“Community doesn’t happen by accident.” 💡

Ali Greene, remote work expert and co-author of Remote Works, shares her journey from quitting her NYC job to becoming a digital nomad—and how she discovered the power of true coliving.

From hostels to pop-up colivings to finally experiencing real community at Sun and Co, Ali learned that not all “colivings” are created equal. 🏡✨ Events, facilitators, and shared experiences make the difference between just having roommates and actually belonging.

Would you try coliving? Or are you already hooked? Drop your thoughts below! 👇

César: Hello everybody! Welcome to another episode of Colivers Club. Here I am with Ali Greene.

Ali: Thanks for having me.

César: No problem. Ali has been a remote work advocate and speaker for nearly a decade. She’s originally from an HR background, but she transitioned more into human experience design and also helping companies and individuals thrive in a remote setting. And you also wrote a book about it.

Ali: Yeah! It’s called Remote Works: Managing for Freedom, Flexibility, and Focus, and I think all the colivers can appreciate the freedom part.

César: So, does remote work… I think there’s no turning back?

Ali: Yeah, so it’s really interesting. I think I have a classical sort of backpacker introduction to digital nomad life. So, I quit my job in New York City—which for Americans is like, “You’ve made it when you make it in New York”—but I was like, “Nah, this lifestyle isn’t for me.”

In 2014, I was still ten years younger than I am now, and I felt like I had a lot of life ahead of me. I told myself, “Well, I’m only going to leave this experience to have an equally awesome new experience.” And immediately, I thought, “I want to experience more traveling. I want to get out of my home country, see different cultures, and figure it out on my own—what it feels like to travel solo.”

Of course, at that time, the obvious thing wasn’t jumping straight into digital nomad life, but rather going to hostels and meeting other people, finding community there. It just so happened that when I left my job in 2014, I didn’t fully quit—I was in the process of transitioning into more of a consultant role. But I no longer needed to be in New York City.

While I was backpacking, I realized, “Oh, I don’t have to put this conversation fully on pause to go back to the United States. There’s Wi-Fi here, I can check my email, I can start to scope out what this future might look like.” That was my first taste of balancing having fun, socializing, and being in this community atmosphere while also opening up my laptop and having a moment of being serious.

In fact, I actually met someone while I was backpacking—randomly at a bar—who told me they were a UX designer who traveled full-time and just did their work online. I don’t even know if we used the term “digital nomad” in that conversation, but it was the first time in 2014 that I realized this was possible.

I didn’t fully dive into the lifestyle right away—I dipped my toes in the water, you might say. But looking back, it’s interesting to see that while there wasn’t necessarily an established economy or ecosystem for nomads at that time, there were already aspects of what we look for in coliving today: community, strong Wi-Fi, and finding creative inspiration through travel.

It took me a few years—some coliving-adjacent experiences—before I fully dived into my first true coliving, but it’s been a long journey.

César: And how was that very first coliving experience? Did you feel like, “Wow, I’ll never go back to hostels,” or was it more like, “I like this for a while, but I can switch to other types of accommodations too?”

Ali: Yeah, so my first digital nomad community experience wasn’t a true coliving—it was a pop-up. It was an organization that no longer exists, but they gathered a group of 12 people, provided a co-working space for us, and we shared apartments.

Honestly, it wasn’t a great experience. I learned a lot from it, though, particularly that you can’t just throw a bunch of remote workers together, have them share an apartment, and expect them to bond.

César: How so?

Ali: I think that’s the first mistake people make when they think about remote work, digital nomads, or colivings. They assume that just because people are living a similar lifestyle, they must have enough shared values or interests to connect with one another. But that wasn’t the case.

We shared apartments, but it definitely felt more like traditional roommates rather than the intangible feeling you get when you’re in a real coliving environment. And I think that’s something we’re going to get into later.

That experience was back in 2016. I did another travel program afterward—same setup: shared housing, a workspace, but not all in one building like some of the colivings we see today. It was another pop-up.

This time, however, I had a fantastic experience. It’s one of my favorite experiences so far. I met my co-author there and made lifelong friends.

The difference between that experience and my first one was the focus on community. There were specific events scheduled to ensure that people intentionally came together. Things like skill-share nights, family meals to start the week—these are now staples in great colivings.

That’s when I realized, “Okay, I’m actually into this. This is cool. I want to do more of this.”

My first true digital nomad coliving experience was at Sun and Co. It actually took me a year from the time I first found out about them to finally showing up at their door. I was emailing back and forth, asking tons of questions, making sure this coliving experience would be more like my second digital nomad experience with community, not my first one.

