The Digital Nomad Lifestyle — Is It for You?
At the same time, a life on the road, constantly on the move, means dealing with new challenges and difficulties. This article will describe the pros and cons of the digital nomad lifestyle, list some of the most popular jobs and destinations for remote workers, and try to give you tools to determine whether the nomadic lifestyle is for you. It covers the following topics:
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Chris is an American author, journalist, marketing consultant, and speaker on the topic of social media marketing. He has been living the digital nomad lifestyle since 1998, when he first began blogging about his adventures. Brogan’s blog is in the Technorati top 100. He travels constantly and has his finger on the pulse of what’s up with the online community and social media.
In 2010, Kari founded The Content Factory, a digital PR agency that specializes in SEO and social media marketing. This venture started out as a virtual one and has continued to grow in that format. Because of the ability to work from home, DePhillips decided to work anywhere and everywhere. She calls her travels “workations” and has her own podcast “The Workationing.”
It is no surprise that most digital nomads do enjoy their lifestyle. According to the MBO Partners survey, 81 percent of nomads are highly satisfied and 9 percent are just satisfied with their work and life. At the same time, over half of them (53 percent) report they plan to continue living as digital nomads for at least the next two years.
Let us review the things that make working travellers so satisfied with their lives.
Mike is an American journalist, blogger, columnist, and podcaster. As a gastronomad, he travels the world to experience new cultures, and indulge in ethnic cuisine of every kind. Elgan started his career as a journalist; he has hosted Tech News Today and now owns Elgan Media, a publishing company. Most of his publications are tech-related, as he was chief editor of Windows Magazine. He has also written a book titled Gastronomad: The Art of Living Everywhere and Eating Everything, which describes the secrets of the gastronomadic lifestyle.
Katelyn Smith, a famous digital nomad blogger, said that traditional life isn't better than being a digital nomad and being a digital nomad isn't better than traditional life — each of these lifestyle choices comes with its own unique set of pros and cons. Indeed, understanding what you can expect from digital nomadism is a key to discovering whether this lifestyle is one that will work for you. So let’s start with a closer look at certain nomadic benefits.
1. Freedom of working from anywhere
Perhaps this is one of the most obvious advantages. Digital nomads can work when and where they want. It can be a cozy cafe in Thailand, with lots of sunshine and a cool breeze, or a bookstore with floor-to-ceiling books in Estonia. It doesn’t matter if you're a night owl or an early riser. You work when and where it is comfortable for you.
2. No office politics
You’ll no longer face problems such as criticism for arriving 3 minutes late, annoying colleagues, or co-working with someone who loves smelly lunches. Your new boss (you) doesn’t care when you start work, only that your work is getting done.
3. Travelling frequently
This is another obvious advantage. You have the ultimate freedom of travelling as much or as little as you want. You needn’t worry anymore about limited vacation time, or asking your boss for time off. You can go any place you ever dreamed of.
4. Learning about new cultures
The more countries you get to know, the more you realize you don’t know anything. The more you see, the more you learn about new cultures, languages, and nations. When travelling, you start appreciating many simple things in life, such as access to clean drinking water, reliable power, a comfortable bed — things local people sometimes do not have. You learn to be more grateful, to see the world through new eyes.
5. Meeting people
After travelling for a while, you start understanding that it is more about the people you meet than the places you visit. You meet people you would have never had the opportunity to connect with—individuals with different stories, cultures, statuses, and ages. Some are broke; some are millionaires. Anyone can become your new friend.
6. Learning to live without material possessions
Permanent travelling goes hand in hand with a minimalist lifestyle, as you cannot travel with everything you might like to have. Your “house” is your suitcase or backpack. You won’t always have access to a fully equipped kitchen or sleep in a room decorated your way. Such a lifestyle teaches us to be much less consumerist and to value things that really matter.
7. Better quality of life
As a digital nomad, you can work from anywhere in the world. This means you can pick places that offer the best quality of life. New countries can offer an abundance of affordable and healthy food, the ease of a healthy and active lifestyle, warm and sunny weather, and affordable prices, as well as many other benefits.
