What It's Like to Be a Gen Z Remote Worker Living on Martha's Vineyard

🏝️ Martha's Vineyard Isn't Just for Rich Boomers and Summer Fling Shows

If you only know Martha’s Vineyard from political headlines or The Summer I Turned Pretty vibes, let’s reset that narrative. For Tyla Packish, a 23-year-old Gen Z social media consultant, this island is more than just a seasonal flex—it’s home. But not the cutesy, vacation-home, white-pants kind. Tyla lives here year-round, running a remote creative business and building a future while the streets turn empty and most shops lock up until next May.

She makes $85,000 a year helping local brands run their online presence—and she started it all from her dorm room in college.

This is remote work life with a New England twist. It’s a life of ferry schedules, local-only shops, and summers that feel like a coming-of-age movie, followed by winters that feel like a personal retreat—sometimes a little too personal.

💻 The Digital Hustle That Makes Island Living Possible

Tyla isn’t some trust fund baby lounging on a porch swing with a MacBook. She built her business—a social media consultancy for local businesses—from the ground up while still in school. By year three, it was fully supporting her.

Now, she works from home (read: her dad’s unoccupied apartment, big win), handling everything from content calendars to campaign rollouts. Her client list is seasonal, much like the island itself. Think cafes, boutiques, local tourism boards—all needing digital attention during summer madness, then silence in the winter.

🧊 Winter Island Life = Remote Work's Silent Mode

While TikTok feeds are buzzing with hot girl walks in Venice or coworking cafés in NYC, Tyla’s winter setup is giving... solitude. We're talking:

• No ice cream shops
• No malls or chains
• Not even a consistently open bank

It’s just her, her laptop, and maybe a seagull or two.

The upside? Zero distractions. “In the winter, I get so much work done. There’s literally nothing else to do,” Tyla says. The downside? No coffee dates, no in-person networking, and the looming mental health dip that isolation can bring if you’re not actively fighting it.

⛴️ Remote Work... But With a Ferry Schedule

Need to meet a client in person or restock your skincare routine? Better check the ferry times.

Living on Martha’s Vineyard as a remote worker means building your life around the 45-minute ferry ride to the mainland. “If I miss it, my whole day’s shot,” she explains. Groceries? Doctor’s appointments? Target runs? It all depends on the boat.

💸 The Gen Z Budget Breakdown

Living somewhere expensive doesn’t have to mean living expensively. Tyla’s secret sauce?

• Rent-free living thanks to family-owned property
• Minimal daily expenses (no shopping malls = no temptation)
• Extreme savings mode:
  • $7K into her Roth IRA
  • $10K+ into her 401(k)
  • Planning to save $45K by her upcoming move to LA

She’s budgeting now so that her future self doesn’t have to stress when rent and real life hit hard.

📦 No Chains, No Problem (Kind of)

Remote creatives are used to Amazon Prime and late-night convenience. On the Vineyard? That’s a no. No Target, no Sephora, no 24/7 anything.

“It forces you to slow down,” Tyla says. “But yeah, I do a lot of online shopping.”

So if you’re thinking of setting up a remote life in a tiny town, just know: every impulse buy will come with a shipping delay—and probably a delivery fee.

🛫 Leaving the Island, Keeping the Energy

Tyla isn’t staying on the island forever—she’s got her eyes on LA. But the lessons she’s learned? Definitely coming with her:

• Build a business that can move with you
• Learn to thrive in stillness and chaos
• Save aggressively while expenses are low
• Know when it’s time to level up and leave

“I love the Vineyard, but I need new energy. I’ll come back one day—but right now, I need to grow.”

🌍 Who This Life Is and Isn't For

IS for:

• Remote creatives who crave calm
• Gen Zers who can self-motivate without a coworking space
• Savers who want to get ahead financially before hitting big-city rent

ISN’T for:

• People who need a bustling social life year-round
• Creatives who rely on real-time collabs and in-person networking
• Anyone who panics when there’s no UberEats

Living full-time on a seasonal island as a remote Gen Z creative isn’t just quirky—it’s a legit strategy. It’s lowkey, it’s lonely, but it’s also grounding, financially smart, and a vibe if you like your mornings quiet and your goals loud.

If you're a digital nomad wondering if city life is the only way to make it—maybe it’s time to think island.

Stay connected with more offbeat remote life stories from the Gen Z universe at Woke Waves Magazine.

#RemoteWorkLife #MarthasVineyardVibes #GenZDigitalNomads #QuietLifeBigGoals #WokeWaves

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