Bora Bora Trading Company
Bora Bora. The name itself conjures up an image of a South Pacific idyll. The perfect island. And honestly, it really is. It's an unbelievably gorgeous place, with water so many shades of blue even the greatest artists couldn't recreate them, and jagged dark peaks shooting skyward to touch the cloud at the top that dots the otherwise clear skies.
It's not the kind of place you expect to find yourself living and working from. The image of a digital nomad is one usually reserved for low-cost places like Thailand, Mexico, or Peru. Bora Bora, with its $3,000/night over-water bungalows, certainly doesn't fit the stereotype.
The trick is to bring your home with you. The island recently instituted a "no anchoring" policy in order to protect the reef, and preserve the view for the $3,000/night guests at the Hilton, but for $40/night those of us who show up on our own boat can still stay and enjoy the place.
This is actually the second time I've sailed here. First time was with my wife way back in 2004, and now with my wife and two kids nearly twenty years later. What's changed in that time? Not much, aside from the ability to earn a living while enjoying this beautiful place.
Work Life Balance
I think we all strive to find a better work life balance, no matter where we are. It's not easy, especially in this day and age of always on communication, to find a middle ground. Fortunately, trading isn't an "always on" job. Some days in the market simply aren't suitable for trading. Other days, when you feel like doing something else you can place stop loss orders as protection and disconnect from the computer completely. There are lots of ways to mitigate risk while you focus on the life part of the balance equation.
Here in French Polynesia the trading day runs from 3:30 am until 10:00. Even if you followed every minute of the market's day you still have the entire afternoon to wind down and play.
And here's a pro tip for those that are thinking that 3:30 sounds really early to be trading—when you are a self-employed digital nomad trader you can set your watch to any time you like. On our boat we have our own time zone, and it's an hour different than the locals. For me, Tahiti 3:30 is Wanderer 4:30. Makes no difference to me what time it is to anyone else. I just set our clocks to a time that works for our family. This means I may wake up a bit early for the trading day, but I also go to bed a bit early compared to the locals.
Unseen Opportunities
Travel can open your eyes to opportunities you might never have noticed had you been living a more sedentary life. For example, I spent a good portion of the last decade traveling throughout Mexico. I've traveled both coasts on different boats, and I've explored what seems like every road in the country via VW bus, motorhome, and Airstream.
While many are just starting to realize the explosive growth potential of America's neighbor, those of us who have spent a lot of time there recognize the booming construction, the never-ending infrastructure upgrades, the fluctuations of the currency, and many other things that have made Mexico an obvious investment.
I haven't necessarily noticed anything about Bora Bora that would spark my investment curiosity, other than maybe high-end hotel chains, but you never know when or where you'll spot these things.
Travel and trading don't necessarily have to go hand-in-hand, but for me, and so many of our Wanderers, the two have melded together to create what we consider to be an almost perfect life. It's a life filled with balance and opportunity.
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