What is Digital Nomad?
A digital nomad is a person who earns a living working online in various locations of their choosing (rather than a fixed business location). They use technology to work remotely and live a nomadic lifestyle, often traveling while working. As a digital nomad, your lifestyle revolves around having freedom, flexibility, and the ability to explore and experience diverse cultural settings.
Advantages Of Being A Digital Nomad
Motivation and sense of ownership
As your boss strides the office floor and your eyes continually creep to the clock whose hands seem to move in slow motion, it’s easy to wonder if this is all there is to life. Telecommuters often don’t have such concerns. For them, their desk may be the kitchen table, a home office, patio, or even their own bed. And their boss? Of course they’re waiting for the day’s tasks to be completed, but there’s no hovering as work gets done.
On the flip side, a digital nomad’s income is dictated by their own productivity and market savviness, which can be stressful but in itself provides ample motivation to work hard and be creative. For the self-employed, being their own boss, while not always easy, is far worth the time investment in the early startup phase. the ability to travel while still earning a living is my favorite thing about being a digital nomad
Immersion in different cultures
As the physical location of a telecommuter or digital nomad is not important, there’s no reason why you have to work from your home – or even your country! Imagine clocking in for the day at the other side of the world, on a beach or any other postcard-worthy view, far away from your “regular” life. Being an expat gives you instant access to a whole new culture and allows you to dive in far deeper than travelers who are just passing through. Whether by renting an apartment, getting to know neighborhood store owners, or picking a favorite coffee shop with great WiFi, expats interact with locals and forge friendships and relationships that may last a lifetime.
Also, the culture of collaborative or shared workspace is huge in most cities – think London, Madrid, New York, Seattle, and Sydney – and provides another “in” to your adoptive country’s culture. For expat freelancers or remote workers, renting temporary office space means getting to know other people just like them, sometimes from around the world. Not bad for a day’s work, huh?
Possibility to learn different languages
Through location independence and immersion in new cultures, telecommuters and freelancers have the chance to learn new languages as well. After all, when five o’clock arrives, life outside of work begins, and for overseas remote workers, this will be mostly conducted in a foreign language. Interacting with locals provides excellent practical language experience, which can be complemented with language classes to get the most out of working in another country. Other classes taken in a foreign language – think dance, photography, cooking, or vocational development in your own field – also help to cement new vocabulary and keep your language training fun.
Improved Work-Life Balance
Work-life balance is something continous. you’ve got to keep iterating. Working as a digital nomad (and freelancer in particular) means you have complete control over your schedule. This means you can take breaks when you need them and structure your day to include time for exercise, hobbies and exploring new places. However, it can also become way too easy to say yes to one more project or keep working for one more hour when you know you need to stop for the day. Additionally, when you’re living in a new place, it’s easier to take advantage of new opportunities around you. You might have more chances to go hiking, explore new neighborhoods, or attend culture events that you normally wouldn’t make time for at home.
Increased Creativity
Finally, being a digital nomad has completely increased my creativity. Anytime I’m feeling ‘stuck’ or lacking creativity, all I need to do is change up where I am! We keep talking about being exposed to new cultures and traditions, but I want to mention as well how much that plays a role in my creativity. Being a freelancer and working for myself also allows me the opportunity to experiment with new ideas and approaches, without being constrained by corporate culture or bureaucracy. My pros of being a digital nomad include freedom, control over my cost of living and creativity, exposure to different cultures, and an improved work-life balance. Now, of course, being a digital nomad has its challenges! And we’re going to get into those now.
Living costs can be lower
Now this is a big can, because the difference in living cost will depend on where you lived previously and where you choose to base yourself as a digital nomad. Spending a month in Bali, when taking into account accommodation, transport, food and activities, is MUCH cheaper than spending in London
Disadvantages Of Being A Digital Nomad
Income Insecurity
Another potential downside of being a digital nomad is the uncertainty and instability that comes with this lifestyle. I rely on multiple streams of income and my income can be unpredictable and inconsistent. Over the years I’ve learned how to manage that but it can take a long time to feel like you have financial stability as a freelancer or digital nomad. For example, I’ve learned that my work usually dries up in the summer when people are spending more money to travel and enjoy their personal lives as opposed to investing in their marketing budgets.
