Malina 11.jpg

At the beginning of 2019, I abandoned a traditional life and embarked as a full-time digital nomad. I now work remotely on various creative projects while housesitting my way around the world. I’ve found my rhythm with this new lifestyle and use this website to share my journey, projects, and advice for anyone looking to drop the regular 9 to 5.

malina logo-01.png
 
 

LATEST POSTS

Journal
Edinburgh’s 3 Best Hikes
Edinburgh’s 3 Best Hikes
Iceland in Less than a Week
Iceland in Less than a Week
The Elephant Sanctuary You Should Support
The Elephant Sanctuary You Should Support
A Life Well Lived: The Bruiser Bear
A Life Well Lived: The Bruiser Bear
Poldark's Cornwall
Poldark's Cornwall

In case you missed it: I'm a total nerd. There are certain stories and shows where "transporting you there" is just not enough and you can't shake the feeling of wanting to experience the location for yourself.  Enter my obsession with BBCOne's Poldark and you will find that I ended up on the Cornish Coast gazing out at the sea longingly just like Ross.

If you're unfamiliar with the show, let me tell you, it's worth the watch. It's a story of an underdog that gets everything thrown at him but never gives up. It's one of those shows that is cast so well and has so much depth, that you end up loving and rooting for every character – even the antagonist George Warleggan – who they do an extraordinary job of showing the good side of as well. If you're in the States, the easiest way to watch the show which is about to air Season 4, is on Amazon Prime or PBS.

3 Ways to Up Your Hashtag Game
3 Ways to Up Your Hashtag Game
Oma
Oma
How to do Asheville Dog-Friendly
How to do Asheville Dog-Friendly
Fallingwater
Fallingwater
In West Philadelphia...
In West Philadelphia...

HOUSESITTING ADVENTURES

my latest sit, city guides, tips and tricks

Journal
Edinburgh’s 3 Best Hikes
Edinburgh’s 3 Best Hikes

FIT + FLATTER

Driven by my belief that all shapes, sizes, and ages should be represented in the fashion industry, I founded Fit + Flatter in 2015. At F+F, we bring together a curated selection of clothing categorized and modeled by women with a similar shape. F+F reviewers are regular women with real shopping problems who are on the hunt for the same thing as you–clothing that makes them feel confident.

