Switzerland from the beginning.
00:03:45:18 - 00:03:48:12
Ibi
You were out of Switzerland? Yes. And that makes a lot of sense.
00:03:48:12 - 00:04:11:09
Mathilde
Yes. I left Switzerland even before I had a client. I was traveling around Europe, and I was like, if I really want to get into the digital nomad life, I have to get there where the people are. And because of the cost of living, there's not that many digital nomads in Switzerland. I wanted to go to get inspiration also from other people, and to go to the hubs to meet other people.
00:04:11:11 - 00:04:14:01
Mathilde
So I had to be in that environment.
00:04:14:03 - 00:04:29:03
Ibi
And okay, so for our curious listeners who are thinking about this digital nomad transition, what is that environment? Where are these people? Are you talking about Bali? Are you talking about Spain? What? What is that.
00:04:29:05 - 00:05:05:06
Mathilde
For? They are everywhere. And interestingly, we all meet up in the same places. Now here in France, I met a woman I met in South Africa a couple of months before, and we just bumped into each other here. But those people are where you have infrastructure, where you have good Wi-Fi, where you have nature. So that can be in Bali, where you have beaches in the community that can also be in Latin America, that can be in Spain, that can be in France, that can be anywhere in the world, but somewhere where you have a community and where where you can meet other people.
00:05:05:08 - 00:05:07:06
Ibi
Where was it for you?
00:05:07:08 - 00:05:12:02
Mathilde
Where I started in, I started in Spain and then I went to Brazil pretty fast.
00:05:12:04 - 00:05:15:18
Ibi
Nice. And you speak, you speak Portuguese?
00:05:15:18 - 00:05:17:17
Mathilde
I speak Spanish and I understand Portuguese.
00:05:17:20 - 00:05:38:15
Ibi
Spanish in it. That's an interesting one. And as someone who speaks, say, Spanish and Portuguese, which are very, I would say, useful languages as a nomad, how did you find the language barriers for other people, or how did you find the ease of not having that language barrier as part of your nomad transition?
00:05:38:17 - 00:06:01:11
Mathilde
I think especially traveling in Latin American countries, speaking Spanish helps because I don't only want to communicate or to interact with expats and digital nomads. For me, it's also very important to interact with locals and that's why I go to the country. So living in a place like Argentina, Paraguay, yeah, it's important. If you speak to that, you can speak the language and that you can connect with the locals.
00:06:01:13 - 00:06:06:17
Mathilde
If you connect with other digital nomads, it's usually English because everyone speaks English in the community.
00:06:06:19 - 00:06:32:03
Ibi
And yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Interesting. Interesting. Okay, so let's go back to the story. Right. So you were there. You've moved to to Spain. And then, you know, you're in Latin America and you're thinking, I'm going to be a freelancer and I've got to make this happen for myself. What were the biggest challenges and what was the or what was the moment that you were like, damn, this is working well.
00:06:32:03 - 00:06:33:09
Ibi
What happened? Tell us.
00:06:33:12 - 00:06:45:06
Mathilde
Well, I think one of the best moments, one was when I wrote my first invoice, when I got my first payment as a freelancer, you're like, wow, I'm actually getting paid. This is actually working.
00:06:45:07 - 00:06:50:19
Ibi
I love it. And you can say no to this question, how much was the invoice for your first invoice? Do you.
00:06:50:19 - 00:07:08:00
Mathilde
Remember? I don't remember how much it was to be honest. It was just a couple of hours. It was just something admin related, something easy. But it didn't matter. In the moment. All that mattered is that it worked, that it somehow worked, and it was someone I didn't get through my network. It was someone I got like this.
00:07:08:02 - 00:07:09:19
Ibi
How did you find this person?
00:07:09:21 - 00:07:22:17
Mathilde
I, I was looking through remote job ads on LinkedIn and I wrote them a letter saying I can do that, but as a freelancer and I won't be in Switzerland, my companies outside of Switzerland. And yeah, well, it worked.
00:07:22:19 - 00:07:24:02
Ibi
Fascinating.
00:07:24:04 - 00:07:33:00
Mathilde
I explained why, why they should collaborate with me and why I'm my services or the way I operate is beneficial for them.
