Dominika, the mind behind the Cup of English project, opens up about her life as a digital nomad and the challenges of teaching from the other side of the globe. She also shares why she sometimes longs for a regular office job with colleagues.
Dominika is 25 and has never experienced the classic nine-to-five office routine. After school, she packed her life into one backpack and now teaches English from various corners of the world. While her life might seem like an endless vacation at first glance, the reality of digital nomadism is way more complex. The price for absolute freedom often includes isolation, lack of stability, and the constant battle with time zones.
“I thought about how I could live freely. Later, I realized I didn’t want a typical job and was looking for a way to combine travel and work,” Dominika tells Refresher.
Today, she makes a living through online tutoring, earning about 1,500 euros per month. In the interview, she busts myths about undercutting prices in the market and stresses that even as a freelancer, you have to know how to set boundaries. “More experienced tutors can charge up to 30 euros. Students who just want to earn a bit extra charge less. However, if the price is set too low, it takes away that professional feeling for clients,” she explains her business principles.
For a better work regime, she currently works from the Azores. Not only do they suit her time zone, but they're also budget-friendly. While prices rise in Slovakia, in the Azores she recently had coffee and cake for just 1.40 euros.
Teaching from another part of the world can be extremely hard. When she lived in Australia, the biggest issue was the time difference. “It was very challenging because my teaching ended up at night. I was teaching from 1 AM to 5 AM. Many times, I thought about just quitting and doing something else,” she says about the downside of working on the opposite side of the globe.
Most people look for stable work after school, but you decided to pack up and leave. What made you trade security for a nomadic life?
I was thinking about how I could live freely. I later realized I didn’t want a typical job and was trying to find a way to combine travel and work. Right now, freedom and exploring the world are my priorities.
How did you get into tutoring? Did you study teaching or take some courses?
I started tutoring English during high school and realized I wanted to keep doing it after school. I really enjoyed working with kids. After high school, I didn’t immediately go to university. I first traveled to Australia and then decided to get educational training.
In a traditional state school, you couldn’t teach without a master's degree. How does it work for you?
Yes, a master’s is required at state schools. But if you start your own business and teach on your own, a bachelor’s is enough.
How long have you been living this lifestyle?
While getting my bachelor's, I had to be in Slovakia, but I always traveled somewhere. Every summer I was in the USA and since last year I’ve been traveling and working full-time.
Competition among online tutors is huge. Are you able to find clients just through your Instagram, or do you also use intermediary platforms?
I moved online and focus on my own project called Cup of English. I’m active on social media, where I share educational content, and that’s how I get new clients.
Are your students just Slovaks, or do you teach people from all over the world?
Currently, they’re mostly Slovaks and some Austrian students.
How does a Slovak tutor connect with foreign students?
I got those Austrian students through a connection. In Vietnam, I met an Austrian woman, we became good friends, and it naturally happened from there.
Can you build a stable clientele this way? How many students do you currently teach?
I currently teach around 20 students, and I have another tutor who helps teach another 7 to 8 people. Some want lessons once, others twice a week.
You mentioned that you always enjoyed teaching kids. What age groups do you have now?
Yes, I still enjoy working with kids; it’s very playful with them. My youngest student is 6 years old, and we play and sing a lot. I also teach adults, and the lessons are organized according to individual needs – if someone needs grammar, we focus on that. Besides that, I have various courses, like for travelers, focusing on practical English.
Many people are afraid to speak, even if they theoretically know the language. What do you see as the biggest issue for Slovak students compared to foreign ones?
I think Slovaks have a good textbook foundation, at least grammar-wise. However, they often lack the confidence to speak. The biggest issue is the fear and mentality "I’d rather stay quiet than say something wrong.” If I compare it to my 13-year-old Austrian student, the level isn’t even comparable. They’re at least two levels higher.
From personal experience, I know that online learning often leads to passivity. What do your lessons look like to ensure students really progress and don’t lose focus?
It mainly depends on the person’s age and needs. Some really want to focus just on grammar, but for me, it’s mainly about conversation. I want the person to talk a lot during the lessons. I focus on topics that interest the student – if someone is an athlete, we focus on sports topics. With kids, it’s mostly through games and pictures. Many people think it’s impossible with children online, but I’ve found it works.
Teaching adults or kids is generally demanding. What’s the daily limit of hours you can teach? Four hours a day is my limit. More hours mean less concentration.
In private tutoring, clients pay for lessons voluntarily, which sometimes means they approach them more leniently than typical school. How do you handle frequent cancellations or rescheduling so you don't suffer financially?
We usually always find an alternative time with students. It turns out that no lesson is really canceled, and I have a full schedule during the week. But if they cancel without rescheduling 24 hours before the lesson, they have to pay 50 percent of the price.
What do you think is an adequate amount for 45 or 60 minutes?