And I think for people testing out this lifestyle or interested in coliving, it’s important to know how to ask the right questions—whether you’re asking them to yourself while reading the website or reaching out directly. It helps ensure the place is a good fit.

For me, I’ve experienced a handful of amazing colivings, but also a handful that I wish had been different. And that shaped my perspective on why education around what we consider true coliving is really important.

César: Yeah, and if you need a platform that curates colivings, you should check out Mapmelon, the sponsor of this podcast.

On Mapmelon, you can find real community-based colivings because, to me, the term coliving has sometimes been misused. I think it’s really important that a coliving has a community, facilitators, events, and traditions. So yeah, check out Mapmelon!

Ali: Yeah, I love that you brought up that distinction because I think it’s so important. I remember when I first started writing about coliving, I was trying to find a definition that felt right. The thing is, we’re using the same word—coliving—but people mean very different things when they say it.

Some people use “coliving” to describe co-housing—which is more about long-term shared living with private units but shared common spaces. Other people think of “coliving” as short-term shared housing, which is just roommates. And then there’s what we’re talking about—intentional community-based coliving.

When I was traveling, I stayed at what called itself a coliving but was really just a rental unit with fast Wi-Fi. There was no community. That’s why I always say, “Community doesn’t happen by accident.” You need facilitators, structure, and traditions—like you said.

What was interesting was when I finally arrived at Sun and Co, I felt the difference immediately. It was the first place where I saw real effort put into community building. The hosts were active in introducing people, there were structured events, and there was an understanding that people needed a balance between deep work and social connection.

And I think that’s what’s unique about the digital nomad coliving scene compared to, say, a hostel or a typical co-housing setup. The people coming to these spaces have a very particular lifestyle—they need a quiet space to work, good internet, but also meaningful social interactions. That’s something not every “coliving” gets right.

César: Yeah, and I think that’s why there’s been a shift in what people are looking for. When you first started, digital nomads were mostly solo travelers trying to figure things out. Now, there’s a bigger conversation about balance—how to combine remote work with deep community experiences.

Ali: Absolutely. And I think we’ve also seen a shift in how colivings themselves operate. In the past, many colivings catered only to short-term stays—like a few weeks or a month. But now, we’re seeing longer-term colivings, where people stay for months at a time, sometimes even a year.

And I think that’s because people are realizing that true community takes time. If you’re constantly moving every two weeks, it’s really hard to build deeper connections. That’s why a lot of repeat visitors go back to the same colivings over and over again—because they already feel part of the community there.

César: Yeah, I think that’s a great point. So, for someone who’s just starting out, let’s say they’ve been working remotely for a while, and they’re curious about coliving, what advice would you give them?

Ali: First, I would say: Be intentional about what you want from the experience.

Ask yourself:

• Do I want a place where I can really focus on work, or am I looking for more social interaction?

• Am I okay with shared spaces, or do I need privacy?

• Do I want an organized community with events, or do I prefer a more casual vibe?

Not every coliving is the same. Some places are work-focused, others are more about socializing. Some are structured, while others are more laid-back. Knowing what you want will help you find the right fit.

Second, do your research. Read reviews, ask other digital nomads, and, if possible, talk to someone who has stayed there before. Even better, reach out to the coliving itself and ask questions. Good colivings will be happy to answer!

Third, give yourself time. If you’re new to coliving, I always recommend staying for at least a month. The first few days can feel overwhelming—you’re in a new place, with new people, new routines. But after a couple of weeks, you start to feel part of the community. And that’s when the magic happens.

César: That’s great advice. And I think that’s something we’ve seen in Mapmelon too—people who stay longer often have the best experiences because they get more involved in the community.

Ali: Exactly! The people who show up just for a week and don’t participate in any events usually don’t get the full experience. But those who stay longer, join activities, share meals, and contribute—those are the ones who form deep friendships and connections.

César: Yeah, and I think that’s why coliving is so special. It’s not just about the space—it’s about the people.

Ali: 100%. And that’s why I think the future of coliving is really exciting. More people are working remotely, more people are looking for community-driven experiences, and coliving is the perfect way to bring those two things together.

César: Yeah, I totally agree. Well, Ali, this has been such an insightful conversation. Thank you so much for joining us!

Ali: Thank you for having me! It was a pleasure to chat about this.

César: And for everyone listening, if you want to find the best colivings for digital nomads, check out Mapmelon! We’ll see you in the next episode.