00:07:33:02 - 00:07:54:20
Ibi
How did you make it work with H.R. Most people think they need to be in tech or they think they need they need a programing job or something. But H.R is a very specific field and most people would work in. Hey John, where can I don't know, a company in a normal office or something? How did you apply those skills that you had to a remote world where you could be a freelancer?
00:07:54:22 - 00:08:17:23
Mathilde
So I saw some job ads on LinkedIn, and I was looking for remote jobs, and with some of them it was more via admin to get into working with that company. And then from that pause into HR and others are remote only company. So if they're remote only and they want to have someone that does HR for them, that person has to be remote as well.
00:08:18:01 - 00:08:24:16
Mathilde
So Covid sort of shifted how some companies work. And that helped in that sense.
00:08:24:18 - 00:08:39:04
Ibi
So this is interesting. So what you're saying is that the companies themselves, as they shifted to being more remote, they were demanding more remote services. So the demand for remote work actually increased.
00:08:39:04 - 00:08:39:12
Mathilde
Yes.
00:08:39:18 - 00:08:43:01
Ibi
And you were just fulfilling the demand. You were just saying I'm a remote consultant.
00:08:43:01 - 00:08:59:14
Mathilde
Exactly. And especially small companies that maybe don't want to hire, HR and don't want to have the whole cost, that employee cost and everything that comes with it. I have a set price as a freelancer, but that's all the expense you're going to have, so it's beneficial for them.
00:08:59:16 - 00:09:09:07
Ibi
Nice and okay. I saw online that you are a virtual HR consultant. What does that mean virtual HR consultant?
00:09:09:09 - 00:09:34:06
Mathilde
Well, it means that I, I can do any kind of HR related job, which means obviously it's HR or like personal happiness that comes with it. Contract dismissals, talking to authorities, but also recruitment. And I always specify I'm not a recruiter. That's something different. But I can do it for the company in the name of a company.
00:09:34:06 - 00:10:01:23
Mathilde
If they're looking for someone, I can, take care of the job at the at the on board, like the interview. Then the first onboarding steps and all that. And also I, I do talent development. So within the team, what does someone need in order to develop, to improve, to get to the next step? And also within the team, team event, team work, team conversation, all that sort of stuff.
00:10:02:00 - 00:10:15:13
Ibi
Okay. This is awesome. This is awesome. Okay, I got one last question on the work side of things. And then let's get on to the more fun stuff. So my last question is.
00:10:15:15 - 00:10:36:19
Ibi
How much does a digital nomad need to earn to get by in their normal life and to go to Co Livings and to float around? In your opinion, how much do they need to be bringing in and what's the what's the financial requirements for someone who's has no idea about this? How can they make it work for them?
00:10:36:21 - 00:10:59:10
Mathilde
Well, that's a very tough question. I think it really depends where you are. If you're in Bali, of in Thailand or Vietnam, the cost of living is much, much cheaper than in France, for example, or even Latin America, I would say somewhere in between us. It depends where in Latin America I think I'm going to say in euros.
00:10:59:12 - 00:11:17:08
Mathilde
Around 2000 to at least cover your expenses and yeah, your accommodation. If you want to have something halfway decent and you want to go out and maybe you want to save something a little bit, but I think, yeah, right. At least €2,000.
00:11:17:10 - 00:11:29:15
Ibi
That's a very conservative estimate. Because for me, I would say that 2000 is not enough in Europe. But if you're if you're getting by on 2000 or if you think someone can get by on 2000, that's that's fantastic.
00:11:29:15 - 00:11:35:00
Mathilde
Well, well, as I said, I think it depends where. I mean, in Switzerland, obviously that's not going to like.
00:11:35:04 - 00:11:36:02
Ibi
It would not work in.
00:11:36:02 - 00:11:57:23
Mathilde
Switzerland. But I think maybe if in the southern part of Italy and if you're in a sort of remote area or offices, and that could work if you if you work as a house sitter, for example, you don't have to pay for accommodation. So I say you can get by by with 2000 if you cook, if you work for your rent, for example, in the end you don't.
00:11:57:23 - 00:12:10:10
Mathilde
It depends on what you spend your money. But I think with 2000 you can start somewhere and just see how you can save money. Also, volunteering somewhere that can also help that you work for, for you, for your place to stay.
00:12:10:12 - 00:12:19:04
Ibi
Nice. Well, we're sitting here in a castle in Normandy, so I think it is a little bit more expensive than otherwise.
