My Daily Writing Essentials for Bloggers & Digital Nomads

My Complete List of Writing Essentials for Digital Nomad Life, Blogging, and Business

I LOVE to write and take notes — as a digital nomad, BLOGGER, and entrepreneur running my life and business on the road, it can get a little crazy at times. This is a list of all My Daily Writing Essentials… both physical and digital!

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✅ Planner / Calendar

I like having something physical that I can look at to track my schedule. Of course, I also use digital calendars (which I’ll talk about in another post), but having a planner helps keep me grounded.

These are the little things that help me stay sane. Sometimes I can’t get online, or I’m not near my computer, or I just need to jot down an idea quickly—so it’s great to have something right there in front of me.

LOA Planner

At times, I have used an appointment book/planner — it depends on my needs, but the Law Of Attraction Planner is what’s working better for me currently.

I also bought the undated version because I purchased it mid-year, so they also have dated versions available. I’ve bought this in different colors before; this year, it just depended on which was coming the fastest, aka next day via Amazon Prime!

Also, I don’t use all the little exercises mainly, the monthly calendar, daily/weekly planner, and notes sections to help keep my notes organized…

Alternative Option: I’m going to be honest, the LOA Planner is BIG and can be overwhelming to some, so I wanted to also mention other options that worked for me in the past. My other alternative calendar/planner set up was more of an appointment book…

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Day Planner (Appointment Book)

I also have a planner/calendar that I use—and I love it. It is actually more of an appointment book type set-up — comes with little sticky notes, which are super handy! Best of all, it’s very basic, simple, and easy to use.

This planner includes monthly calendars, and one of my favorite features is that it has space for daily notes and time slots for appointments. It’s laid out Monday through Sunday, and it gives me a place to organize everything from meetings to personal tasks.

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✅ Notebooks

It’s kind of funny—I call myself a digital nomad, but honestly, I love writing by hand.

I love to write things out first, usually before I type or upload them anywhere online. It’s part of my creative process, and it helps me stay focused and organized.

I always keep a notebook, a journal, a piece of paper, something to write on, and something to write with by my side. Over the years, I’ve gone through a lot of these!

You can flip through and see I’ve filled them with all kinds of notes, ideas, plans—you name it.

Collage Rule Notebooks

Sometimes I use a good old-fashioned college-ruled notebook. I just love to write, brainstorm, jot notes, and ideas in them! Especially when I am stationary, not moving, and just taking notes, I do love a BIG 5-subject spiral-bound notebook!

I prefer college-ruled paper because the lines are skinnier, so you can fit more writing on each page.

I’ve also purchased these in one subject with fewer pages, too, which makes them a little easier to take on the go out of the office, or out on the road — but I run out of pages sometimes, so I found myself carrying around multiple single subjects to have a backup at times. (just another thing to keep in mind)

I either get these at Walmart in-store or order them from Amazon online.

This particular one is a five-subject notebook, and I think it has around 200 pages. Sometimes I get the smaller ones with 100 pages—it just depends.

>> Check out these College Rule Notebooks I like to use.

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Dotted Bullet Journal

I also carry around a dotted journal known as a “bullet journal.”

This spiral-bound grid notebook is a favorite because of its size and the ability to lay it flat, flip it over, write on each side.

Plus, I have purchased the “official fancy bullet journals” in multiple different colors.

BUT…

I also found a pack of 3 unbranded dotted plain spiral-bound notebooks for a much cheaper price, and they work just as well if not better, since they can lie flat, whereas the original bullet journal has a little harder time doing that.

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✅ Not Essential But Nice To Have

Another thing I like to use when brainstorming or jotting down notes is:

Sticky Notes

I love to use stick notes instead of writing on my calendar or in my notebook, that way I can move them around if I need to without messing up a whole page or having to erase anything, white out, etc…

Index Cards

I also use index cards to jot down lists, quick notes, etc… I like the idea of crossing things off and tossing the cards out.

Another good idea is to use each card to write down one task, project, video, blog, laundry, oil change, to do item on your list and flip through them throughout the day. As you decide to complete each one, you can toss it out of the pile and work on a new one!

Icymi… I keep a quote written on an index card in front of me as a reminder that

“Perfection is the enemy of done, aim for done — as you can always go back to perfect things later on…”

I usually get these at the dollar store, but have ordered them online at times, too!

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✅ Writing Utensils

PENS, PENCILS, & HIGHLIGHTERS

Paper is one thing, and then of course, pens, pencils, and highlighters. I like to have different colors (just the basics): blue, red, and black. I’m not trying to get super creative with pink, greens, or any other fancy colors. Some people do, if that’s your thing… do you boo AS LONG AS you stay productive! BUT, don’t sabotage your success by trying to look “pretty all the time”

But I do like to have highlighters and things too. And I keep them in my bag.