8. Your dollar goes far
Most digital nomads work for companies in more developed countries such as the US, Canada, Australia, EU countries, etc. These countries have a dollar, euro or other currency with good buying power compared to the rest of the world. That means that when you reside in a place where the cost of living is much less, like Indonesia, Thailand, etc., your dollar goes much further. The entire cost of living in Bali, including all expenses (food, accommodation, entertainment, etc.) can be the same as what you would spend just on accommodation and transport in the US.
All the above benefits of nomadic life sound cool, bohemian, and sort of romantic. But if you want to live as a nomad, there are a few things about this lifestyle you should be aware of.
1. Being far from family and home
The decision to travel without your loved ones shouldn’t be taken lightly. Sometimes you need your family close to you, but it is impossible. Digital nomads may miss important milestones back home: birthdays, weddings, graduations. Longing is a frequent feeling in their lives.
2. Loneliness
Connected with number 1, another problem that surfaces in the digital nomadic life is loneliness. A traveller is always on the road and not able to develop lasting relationships, despite meeting numerous people. Having no sense of home or belonging might result in feeling disconnected from people and adjusting to isolation. Sometimes too much.
3. Financial instability
As a perpetual traveller, your main goal is to fulfill your passion for travelling around the world. However, sometimes your income may not meet your expenses, especially at the beginning of your professional life, when you are still building the foundation of your business.
4. Anxiety and restlessness
The nomadic lifestyle can be stressful in its own ways, because lacking a permanent home means constantly acclimating to new places. Moving to unfamiliar surroundings every one or two months and leaving them right when you are beginning to feel comfortable is exciting but can be tiring.
5. Online work is not a vacation
Remote workers are not tourists. Travelling as a tourist is one thing; you can forget about your usual worries and just enjoy a new place and have fun. While it’s good to be on a tropical beach, it might not be so delightful if you have a deadline coming up and you need to work. Digital nomads often work in locations where almost everyone else is on vacation. The truth is that, at some point, visiting new places is not that exciting anymore. And it eventually becomes tiring.
Here are some of the most important steps you’ll need to take if you’ve assessed all the arguments and decided to work while travelling the world.
1. Secure a job
One of the most important tasks before starting your journey is to find a proper remote job. Your income should be enough to cover your basic needs.
2. Choose a destination
It’s a good idea to choose a country that has a digital nomad community. If you go to a place that has an established nomad community, you'll more likely find built-in support. It’s also important to pick a location that aligns with your working hours, especially if you work directly with clients.
3. Choose the right bank account and credit cards
Note that certain banks charge a fee when you use another bank's ATM, especially abroad. In turn, other banks may charge fees of their own as well. If you don’t select your bank wisely, you may be stuck paying two sets of fees every time you withdraw cash or even when paying by card.
4. Decide the fate of your properties
If you decide to become a digital nomad, the easiest way to solve the issue of your previous home is to finish your lease and store your belongings with family or at a storage facility. If you own your house or apartment, consider renting it out to a long-term tenant; this may be a good source of additional income.
5. Secure travel insurance
Purchasing travel insurance and/or travel medical insurance will be very helpful should you experience an emergency. Note that many national insurance plans do not cover you internationally.
6. Consider technology issues
Choosing the right SIM card is a necessary step. If you have a phone plan with a U.S. provider, for example, you’ll probably have to pay a lot for roaming internationally, or your data will be capped at a lower speed after you've exhausted your free international data allowance. A common travel hack is to buy a prepaid SIM card with a data plan at your international destination. Picking up a good laptop is important as well: it’s your job and it’s your money.
7. Get started!
If all the above challenges do not outweigh your love for freedom and travel, the sense of having the world at your feet, the excitement of meeting new people, tasting new food, and discovering new cultures, then you definitely should become a digital nomad!
Contact us, and our team can help you with choosing the right place to visit, learning about the regulations of a specific country, or acquisition of travel or visa documents.
See you around, traveller!