00:12:19:06 - 00:12:22:09
Mathilde
I'm having fun talking to you here.
00:12:22:11 - 00:12:48:00
Ibi
Thank you. I'm having so much fun. I'm learning so much now. There is a very practical element about nomadism. And that element is your financial stability where you travel, how you travel, how you're moving about the world, whether you cook your own food or you get takeaways every day. These are all very practical considerations that people have. How is the on the other side for you?
00:12:48:00 - 00:13:10:16
Ibi
The emotional side, the the feeling of being a nomad, of being a traveler, of not having the safe place? Or do you do you keep a home somewhere in the world, or are you always traveling when you travel? Do you feel like nomads? Often report loneliness? Do you feel that or do you build communities around you? Let's let's dig into that one a little bit.
00:13:10:18 - 00:13:30:08
Mathilde
Okay. If I would tell you I never felt lonely would be a lie. I have been lonely. But I like to be alone. So this is a little bit of a different view. I have moments sometimes that you are alone and you don't want to be alone. But generally, if I'm alone, I actually enjoy my me time.
00:13:30:10 - 00:13:52:05
Mathilde
And I do it on purpose. But how did I feel of leaving my safety net? For me, it was total freedom. It was pure freedom. The less I'm attached to a place, to something, the more freedom I have. So if I can just travel with one suitcase in my backpack and just go wherever I want to go without any strings attached, that's just.
00:13:52:06 - 00:13:54:17
Mathilde
That's just the pure joy.
00:13:54:19 - 00:13:57:00
Ibi
What does that freedom look like?
00:13:57:02 - 00:14:02:02
Mathilde
I can go wherever I want, whenever I want, with whomever I want.
00:14:02:04 - 00:14:15:03
Ibi
So what's the most what's the most freeing thing that you've done? What's the decision that you made once and you're like, I just went on this crazy romantic getaway with someone I met or what? What's the most fun thing that you've done?
00:14:15:05 - 00:14:35:18
Mathilde
Oh, so many, so many. I think, first of all, is taking the decision to leave my job and to become self-employed and to start freelancing. I think that's very freeing. Even though it was very scary in the beginning, and the first year was just survival and, having to learn how to navigate in this world. But it was still very freeing.
00:14:35:20 - 00:14:53:08
Mathilde
And, when you meet up with someone and they, you see on Instagram, oh, wait, that person is there as well. Let's meet up or what are you doing tomorrow to when I come to I don't know where with me. Okay, sure. Let's just go. Let's just meet up there and we can just do it because it doesn't matter.
00:14:53:08 - 00:15:00:09
Mathilde
We can work from anywhere. So even if I have, course, if I have meetings, it doesn't matter if I take them from Argentina, from Brazil.
00:15:00:11 - 00:15:01:23
Ibi
You can take them from anywhere in the.
00:15:01:23 - 00:15:03:08
Mathilde
World that you want. Yeah.
00:15:03:13 - 00:15:06:16
Ibi
And where's where's the place that you like to go back to most?
00:15:06:16 - 00:15:10:00
Mathilde
Brazil. Yeah. It's my favorite country. Wow.
00:15:10:02 - 00:15:12:15
Ibi
And what's the nomad community like there?
00:15:12:17 - 00:15:29:02
Mathilde
Oh, it is a big nomad community. You could. There's so many places in Brazil to have big nomad communities and also interact with local people. What I like about Brazil, you also have Brazilians in those communities. So that's what I mentioned before, that you have a little bit of both like international but also local people.
00:15:29:04 - 00:15:50:17
Ibi
Interesting, interesting. Okay. So you mentioned that loneliness was a factor, that the as a feeling that you felt, but you like being alone. Do you have some kind of rituals or some kind of structures that you put into your life that help with sort of managing that time being alone?
00:15:50:19 - 00:16:11:20
Mathilde
So I, I switched from going to co-living like now and Airbnbs and in big cities where you have the community, you usually there's a WhatsApp group and you have meet ups, you have a wine tasting or social meet up, or you meet on a Sunday to go in a park. And that's how you meet people. You just go on a free walking tour and that's how you usually meet people.