That being said, I know to save extra money over the winter to compensate for making less money in the summers. I recommend building an emergency fund that can cover your living expenses for 3-6 months.
Isolation and Loneliness
I want to start with isolation and loneliness because for me personally, this has been one of the biggest challenges to living as a digital nomad. While technology has made it easier than ever to stay connected with my friends and family, it can still be difficult to build meaningful relationships with people when you’re constantly on the move.
Being away for most of the year means that you will miss out on a lot of the big events of friends and family . When you’re living as a digital nomad, you need to make an additional effort to stay in touch and stay connected with the important people in your life. Read this on combating loneliness as a digital nomad or remote worker
Living out of a suitcase
Digital nomads tend to live on the road for months if not years, so living out of a suitcase or a backpack is certainly one of the main cons of this lifestyle.When you’re moving countries every few weeks or months, maybe even hopping over to another continent multiple times a year, you probably won’t have enough time or luggage space to really set up a home, a wardrobe or a well-equipped workspace.
Creation of routines can be hard
While one of the benefits of remote work, especially freelancing or working for yourself, is to create your own routine, sometimes this can be tricky when you’re constantly moving and changing environments. If you need a routine to stay productive in life then I’d recommend slowing down your travels and staying in each place for a matter of months rather than weeks, this gives you the chance to build an eating routine, an exercise routine and a sleeping routine without being interrupted by new cuisine, a different environment and a change of timezone.
Analysis paralysis
One of the biggest work from anywhere drawbacks is just that, that you can work from anywhere! When you have the whole world at your feet it can be very hard to know where to take the first step. When first considering working remotely or freelancing while travelling, it’s a good idea to have a shortlist of potential destinations to choose from, rather than making the decision to wing it and then constantly have to decide between 197ish countries. For my first year as a digital nomad I decided to avoid making decisions completely and to let the cheapest flight choose my next destination. It was hectic, but it removed a lot of stress from my plate!
Internet Connection Problem
The availability and quality of local internet providers can greatly impact a digital nomad’s internet connection. In some destinations, access to reliable internet may be limited or expensive. Before traveling, it is advisable to research the local internet infrastructure and providers to understand the options available.
Steps To Becoming A Digital Nomad
Becoming a digital nomad may allow you to work a consistent and reliable job while traveling around the world. The path to becoming a digital nomad differs for each person depending on their skills, budget and preferences. A digital nomad lifestyle may not be for everyone, but it may be a good fit for you.
1. Identify your current skills
Before you quit your job or make any big moves, consider what skills you already have through education, job training and independent study. Things like typing and computer operations can be considered basic skills across all fields, but other abilities digital nomads often rely on include:
- Coding
- product management
- Editing
- Graphic design
- Photography
- Teaching
- Web design
- Writing
- Telecommunications
2. Gain the right transferable skills
If you would like to gain additional skills that can help you become a digital nomad, consider a job that can help you learn new skills and build the savings you require to start your digital nomad lifestyle. Fields that provide transferable skills include:
- Blogging
- Content marketing
- Digital marketing
- Information technology
- Web design
- Writing
3. Consider freelancing
You may also choose to start a freelance career to build additional digital skills and earn extra money before joining the digital nomad collective. Freelancing is available in a variety of industries like writing, editing, publishing, photography, web design, computer programming and research. You may choose to find your own clients through networking or social media. You may also consider using gig economy websites to search for projects and customers.
4. Consider taking classes online
Taking online classes or courses may help you develop strategies for time management and work/life balance before becoming a digital nomad. If you’re able, consider going on a brief trip while taking an online class to get an idea of how you may structure a future work schedule and take notes about what work environments and processes complement your lifestyle.
