I’m a Digital Nomad, Why Aren’t You?

Somebody asked me this question a year ago. It took me 6 months to come to a decision, 2 months to quit my job, and 4 months to save up some money. Now, instead of living in miserable England, I’m traveling Europe, and after that I’ll check out some of the most exotic regions in South-East Asia.

I still earn a living, but in a remote location instead of an office. It’s called being a digital nomad and you can do it too.

3 Excellent Reasons For Being A Digital Nomad

1. 
   

   Money: I don’t think there’s any shame in admitting that money might be your biggest motivation to become a digital nomad. Some cities such as London, Paris and Los Angeles are hideously expensive to live in, and the sheer cost of rent can chomp away at all of your hard-earned cash. If you could do the same job while earning the same salary, but live at a fraction of the cost in a beautiful location, wouldn’t you at least consider it?

   
   


2. 
   

   Health: You’d be surprised at how a change of scenery can motivate you to be healthier, and ultimately, work healthier. Having something new to try or somewhere new to visit can make you work more efficiently, allowing you to have more “me” time – or better yet, take your laptop to your current cities’ best bar, use their free wi-fi, and have a lovely cocktail!

   
   

   You’ll also be more likely to eat healthier foods, and it might come as a shock to find out that your favourite types of junk food (that you know you shouldn’t be eating) aren’t available in other countries, or they’re a lot more expensive than they are back home. I’ve definitely become healthier on the road.

   
   


3. Happiness: Even if you live in the best city in the world, it will, inevitably, become boring. Once you’re stuck in a routine it can be hard to break free, and in some cases lead to depression. If you live in a country of unrest, or taxes are too high, or you’re sick of the bad weather, there are hundreds of other countries out there. Find one (or several!) that suit you.
   

Earning Money While Traveling

It’s understandably harder to do this if you’re working in-house, but if you’re already freelancing, then you’re not too far off from being a digital nomad. It’s always worth checking with your employer, though; remember, they too can save money by having you work remotely. If not, then look for a new employer who understands how the modern world works. Remote OK is a terrific website to start with (also check out our roundup of The 10 Best Sites for Landing a Remote Job).

Writing About Design

It’s not only designers and developers; writers, entrepreneurs, lawyers, accountants – even Creative Market sellers can be digital nomads. If you’re nervous about taking the leap, remember this: you will always be able to find work as a design writer. What are your favourite design-related blogs? SitePoint, Designmodo, Web Designer Depot and of course Creative Market (to name a few) are always on the lookout for new authors. You already have the knowledge, so why not share it with the community?

Saving Money While Traveling

When you first start to research being a digital nomad, the costs of it all can be overwhelming. You need to know where to look. Nomad List should be your one-stop-shop for finding out the cost of living in numerous locations around the world. Once something has tickled your fancy, take a look on AirBnb for accommodation. It’s usually cheaper than staying in hotels or hostels, and definitely cheaper if you book for 28 days or more.

When that’s settled, try using Skyscanner to find the cheapest available flight to that destination. Booking in advance usually saves you a ton of money. Tip: search by “Cheapest Month”.

Last but not least, eat like a local. Western food, for example, is costly in non-Western locations. This advice applies to wherever you’re traveling. I suppose this one is sort of a no-brainer; after all, you’re looking for new experiences as a digital nomad, right?

Conclusion

Being a digital nomad is not for everyone. We all live in different circumstances and that’s understandable. But if you could open yourself up to the fact the anything can happen if you really try, you’d be surprised at how close you are to becoming more free. Many nomads travel with their wives, children, even animals and serious illnesses.

If you have any questions about being a digital nomad, ask them in the Nomad Forum or ask me in the comments below. Personal questions are welcome.

Other Useful Tools

1. 
   

   Hashtag Nomad: a huge community of nomads in a Slack Chat. Not free, but well worth the money.

   
   


2. 
   

   Duolingo: a free and highly-rated app (web, android and iOS) for learning new languages.

   
   


3. 
   

   Product Hunt: a curated list of nomad tools by Irving Torres.

   
   

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Daniel is a designer/developer currently traveling the world with his wife, experiencing the best of the nomadic world. He’s also the founder, curator and editor of Airwalk Design, creative director of Airwalk Studios and lover of Sketch App.