00:16:11:20 - 00:16:30:14
Mathilde
It's very easy to meet people, so that's how I meet people when I'm staying at the Airbnb and when I'm staying at a co-living, like now. Yeah, it's obviously meet people and you live with them, so that's it's easy, but I have to I can not only do co-living, so all the Airbnbs I like to change. And so that's how I keep my balance.
00:16:30:16 - 00:16:44:23
Mathilde
And last, like before coming here, I was at an Airbnb and my social battery was very low. So I just stayed alone for two and a half weeks and I really enjoyed it. And now I'm energized and so happy to be here and to connect with people.
00:16:45:01 - 00:17:04:14
Ibi
And and so you kind of have a good handle on that, right? So when your social battery needs recharging, you can go and check an Airbnb. And then afterwards you can go and describe the code. You can go in and enjoy the co-living world. Can you describe that co-living world for us? What does it mean to you?
00:17:04:16 - 00:17:28:14
Mathilde
For me is to share it, to share the space is to also share your time, with like minded people. And what I like about it, like we are all here for the same purpose, but we also different. And maybe we would have never met in other circumstances. But we are all people from all different kinds of places that live under the same roof and all just want to share experiences.
00:17:28:14 - 00:17:56:16
Mathilde
We want to grow together, we want to exchange experiences and, it can be anything and professional or just have having fun. And also, I think the kind of conversations we have are so deep because we all have the same issues, we have the same struggles, we have the same experiences or like similar experiences. So for me, when I meet someone that is also traveling or living the same lifestyle, it's easier to connect and I connect on a much deeper level.
00:17:56:18 - 00:18:05:04
Ibi
Can you describe some of those common feelings or those deep conversations that you have? Like what kind of stuff do you talk about with customers?
00:18:05:06 - 00:18:31:09
Mathilde
Well, it can be stuff like we're talking about right now. Or partnership, for example. Many people have problems finding a partner because they're constantly on the road or having troubles to focus on something. It can be a challenge. It doesn't have to be. Also, the struggle of, you know, sometimes you want to settle it because it's too stressful to travel, but you feel the urge to travel.
00:18:31:11 - 00:18:48:07
Mathilde
But when you're in that world, sometimes it's a bit challenging because you're you're, you're fighting with yourself. Like, I need to settle. I need to calm down a little bit to recharge. But then you're like, no, no, but I need to. I want to leave. And I want to do this. And so many places I want to go and so much I want to see.
00:18:48:07 - 00:18:51:15
Mathilde
And so there's so many things I want to visit.
00:18:51:17 - 00:19:20:04
Ibi
It's weird. Right? Because you're in this commune, it's it's a little bubble, right? This, this digital nomad world, this world of calendars. But you're right, these challenges that they face, I mean, they're real. They're real struggles that people have, whether to leave or whether to stay. And it's a challenge which is somehow very unique to nomads and to people you meet in codings, because most normal people who are living their lives don't actually feel this.
00:19:20:06 - 00:19:23:11
Ibi
Should I leave? Should I stay? They only stay.
00:19:23:13 - 00:19:44:00
Mathilde
Exactly. And sometimes the options are so you have so many options that you get lost because you don't know. Well, in which direction should I go? What should I do? Where, when and and you just stand there and sometimes you are like, okay, no, I'm just going to extend my stay because I don't know what to do. I don't know where to go.
00:19:44:03 - 00:19:54:13
Mathilde
And sometimes it's easy. Sometimes you just go with the flow. But I think it kind of depends on which state you are in your life. And that was very, very much reflection. And your travel behavior.
00:19:54:15 - 00:20:06:03
Ibi
Is so that that hits very close to home for me, because I was here in Normandy for the last month and I had nowhere to go. So I thought, let me just extend my stay. And now I've got to meet here.
00:20:06:05 - 00:20:07:17
Mathilde
It all happens for a reason.
00:20:07:19 - 00:20:30:01
Ibi
It all happens for a reason. Okay, so that's super interesting. Tell us about. Okay, I got to two questions. The first question is tell us about your dating life as a nomad and your like how does that go with relationships. And that kind of stuff. And secondly, how do people react when you tell them that you're a nomad?
00:20:30:03 - 00:20:54:17
Mathilde
Okay. My, my dating life, I'm would be happy to meet someone and to travel with that person. But I'm also very happy alone, and I don't want anyone to give up their life just because of me. Like to change completely because of me. And I'm not going to do that for someone else. The ideal would be that I find someone who has a similar lifestyle, and that we can compromise and that together.
