Interview with Maris Kohv, Co-founder of Borderless Retreat

Maris Kohv is a Digital Nomad, the Co-founder of Borderless Retreat and an advocate of remote work and mindfulness. She spent the last months on Madeira island at the Nomad Village. In today's post of our Interview Series, Maris will discuss her journey as Digital Nomad and how she co-founded the Borderless Retreat.

Flatio: Maris, can you please tell us about your nomad journey. How did you become a Digital Nomad?

Maris: I started my remote journey in 2017 while being on an Erasmus Internship program and starting to freelance to Estonia on the side. My nomad journey began after I attended my first Nomad Meetup in Lisbon, met people with a wide variety of professions and backgrounds, and was highly inspired by the endless opportunities the remote work and travelling lifestyle can create. Shortly after I quit architecture, I started brainstorming on creating something that would allow me to have a lifestyle and, most importantly, live a life aligned with my core values. I intuitively aspired to connect the endless opportunities of the lifestyle with the healthier mindset I had acquired through meditation and start building community upon shared values. In 2018 I Co-Founded Borderless Retreat, where we now integrate conscious living habits into remote work through group experiences like retreats and curated coliving programs.

Flatio: The Digital Nomad movement has been growing a lot in the last few years, but there are still many questions about what it means to be a Nomad. How would you describe a Digital Nomad according to your experience?

Maris: A Digital Nomad, for me, is a person who is leveraging the opportunities remote work provides to increase their quality of life actively. Different people have different incentives - their values and interests - but the most typical attributes of Digital Nomads are open-mindedness, emotional resilience and the ability to adapt.

Flatio: What do you think about initiatives like the Digital Nomad Village in Ponta do Sol? How does it support the Nomad community?

Maris: As the initiative also got a lot of press coverage, it has increased awareness of what the lifestyle is about and how it has helped local communities to thrive. Additionally, it was a space in which many people from across the globe experienced the nomad lifestyle for the first time and were brilliantly guided through the start of the journey by the community managers on Madeira Island. Essentially it offers a solution for people not to feel isolated and confused - an inclusive community. I know a lot of people left Madeira with more clarity and definitely with so much more inspiration.

Flatio: How did the idea of founding Borderless Retreat come about? What does it mean to you to organise these events and connect with like-minded people?

Maris: The Borderless Retreat idea came about from many essential puzzle pieces that fell together - the environment, the people, the timing and the incentives. Personally, for me, more than anything else, it's been about the intention to bring insights that have massively transformed my life and other people's lives as well. The program is built upon mindfulness, personal development and deeper connections. It aims to boost healthy habits, a growth mindset and a deep sense of belonging. But integrating more conscious living habits into our lifestyle goes way beyond our journeys. It affects both people around us and future generations. Future generations could potentially grow up in a world with more empathy, awareness and acceptance without having to unlearn as many beliefs and behaviours as we currently do to adapt to the ever-changing world. Borderless Retreat has a mission to play a part in that.

Flatio: Is there any new retreat coming up?

Maris: The next three retreats are happening in the North of Portugal: 17-24 July, 21-28 August, and mid/end of September. You can apply to join us through the website: www.borderlessretreat.com or contact me directly on social media channels for more insights. Use the code Flatio50 to get 50€ off!

Flatio: You have recently booked accommodation in Flatio. Can you please share your experience using the platform? How do you think midterm rentals offered by platforms like Flatio can help remote workers and Digital Nomads?

Maris: I was looking for accommodation on Madeira island for three weeks and knew that Flatio is one of the best platforms to find short-term stays without extra hassle. We (me and my partner) found a unique place that provided a perfect environment to boost work-life balance in a tropical climate. Midterm rentals are a big part of the physical structure that makes the logistics of having a nomadic lifestyle much easier.

Flatio: What are your plans for the future in terms of travel? Are you staying in Portugal?

Maris: I will stay in Portugal for a couple of months. By the end of the year/beginning of the next year, we plan to establish other international locations for the retreats and coliving.

Flatio: To finish our interview, I'd like to ask you if you can share a pearl of wisdom you gained through all these years as a nomad that can inspire those planning on becoming remote worker or Digital Nomad.

Maris: As becoming a nomad requires us, in many ways, to break free from the structure that we grew up in, it's essential to take the time to develop a value system that can guide us through this journey. And to find the people who can support us along the way :) The lifestyle is an opportunity to evolve to a better version of yourself more than anything else.