While Malta reminds me of my visits to Morocco, Spain, and Greece, it is unique in its geographical position, history, and ancient architecture.
About 80 km south of Sicily, 284 km east of Tunisia, and 333 km north of Libya sits the island country of Malta—in the Mediterranean Sea.
The beautiful weather and the immense benefits of European development/civilization it enjoys make Malta one of the top tourist destinations in Europe.
Of course, I had to go, see and enjoy what the island has to offer. So, I took my work with me to Malta for two days—making sure that I only worked 2 hours each day that I was there. I used the remaining hours to relax and explore the Mediterranean island.
I’ve always argued that nothing is more valuable in life than freedom and this includes the freedom to work from any part of the world you choose.
In fact, if you’ve achieved the extraordinary price of work freedom, you would be able to enjoy life at a cost far less than those who are stuck in the prison of work pay for the same experience. Those who are tied to a calendar and the approval of their bosses to be able to take a day or week off may have to pay exorbitantly for the same things you could enjoy for a fraction of their cost because of your level of flexibility.
If you can work whenever and wherever you decide, then you are equipped with the necessary conditions to explore the world, experience cultures, and meet new people while still earning. You can book tickets and accommodations during off-peak seasons (this is when most of the people are stuck at work) and experience places at the cost of their real value or even below their real money value.
The internet offers various opportunities in relation to remote working. It also offers platforms to enable determined persons to earn money while on holiday or asleep—it’s up to you to consider what you want in life and pursue it.
For the last 12 years or so, I’ve been smartly working on creating multiple sources of income that are not tied to my physical location. This has enabled me to travel whenever I want and work whenever I prefer. I’ve also been talking about how to make money online to help others take charge of their time.
I’ve consciously been getting rid of income funnels that demand more and more of my daily involvement and time to concentrate on those which demand less of my time and if possible, none of my time at all.
For my trip to Malta, I booked a British Airways ticket to go—and an Air Malta ticket to return.
I started my journey from Gatwick Airport in London after a good breakfast at No1 Lounges at the airport. It was an early morning, and yet I was starving. I even had a glass of champagne that morning to go with my breakfast.
This was happening on a working Wednesday morning when many people I know were preparing to go to work, engaged in the usual mundane routine that the majority dislikes but still fails to do something drastic about in order to change this agonizing commitment.
My flight took off at about 06:50 am and 3 hours later, I was warmly greeted by the sun at Malta International Airport.
I was booked to stay at St. Paul’s Bay, so I quickly checked on how much it was going to cost me to travel from the airport to my accommodation. Uber gave me an estimate of 32 Euros, but I settled on using ‘Malta Taxi’ as the company had a kiosk at the airport and they quoted me 30 Euros for the same trip.
My many travels have taught me that sometimes Uber is expensive compared to local taxis, including even the apparently over-priced airport taxis. So, I always try to compare prices.
The about half an hour journey brought me to my booked accommodation, Seaview Stays, with a beautiful sea view as the name boldly suggests.
I got there earlier than my check-in time and I had not requested for an early check-in so the entry passcode to my apartment which had been emailed to me did not work.
I decided to grab some lunch from a nearby restaurant which was overlooking the sea to beat time.
A quick glance at the menu at the restaurant and I confidently settled for the “traditional rabbit stew” with salad and fries. I used to eat a lot of rabbit dishes (stew and soup) when I lived briefly in Catalonia in Spain.
I’ve not had rabbits for many years. It was delicious as expected and I even went back the next day for a repeat meal.
After my meal and check-in at my apartment, I went to see some properties I was interested in seeing—using Uber to travel from my apartment to the Estate Agent’s Office. That ride cost me about 10 euros.
On my return journey, I decided to use the bus and to the shock of my life, I was charged only 2 euros for the ride back to my apartment. If you ever visit Malta, you can count on their cheap but neat and efficient public transport (buses).
On my return, I took a stroll by the sea to admire the various docked boats. That’s when I said to myself that I require a friend who owns a boat somewhere in the world—so I can occasionally go and live on this boat. The panorama of the docked boats looked peaceful and beautiful.
I spent 2 hours that evening on the balcony of my apartment with a bottle of made-in-Malta red wine while working. Anytime I looked beyond my laptop and saw the beautiful sea view, I smiled.
I was working but at least at my own pace and at my own chosen location. The breeze of freedom could be felt from the sea.
After my work, I booked a boat cruise for the next day via Booking.com to explore the history of the island and ride on the calm sea encircling Malta.
Before my cruise the next day, I enjoyed some tasty fried calamari at another local seafront restaurant at Sliema, a town located on the northeast coast of Malta in the Northern Harbour District.
The cruise/tour took about an hour and a half—with an English narrator highlighting the various historical edifices along the coast.
While on the tour, we saw a gigantic P&O cruise ship. This was my first time seeing one of such vessels in person and it was huge. The sighting of the cruise ship sparked an interest in me, to one day go on a cruise—perhaps across the Caribbean.
After my cruise, I took a walk in Sliema and got an Uber back to the restaurant where I had the rabbit stew meal for that repeat meal I desperately wanted.
Before my meal arrived, I paved way for the delicious rabbit with a pint of Heineken.
After my meal, I spent some time gazing deep into the sea in front of me while reflecting on life. The view prompted me that the sea can be both chaotic and calm and this is how life can be too, depending on how and where you choose to live it.
Malta is calm and beautiful, and everyday living out here is somewhat cheap compared to that of the United Kingdom. Things are not on a fast rail and the weather is welcoming.
Malta is off my list of travel destinations as I attempt to see and experience the world, but I will surely return to Malta.
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