00:20:54:19 - 00:20:56:02
Mathilde
That would be the ideal.
00:20:56:06 - 00:21:10:06
Ibi
That's fair enough, that's fair enough. And does that mean that you have some, fun escapades when you go out into the world and you meet people, or, are you still waiting for the for the Mr. Perfect or for the Miss Perfect?
00:21:10:08 - 00:21:33:01
Mathilde
Well, I you always meet very interesting people on the way, and, some people stay a bit longer for some people. Not. Not now. Yeah, but, I think it's like either with the dating or friendship or any kind of relationship, some people are just here for a reason. If it's a long term or short term and, I just leave it there.
00:21:33:01 - 00:21:39:16
Mathilde
I just enjoy what I have and I'm very grateful for each moment. And sometimes it lasts longer and sometimes it doesn't.
00:21:39:18 - 00:22:03:10
Ibi
Interesting, interesting. How does it work in your own self reflection? In your own? I feel like a lot of a lot of nomads have to really think about themselves and protect themselves when they go through the world, because it's a very and it's I mean, at the end of the day, you're the one that leaves and you're the only one left with the feelings, and you're the only one left with the thoughts and whatever.
00:22:03:10 - 00:22:12:08
Ibi
And you're in a new place. Is it is it hard for you to manage those emotions, or is does it come naturally to you?
00:22:12:10 - 00:22:32:17
Mathilde
A little bit of both. So before when, when I was younger, let's say ten years back, I used to be very close. I used to have a wall around me, and I used to not get anyone too close to me on used to not share my emotions. And nowadays I am. I'm open about it and I think I can handle them better than before.
00:22:32:19 - 00:22:50:01
Mathilde
And also because I've been traveling my whole life and my parents are travelers, I'm used to that. That feeling of leaving, it's not for me. Something bad. It's okay. It's just going to the next step. And if that person is right for me, either in a front, like in a non-romantic or romantic relationship, we've still going to be in touch.
00:22:50:05 - 00:23:00:14
Mathilde
And whatever is meant to happen will happen. And I have, so many nice friendship stories to tell that were just meant to happen.
00:23:00:16 - 00:23:06:06
Ibi
Are there any that you can share for our listeners? Where should we keep them? Private?
00:23:06:07 - 00:23:11:06
Mathilde
I don't have any, like, I have, for example, a romantic one, but it didn't happen to me.
00:23:11:08 - 00:23:17:03
Ibi
So let me with it. I want to hear the romantic story. Please. I love romantic stories.
00:23:17:05 - 00:23:42:06
Mathilde
I was actually traveling with my cousin in Thailand, and, he met his, now husband. So even though my cousin was living in Argentina back in the time, and he was living in New Zealand, and they had, they didn't see each other for 7 or 8 months until the first one came to our to, like, make now cousin's husband came to Argentina, and then my cousin went to New Zealand and he got stuck in New Zealand because of Covid.
00:23:42:06 - 00:23:50:01
Mathilde
So instead of five weeks, he ended up there for one and a half years. And, they got married and they now live in Germany.
00:23:50:03 - 00:24:09:18
Ibi
I absolutely love that. As someone myself who is bisexual, I think that it's a really nice community, the international travelers that you meet, because it's a different world. People are very open. They are so open that they would leave their homes and they would travel to the other side of the world. So obviously their minds are not closed.
00:24:09:18 - 00:24:19:03
Ibi
They're ready for the world. What do you think about the community of people that you meet, how they're different from the people, for example, that you grew up with?
00:24:19:05 - 00:24:48:22
Mathilde
Well, that's exactly what you said. They're very, very open minded. They're like, I want this. I'm going to do this no matter what it takes. And leaving or changing a place or a behavior or whatever it is, it's not the end of the world because something new is always a chance. You close the door, a new one opens, and for other people or from I'm not saying for everyone, but for the people, that can be very hard to start a new chapter or something that some of them are maybe attached to something.
00:24:49:00 - 00:24:53:21
Mathilde
And I think no matter, they're just open to whatever happens.
00:24:53:23 - 00:25:20:11
Ibi
I love that, I love that, I love being open to whatever happens. Okay, so we're going to wrap up shortly. I have one last question, and I do want to explore it a little bit, because it's something that I think a lot of our listeners are interested in. And to be honest, I'm very interested in it. So you mentioned before about countries about where your your money was until what country you were saving money.