It depends on the type of course and how long the tutor has been doing it. More experienced tutors can charge up to 30 euros. Then there are students who just want to earn a bit, and they charge less. However, if the price is set too low, it deprives potential clients of that professional feeling.
How have you set your prices? I currently have it set at 18 euros for 45 minutes.
Based on your experience, can online teaching be a viable income? Does it cover your expenses, considering you travel and move around?
It depends on how you set it up. It can definitely be a full-time job from which you can create financial reserves, but it’s not automatic. At first, it’s more about freedom than big money. Since I worked summers in the USA, I managed to save up financial reserves that I’m now using mainly for travel and flights.
What's your monthly income with a full schedule?
With a full schedule, I can earn around 1,400 to 1,500 euros a month.
You mentioned summer jobs in the USA. Do you plan to maintain this model in the future? Earning in the summer and living off it throughout the year?Yes, I plan to continue this. At the same time, I hope to launch the projects I have planned, which could bring me passive income even when I’m not teaching.
Do you also teach in the USA?
That’s completely different; there I work in hospitality (services).
There’s a huge difference between online teaching and working in services. Which of these jobs do you prefer?
I need to do something meaningful in life, so I prefer teaching. However, what I see as a big plus in hospitality is that it’s a mental detox for me. I just run around a restaurant and don’t have to think about more important or complicated things.
Teaching online while traveling means adapting to time zones. How did you manage to work, for example, on the other side of the world?
In Vietnam, it was okay because my lessons started around 9 PM. But in Australia, it was very challenging since it fell at night. I was teaching from 1 AM to 5 AM.
Did living in Australia even make sense if you spent nights in front of the computer and days catching up on sleep?
It was possible to balance it – I would catch up on sleep in the morning, and by afternoon, I had free time to explore. Of course, teaching also involves some preparation outside of lessons. The advantage was that I was in Australia during Christmas and New Year’s, so I had a break as students usually don’t have lessons during holidays.
Was there a moment when you really thought about quitting and getting a regular job?
In Australia, it was tough with the waking up and teaching at 1 AM. It’s not just a job where you sit at a computer and type something; you have to be active in front of students. Many times, I thought about quitting and doing something else. But those are fleeting moments, and I always go back to it.
You’re now in the Azores. How do you choose your destinations?
In between, I was in Vietnam, and I also volunteered in Africa where I taught kids. Currently, I stay in one place for about two months. The Azores is a living destination for me. Europe suits me time-zone-wise because when I was teaching from Vietnam or Australia, it was quite challenging. I have fixed lessons, so the time zone is crucial for me.
Many people imagine nomadism as an endless vacation. What does your actual daily routine look like?
All my lessons fall during lunch and afternoon, so this schedule suits me. I can explore the country before and after work.
Regular digital nomads can often work from busy cafes somewhere by the beach. However, you teach, so you need not only stable internet but also absolute silence and privacy for your video calls. How do you choose your accommodation then?
For example, now I’m in a co-living space, so I have my room and a workspace, but I share the kitchen and common areas. Vietnam is cheap, so I had an entire place to myself there. The most important thing is reliable and stable internet. I usually contact accommodations in advance or read reviews to ensure internet reliability. I always need to have my own internet hotspot as a backup.
Can you live better on 1,500 euros in the Azores than in Slovakia? What’s the financial reality there?
I think it would be worth living here. Rent is lower. Grocery store prices are on the typical European level. As for dining out, it’s definitely cheaper. Prices here are like they were at home a few years ago. The other day I had cake and coffee for 1.40 euros. There are also various affordable activities. It’s beautiful here, and most attractions are nature-related – hiking and thermal springs. As for accommodation prices, I think they’re about 20 to 30 percent lower than in Slovakia.
When you pack your entire life into one backpack, you pretty quickly reassess your material needs. Has it changed you?
It teaches you to differentiate between what you want and what you really need. I don’t have a lot of things, but I have more experiences. Over time, you realize you don’t need much. Clothes can always be washed, and cosmetics can be bought anywhere.
What kind of luggage do you usually travel with?
I have a larger travel backpack that I try to pack all my stuff into. Since I primarily travel to warm countries, lightweight items are enough for me.
This lifestyle seems very freeing, but don’t you miss stability, family, and a solid community of friends?
It can be tough sometimes because no one sees the loneliness, for example. Whenever I go back to my room, I’m alone. There are moments when I wish I were in an office with colleagues. However, freedom is my priority right now. It’s mentally more challenging than it seems; I especially miss the community, family, and a certain stability.
How long do you think you can continue this way?
I definitely know I won’t want to live like this forever. I will want stability, and since I’m a family-oriented person, I’ll want a family. I see this as just a chapter in my life, and we’ll see how long it lasts.
What are your plans for the coming months?
I’ll probably be on the Azores for another two months; I don’t have a return ticket yet. Then I’d like to go to Spain for a bit, and at the end of June, I’ll be flying back to America for two months.