5. Reduce expenses and possessions
Make an effort to reduce your current expenses to help save money and eliminate clutter before becoming a digital nomad. You may choose to cancel gym memberships or subscription services. You may also choose to take a shorter lease or consider other housing arrangements, change your mode of transportation or sell large items you may be unable to store or bring with you. Some types of alternative housing arrangements you may consider are house-sitting, pet-sitting and long-term hotel stays.Related: How To Transition from Onsite To Remote Work
6. Earn a passive income
Look for options to earn passive income or generate profits from alternate sources. Some examples of passive income generators include:
- Becoming a brand ambassador
- Building an app
- Creating an online course on a topic you have expertise in
- Engaging in email marketing
- Renting out your home or subletting your apartment
- Selling digital products on e-commerce websites
- Selling stock photos online
- Opening a high-interest savings account
- Writing and self-publishing an e-book or audiobook
7. Find a remote job or start a business
Find a job that can become your first digital nomad position. Look for jobs that are fully remote or have the option to be. Pay attention to the equipment and system requirements of these jobs to ensure you can maintain those standards while traveling. If you have the skills and experience, you may also consider starting your own online business so you know you have the flexibility to work from anywhere. Read more on finding remote jobs here
8. Choose your first destination
Choose your first destination and start the planning process. Make a list of potential locations that includes places you’ve always wanted to visit and ones that fit your current budget and workload needs. Research the cost of living for each destination and make rough budgets that include rent, food, entertainment and other expenses that are important to you. Additionally, ensure a stable internet connection is available. Doing this can help you make an informed decision about your first nomadic home and have details already prepared for future destinations.
9. Choose your lifestyle
Decide where and how you want to live when you reach your first destination as a digital nomad. When choosing a residence, consider the number of people you’d like to interact with or share resources with throughout the day. Also, consider the services you may require and how easily you expect to access them. Co-ops and hostels may be ideal for meeting new people and sharing resources. Renting an apartment or finding a residence through an online temporary rental marketplace may be ideal for those who want to live more independently in a more traditional setting. Hotels or homestays may appeal to those who want more readily available services such as laundry or recreation.
10. Consider joining a digital nomad hub
Consider joining a digital nomad hub to be around others living the same lifestyle. Similar to hostels or co-ops, digital nomad hubs are unofficial communities where you can live and work among other people, specifically other digital nomads for a more affordable price. Current members at each hub share expenses and network to get professional tips and learn of potential destinations. You can find these collectives in different cities all over the world.Joining a hub can provide advantages if you want to connect with others. You may find a friend that wants to travel with you and share the same experiences as a digital nomad.Related: Working Abroad: Ways To Find a Job and Work Internationally
11. Collect documents and open accounts
Collect the documents and account information you may require while traveling. Make copies of important documents that you keep with you at all times, such as your passport and driver’s license, birth certificate, business license, bank account information, doctor’s notes and prescription information. If you don’t want to travel with hard copies consider placing documents in a secure and safe cloud storage platform. You might consider opening online accounts to ease transactions while traveling, such as those that offer online payment services or virtual mailbox services. Finally, you may also consider getting travel insurance to protect you and your assets when you move from place to place.
12. Make a plan
Set goals and develop plans for your new work environment and lifestyle. These may include prioritizing what you want to achieve through your digital nomad experience, creating a tentative multi-destination list with a timeframe for each location and a rough framework of how to achieve your goals. You may also consider making contingency plans in the event of weather, transportation, health or other problems that arise.
Conclusion
Embracing the digital nomad lifestyle offers unparalleled freedom and adventure, allowing individuals to work from anywhere in the world while exploring diverse cultures and experiences. While it comes with its own set of challenges, with careful planning, determination, and adaptability, anyone can successfully transition to the nomadic way of life. So, whether you’re seeking to escape the traditional 9-5 grind or craving exploration beyond the confines of your hometown, the digital nomad lifestyle awaits, promising endless opportunities for growth, discovery, and fulfillment.