00:25:20:11 - 00:25:40:23
Ibi
And I'm not sure exactly. I don't remember exactly what you said about it, but I mean, for example, I would think, let's put all the money in Switzerland. It's you know, it's a tax haven. I should earn my money there. But you're actually from Switzerland. So what do you do? Like how does your tax system work? How do you make it as efficient as possible for yourself?
00:25:41:00 - 00:25:45:20
Mathilde
I officially live in Paraguay, so my text residency is over there.
00:25:45:22 - 00:25:49:06
Ibi
And it's more comfortable for it to be in Paraguay than in Switzerland.
00:25:49:06 - 00:26:01:00
Mathilde
It is for me is less. And also I spent more time in Latin America. I only spent like one month per year in Switzerland. If so, it doesn't make sense for me to have a residency in Switzerland anymore.
00:26:01:01 - 00:26:04:01
Ibi
And how do you get a residency in Paraguay?
00:26:04:03 - 00:26:22:15
Mathilde
It's not so complicated, and it's actually getting more and more famous because it's easy. It's not very bureaucratic. You only need a couple of papers and, there's many local people there that can help you with the residency. And, you get a temporary one for two years, and then you get the permanent one, which I will get now in December.
00:26:22:20 - 00:26:36:05
Ibi
Congratulations. You would have permanent residency in paragliding. Okay. Awesome. And so. Okay. And and just just to help us through it a little bit more. So what's the process of applying. How much does it cost.
00:26:36:09 - 00:26:51:09
Mathilde
So and how much it cost. It it depends. You can do it on your own but it will take longer and the process might be a little bit difficult. You will have to do it. You need to speak Spanish if you want to do it on your own, because you have to go to the office and do this and that.
00:26:51:11 - 00:27:09:23
Mathilde
I know people that have done it alone. Some of them may take up to half a year. I don't know how much they paid, but not much. I did it with someone even though I speak Spanish, but I didn't want to go to all the paperwork and all that. I was like, it's easy, I'm just going to do it with someone and he will take care of me.
00:27:09:23 - 00:27:20:19
Mathilde
I'm going to outsource this. So like, I say, people outsource your HR to me. I outsource this to someone else. Everyone should do what they do best, right? So,
00:27:20:21 - 00:27:23:16
Ibi
It's a good trade of skills. I love that.
00:27:23:18 - 00:27:45:20
Mathilde
It also Paraguay. The people are so, so friendly over there. They're so welcoming. And because it's not a place where all tourists go, the community there is a little bit different. It's really people you have. Like it's such a big business community in Paraguay of international people, but the locals are so welcoming. You walk down the street, they want to talk to you.
00:27:45:20 - 00:27:52:19
Mathilde
They look at you. One woman in the supermarket looked at you like, you're not from here, are you? I'm like, no.
00:27:52:21 - 00:27:53:13
Ibi
I love that.
00:27:53:13 - 00:28:10:05
Mathilde
And they just want a chat and they're so friendly. And I think that's also very important for me. It's as important to feel welcome in a country and to have a connection with, with the local and with the people and with the culture. And for me, that works perfectly in Paraguay.
00:28:10:06 - 00:28:16:22
Ibi
It is very comfortable. It's much more comfortable in that instance when you do feel connected to the people as well.
00:28:16:23 - 00:28:17:06
Mathilde
Exactly.
00:28:17:09 - 00:28:23:05
Ibi
And you're registered, then you have your as part of your identity. You know, at the end of the day that's there.
00:28:23:07 - 00:28:35:07
Mathilde
Exactly. Yeah. And I have many local friends as well. So that's that's also very nice. Not the what I was mentioning before. I don't just want to be in the digital nomad bubble. I like to have a little bit of both.
00:28:35:09 - 00:28:50:23
Ibi
I love that, I absolutely love that it was an absolute pleasure, to have you and Matilda. And I've never met someone who's working in Haiti. I love that being a nomad. So even that is just absolutely fantastic, and I'm really looking forward to the next time.
00:28:51:05 - 00:28:56:19
Mathilde
Thank you so much for having me. With a pleasure.
00:28:56:21 - 00:28:59:21
Ibi
But, give me a hug.
