Category: Apps

Five ways life is better when you don’t own a car

On By Nicole HennigIn Apps, Healthy living, Living in the U.S., Minimalism2 Comments
Volunteer Park, Seattle.
Volunteer Park, Seattle–one of my favorite places that I can walk to.

I’ve been free of car ownership since 2005 and I love it! I first did it to save money and I thought it would be less convenient, but it turns out the opposite is true.

Instead, my life is happier, less stressful, and more fun! I still drive cars from time to time, but I don’t own one. Here are the ways my life is better.

1. Saves money.

The most obvious one is that it saves money. Lots of money! No car loan, no insurance, no gas, no parking, no repairs, etc. The money I spend instead on public transportation, occasional taxis, car rentals, or Zipcar is much less. Many people don’t know that with Zipcar and Car2Go, you don’t pay for the gas——they do. I love that.

2. Less stress.

Continue reading “Five ways life is better when you don’t own a car” →

How to make a temporary place feel like home when you’re a digital nomad

On By Nicole HennigIn Apps, Housing, Living in the U.S., Location flexibility, Minimalism2 Comments

My living area.
My living area.

So far this year I’ve lived in Boston, Los Angeles, San Diego, Portland, and Seattle. And that’s only from January – May!

Sometimes people ask me if I get tired of moving so frequently. So far, the answer is no. I love it! It’s been fun to experience various locations for more time than I would on a typical vacation. I love exploring cities and neighborhoods that are new to me.

Living full-time in Airbnb rentals

If you know me, you know that one thing I’ve always loved is decorating my space. I love bright colors and I spend time reading blogs like Apartment Therapy, Design Sponge, and Houzz. But, when you’re living in other people’s spaces, you don’t get to spend much time decorating.

I deal with this in a few ways. Continue reading “How to make a temporary place feel like home when you’re a digital nomad” →

The Advantages of Working Independently, Online

On By Nicole HennigIn Apps, Location flexibility, Work & money3 Comments

MacBook Air and iced tea

Several friends have asked me what it’s like working independently, online. So this post will be about my work life. I thought it might be fun to do it in the form of questions and answers.

What is your work?

I create online courses for librarians and educators about mobile apps. I focus on the creative ways that apps can be used for learning and content creation, since mobile computing and “natural user interfaces” are turning out to be a great way to enable lifelong learning and creativity for people of all ages and abilities. Continue reading “The Advantages of Working Independently, Online” →