Alumni Spotlight Nora Thomas

Meet Nora Thomas, a FIVE-TIME Noma Alumni and talented PR and Marketing professional.

When Nora left Colorado in 2024, she had two goals in mind, see the world and increase her confidence. Along the way, she found her mental health improving significantly! Nora is currently working on the Nomad Wellness Project, an initiative that highlights travel as a practice for mental health, self-trust and professional/personal development.

Read Nora’s complete Alumni Spotlight below and learn more about her exciting work!

Can you share a bit about your professional background?

I have been working in PR and marketing professionally since 2019 and have had my own business since 2022. Over the years, I’ve had a mix of contract work for agencies and consulting opportunities, allowing me to work 1:1 with brands/solopreneurs to help strategically increase digital visibility. I have worked in a variety of markets, but currently, my scope is focused on PR for highly regulated industries such as renewable energy, law and cannabis and organic marketing for therapists who practice and facilitate a modality called Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). 

What motivated your transition to a remote working lifestyle?

My remote work journey happened by chance, and I don’t ever see myself in a regular office setting again. I was working full-time at an agency and was let go, which turned out to be my biggest blessing yet. The company gave me five weeks to find a new job before my contract was terminated, and my only goal was to beat their timeline. I found a new role in two weeks doing contract marketing and business development for my go-to Denver wellness studio, and the flexibility of being remote allowed me to take on other contract positions, helping to build my credibility.

What inspired you to come on a Noma Edition, and what was your biggest takeaway?

When I went on my first Noma Edition, which was Lisbon in 2024, I had been working remotely consistently for about three years and knew I had enough stability to start taking my work global. My mom recently told me she thinks I got my wanderlust from my dad, as I watched him go back to his homeland of Algeria once a year while growing up. He would have layovers in places I could only dream about at the time, such as Paris or London. When I realized people were making travel information more accessible by offering tips on major social media platforms, I knew instantly that working and traveling at the same time was something I had to do. At the perfect time, I found out about Noma Collective through reading travel blogs and targeted social ads and felt instantly aligned because wellness is a core part of edition offerings at Noma. My biggest takeaway was that there’s so much power in saying yes, and risk really does come with reward. I’ve been on five Noma Editions now, and growth in regards to my career and personal life has skyrocketed just from being open and experiencing the gems each country has to offer. Travel comes with new perspectives, new relationships and new understanding,s and I’ll always be grateful that Noma helped kickstart that mindset for me. 

Are there any exciting projects or initiatives you're currently working on or planning for the future?

Yes! There were two main reasons I wanted to start solo traveling when I left Colorado in 2024—I wanted to see the world, and I wanted to increase my confidence. I had no idea that, in conjunction, my mental health would significantly improve. I’m in the market research phase, but I am working on an initiative called the Nomad Wellness Project that highlights travel as a practice for mental health, self-trust and professional/personal development. If this piqued your interest at all, please consider completing my Nomad Wellness Project survey while I’m in the building phase. I’m also currently working on building my Substack content, which centers around travel experiences and reflections from a mental health lens that you can follow here. 

What is one message you wish to share with our alumni community?

Hi Noma alumni! It’s kind of wild how connected we all still are despite living in different time zones and countries, not to mention all being at different stages in life. Between past Editions and all the ways we keep bumping into each other online and IRL, this community continues to feel unique. I think of Noma as a true Third Place, and I’m endlessly grateful for the way it’s shaped me and for how inspired I continue to be by all of you. Keep on, keepin’ on! 

Complete Nora's Nomad Wellness Project Survey HERE

Nora's Social Handles

Main Instagram: @norathomas_

Travel Instagram: @nora.wanders

LinkedIn: Nora M Thomas

Website: www.norathomas.co 

Substack: @norawanders