BTW, my boyfriend bought me this “Curva Pen” that is supposed to be for writers like me!

Speaking of writing, I do a lot of things online digitally. I shared a video about how I do things like my planner and calendars, and all the systems that help me run my life and business digitally. 

>> READ: The Online Systems I Use to Run & Organize My Life & Business as a Digital Nomad

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👩‍💻 Digital Writing & Note Taking

I almost always start with pen and paper—brainstorming, scribbling, messy mind-maps—before bringing those ideas to life on a screen. Then I bring them to life on the computer.

Here’s the full digital setup that lets me write, capture ideas, and stay organized no matter where I’m parked or flying.

My 13-inch MacBook Pro (M2 chip, 2022) is my daily anchor.

I’ve owned desktops before, but I’ll never go back. A laptop means I can write from my RV, a hotel, or a random coffee shop across the country.

And let me tell you a quick story: my last computer was over 10 years old. Toward the end it was painfully slow, couldn’t take software updates, and the hard drive was bursting at the seams. I kept pushing it—until one day it simply couldn’t keep up. That experience taught me that an up-to-date computer with plenty of speed and space isn’t a luxury; it’s essential for anyone writing and running a business on the road.

My laptop is where I draft every blog post, take notes, build websites, edit videos, hop on client calls—basically everything.

Tip: It doesn’t have to be Apple, but invest in a laptop you trust and can travel with.

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🖱️ The Mighty Computer Mouse

A mouse seems trivial until you try working without one.

I use the Apple Magic Mouse, and yes—it’s a splurge. But the first day I paired it with my MacBook, my productivity jumped.

If Apple isn’t your thing, any simple rechargeable mouse will still make life so much easier than relying only on a trackpad.

>> Get my Rechargeable Mouse or (Apple Magic Mouse)

📌 Daily Writing Tools: Apple + Google (browser & extensions)

Even though I’m an Apple girl (MacBook + iPhone), my workflow leans heavily on Google:

• Google Chrome with custom extensions
• Google Drive / Google Workspace for storage and collaboration

This combo lets me jump from laptop to phone seamlessly.

*That said, you can duplicate all of this on Windows or a PC. I’m just an Apple user.

📂 Files, Folders & Google Drive

Living as a digital nomad means nothing can be tied to a single location. Your office has to travel with you—whether you’re working from home, parked in an RV, checking into a hotel, bouncing between Airbnbs, or airplanes.

That’s why I scan and upload everything. I never want an important file sitting in a drawer or on a desk I can’t reach.

Why Google Drive Is My Hub

I use Google Drive for pretty much everything.

• Personal files (synced to my computer)
• Business documents of every kind
• Backups from my portable hard drive

If you already have a Gmail address, you have 15 GB of Google Drive storage free. That’s plenty to get started.

Google Drive vs Google Workspace (Explained…)

People often confuse the two, so here’s the quick breakdown:

• Google Drive is the free, cloud-based file storage you get with any personal Gmail account.
• Google Workspace is the paid, business-level suite that includes Drive plus Gmail, Calendar, Meet, and other collaboration tools.

Workspace offers bigger storage, custom email addresses, advanced admin controls, and 24/7 support—all of which I rely on to run my brand.

My Digital Filing Cabinet

Inside my Drive you’ll find:

• Branding kit & logos
• Content library for blog posts, YouTube scripts, and social captions
• Client folders and coaching resources
• Inventory spreadsheets and product details
• Business wins & social proof (testimonials, screenshots)
• Legal documents, receipts, budgets, and bank statements
• Brainstorming & idea dumps—the messy creative stuff

Basically, if I need it for life or business, it lives here.

Triple-Backup Rule

I’m serious about backups. Every file exists in three places:

1. On my computer for quick offline access
2. On a portable hard drive for physical redundancy
3. Online in the cloud (Google Drive / Workspace), so I can reach it anywhere

I have everything synchronized to my computer, in Google Drive, and in the cloud. This system keeps me worry-free if a laptop dies or a hard drive fails.

📱 Phone

As a business owner, I actually carry two phones—an Apple iPhone (my favorite) and a backup Android.

Truth: I can run my entire business from my iPhone if I need to. It has every app and shortcut for emergencies or when I just don’t feel like opening the laptop.

📝 Note Taking & Writing Apps (I love)

• iPhone Notes + Reminders for quick thoughts
• Evernote as a strong alternative
• Pocket for saving articles I want to read later (RIP—discontinued Oct 2025 😭)

And when typing isn’t possible, I simply record a voice memo or short video. No idea gets left behind.

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Updated: September 16, 2025