FOLLOW ALONG

Don’t even miss being beachside cuz I love the autumn weather so much 🥰 I do however miss fresh squeezed juices 🥕🍓
Helping pack and unpack since 2016.
Back from Bali and straight to North Carolina.. to say I’m disoriented is an understatement 🥴
Wellll... just started my Tuesday on the right foot 😎 Found some of my photos from August I thought I lost after I had to do a hard reset of my phone tucked away in an app 😛
✌🏼out Ubud! 👋🏽Uluwatu!
Last night in Ubud and it’s just so melancholy 😖 The thing I hate the most about housesits: you really, truly live there for the sit and when you leave... it feels almost as if you’re moving away
Probably the coolest candid, unposed photo I’ve ever taken 📸 ....or that Betty took 🤣
🎉 We are giving ONE follower a $500 Amazon Gift Card or Cash! You don’t want to miss this! 🎉⁣ ⁣ It’s really EASY to enter:⁣ ⁣ 〰️ L I K E this post!⁣ 〰️ ANSWER below: What’s your favourite Holiday?⁣ 〰️ G O T O @she_social_giveaways to finish entering! ⁣ 〰️ Already Entered? GOOD LUCK! ⁣ ⁣ Live until: September 26, 8 PM EST. Rules are posted on official contest post.
Had an interesting conversation with @hertravelspirit about how many solo travelers ONLY glorify solo travel and don’t equally highlight the struggles of it to their followers/friends....whoever they’re tryna impress. SO “in full transparency” here are the 3 things I’ve struggled with the most while solo traveling and a bit on how I overcome ‘em when they strike.⁣ ⁣⁣ 〰️ E X P E N S E S 〰️⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ The best part of traveling with other people IMO is splitting costs! At the start of this trip to Bali, @adventuresofclaud and @wnwaggoner were here to help me split costs (car rental, wifi, house maintenance costs, etc.) and now..it’s all me, folks. ⁣No surprise: it adds up!⁣ ⁣⁣ RLY – this is one of the huge reasons I started housesitting as well! It’s way more affordable.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 〰️ L O N E L I N E S S 〰️⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ I have the hardest time with this when I start off a trip with someone and then they leave! It’s really hard to make that adjustment. (Looking at you, @shelleyschmitt @adventuresofclaud @wnwaggoner) ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ It’s hard to switch into the mindset of group travel to solo travel but there are so many ways I have learned to make the transition easier. You can always meet people the old fashioned way (one of my favorite people I randomly met this way 😘 @elena.besedina.kz) and you can always take advantage of good ole Instagram to find like minded travelers or Bumble! ⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ 〰️ S A F E T Y 〰️⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ There are some places I feel totally safe alone…and others…not so much. If I’m being totally honest with you, I really do think there are some places that it isn’t wise to travel solo – especially for women. I’m all for female empowerment and independence – but it’s just the world we live in. So when I think twice, I only go if I can go with a friend.🤷🏻‍♀️
💰 Here is YOUR chance to WIN a $500 Amazon Gift Card or Cash!!!, You don’t want to miss this! ⁣ ⁣ Takes less than 30 seconds to enter! ⁣ ✖️ L I K E this post!⁣ ✖️ G O T O @she_social_giveaways to finish entering! ⁣ ⁣ Live until: September 26, 8 PM EST. Rules are posted on official contest post.⁣ ⁣ Please note: This contest is in no way sponsored, administered or endorsed by Instagram. Inc, Amazon, Paypal or any of the companies in the photo. By entering you are confirming that you are 18+ years of age, that you release Instagram of any/all responsibility, liability and that you agree to Instagram's term of use.
Animal in one hand, phone in the other, if I had a third arm for coffee, I’d be set for a few days 🤷🏻‍♀️
Been busy soaking in Ubud and all of its gatekeepers. Had my eyes wide open for this lil guy after he stole @adventuresofclaud’s heart... but haven’t been able to spot him yet! Eyes still peeled, C, don’t worry.
When you get to Bali, everyone tells you you *MUST* go to the Gili Islands, with most people telling you to go to Gili Trawangan or “Gili T”... but after doing some research, we opted for a more laid back Gili, Gili Meno. We honestly couldn’t believe how untouched and quaint this island felt! Thoroughly enjoyed being able to walk around the entirety of the island and see a sea turtle sanctuary! Tbh, I said more than once “I feel like we’re on Gilligan’s Island” 🌴
#DoingThings in Rice Fields 🍒
Name a better place to get your morning cup of coffee ☕️
Basically everything about yesterday was straight out of a Bali daydream.. We plunged down a bamboo elevator, trekked across a few bamboo bridges and went through a waterfall to get this shot
Back in my daydreams, I imagined going to Bali and hanging out all day by an infinity pool at a resort or villa, but here I am… and I’m not at a resort.. not at a villa…I’m staying in a Javanese Joglo smack dab in the Ubud Rice Terraces with two dogs and 5 cats...and I wouldn't have it any other way #TrustedTales 🌿🌿🌿 #exploreubud #ubudvilla #baliubud #infoubud #ubudcommunity #ubudbaliindonesia #ubudtour #ubudtrip #visitubud #helloubud #ubudvillage #villaubud #ubudtravel #ubudlove #ubudbali🌴 #ubudvibes #balilove #beautifulbali #balilocal #balivilla #riceterracebali #riceterracetegalalang #tegalalang #tegalalangbali #balibible #baliphoto #baliphotography #baliphotographer #ubudricefields
Instagram truth bomb about this photo: We pass this place everyday to and from our Joglo and of course, I kept thinking “Let’s get a photo here!” So today, I made it part of our route to breakfast to stop and snap a picture... with my outfit just happening to match 🤔😉
I keep thinking “this is my favorite place I’ve seen in Bali” then another beautiful place pops up... Unsure how everything is so gorgeous here???
On our walk through the rice fields with Manis and Mokka, we run across many friendly rice farmers such as this one who was tickled I wanted to snap her photo. Continually surprised at the kind hearted spirit of the Balinese people.. haven’t run into any rude locals yet.