BECOMING a digital nomad allowed one tutor to swap the rainy streets of the UK for the gorgeous beaches and vibrant culture of Brazil.
Hector Griffiths pays just £15 a night to rent Airbnbs in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil which he easily covers with just an hour of online tutoring.
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After finishing university and collecting his undergraduate degree, the Brit was working in hospitality and at a local pub.
But, inspired by a year in France, he was desperate to move abroad and experience something new, so he decided to train as an English language teacher.
Moving to Madrid last year, Hector began building up a client base, teaching both online and in person, and honing his craft.
Now, he has around 20 regular students and sets his own hourly rates around $22 per hour.
The online tutor works for a company that take a 20% cut of his hourly rate but moving to South America made life so much more affordable that he barely notices.
The cost of living in Brazil is around 40% lower than the UK and rental costs can be 73% cheaper on average.
An espresso shot can come as cheap as 30p, you can get a sit-down meal for £4, and a pint of beer for costs just £2.
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Hector told The Sun: “Now I’m earning enough money to get by and have the flexibility and the lifestyle, but I wouldn’t be able to live like this at all in the UK.
“Like no chance.”
Work-life balance
With a flexible schedule, the digital nomad works to fund his travels around South America but spends his free time exercising, hiking, and enjoying the phenomenal beaches on offer in Brazil.
He said: “To wake up in the morning, to be able to go and do some exercise in the sun, to come back and enjoy my work.
“And, after work go to a beach or for a beer with someone, it’s incredible.”
He added: “I’m a really happy guy but I’m probably the happiest I’ve ever been.”
Having a good relationship with his students allows him to move his working day around and spontaneously join friends for activities at any given opportunity.
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He explained: “I had one experience in Colombia where I met some guys the night before and they said they were doing this hike tomorrow.
“They invited me to come so I spoke to my students and they were fine with it so I took that time off.
“Lets say I want to take a week off to climb Machu Picchu or something, I can do that.”
Culture, Carnival and a ‘magical time’
While a relaxing routine is important, the vibrant culture of Brazil is far from quiet.
Rio de Janeiro hosts Carnival before lent each year and millions of partygoers, both travellers and locals, take to the Samba-filled streets for a seven-day festival.
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Hector made sure he was there for this year’s celebrations, saying: “I was in Rio for the period leading up to Carnival and I’ve never experienced anything like it.
“There’s so much energy and excitement, and there’s live music everywhere.
“You just walk around the city and find amazing parties called ‘blocos’ which are like street parties.
“And they have really talented musicians who train all year round to do this.”
He added: “It was a really magical time and I met some amazing local people.”
Healthy lifestyle
Working while travelling promotes a healthy lifestyle and offers the structure some people need to have fun and integrate into a local community.
Advice for adults and children on sunscreen and sun safety in the UK and abroad
The experts at the NHS have warned that sunburn increases your risk of skin cancer.
They state that despite the common misconception, sunburn ”does not just happen on holiday”.
This means that you can burn in the UK, even on days when it’s cloudy.
”There’s no safe or healthy way to get a tan. A tan does not protect your skin from the sun’s harmful effects.”
You can find more tips on their website here.
He told The Sun: “If you’re working, you have a lifestyle similar to people there so you can get into the rhythm of things.
“You get up, you work and then in the evenings you do something.
“But in the week I don’t go out clubbing or go out drinking heavily.”