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Products Seen In This Post:

        

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I’m a Digital Nomad, Why Aren’t You?

The Truth About Life As A Digital Nomad

Over the years – thanks to the advent of online communication – a new type of working professional has emerged: the "digital nomad." Digital nomads are individuals whose daily routine is to keep moving, travelling and trying out new things.

They require only a laptop and an internet connection to be able to work from practically anywhere in the world: on the sands of a quiet beach in an exotic island, from a well-reviewed restaurant or even a hotel room halfway across the world. For many, the unshackled lifestyle of the digital nomad compensates for the lack of stable employment and benefits that a regular employee would be entitled to.

The freedom to travel keeps perspectives fresh, the creative juices and imagination flowing, the soul uninhibited – the kind of thing paper-pushing office employees can only dream of.

More on Hongkiat:

• 60 mobile apps for road travelers


• 15 travel apps to log your globe-trotting trips


• 20 photos that will inspire you to travel in 2015


• 5 creative & unique ways couples document their travels

The Challenges of Being a Wanderer

In reality, however, the life of a digital nomad is neither as simple nor as glamorous as one may think. While their goals and aspirations may differ, digital nomads can never escape these few challenges that plague their every day existence – things like:

1. The search for consistent and stable internet Connectivity is ongoing (and never-ending).

The work of a wandering freelancer is highly dependent on being connected to the Internet. Thus, it isn’t surprising that the absence of a stable connection could throw a wrench into their work schedule. Staying in cafes that offer WiFi connectivity will burn a hole through your wallet. It doesn’t help that public WiFi areas and portable "pocket WiFi" devices aren’t exactly as reliable as a cable connection. Good luck finding a company willing to keep you connected during the quarter year (at most) that you’ll be staying put at a single residence.

2. All that traveling may hinder your ability to work efficiently.

Unless you’re some kind of superhuman, you will definitely find yourself getting tired from moving around so much. It’s not just limited to physical fatigue though. Your constant trips might lead to your body and mind being taxed to their limits because of all the frequent changes in your immediate surroundings. It may also be easy to forget that you’re globetrotting (mainly) because of work, as every new place you find yourself in will certainly have plenty of distractions.

3. Not everyone Ends Up a success story.

We’ve no doubt heard numerous anecdotes about former employees who left for greener pastures and eventually found themselves financially sound opportunities through nomadic digital freelancing. Let’s face it, though – it’s still a risky proposition, and the cost for failure can be quite high. Be wary of claims by digital nomads who said they started from the bottom and rose through the ranks on their own. More often than note, they didn’t build their wealth on their own.

4. The line between work and leisure blurs.

Another problem with being a digital nomad is that you tend to have difficulty switching off your "work mode." While most people go on beach vacations to swim and bask in the sun’s rays, you would be there to work. Furthermore, with no one looking over your shoulder, keeping you in check and dumping (and limiting) responsibilities on you, you’ll find it hard to distinguish between work and leisure, and will probably be working when you should be enjoying yourself, or worse, vice versa.

5. Your interpersonal relationships will most certainly take a blow.

Being away often also means not having enough time to speak with your friends and loved ones. If you are thinking there’s Skype or Facetime, don’t forget the Internet connection issues you may encounter. The hard truth is people will miss you for a while but will continue on with their lives with or without you. It’s a sad thought, but it happens. It will be tough to build strong personal relationships when you can’t even hold on to a permanent address and the same thing applies to children (if you have any), who may suffer more losses than you will.

And yet, despite all of these concerns, there are plenty of digital nomads who are handling these challenges like a breeze.

Digital Nomads To Follow Online

We take a look at a few digital nomads who are always on the go but always connected online. These individuals paint an accurate, painful and truthful picture of what it is like being a digital nomad.

1. Nomadic Matt (Matthew Kepnes)

Matt, who owns the travel blog Nomadic Matt, admits that there are disadvantages to living the lifestyle of a digital nomad, just like everything else. Still, Matt has managed to make a successful career out of helping people who want to travel on a budget.

"When you are always on the road, it’s hard to get into routines and build habits," says Matt. "Dating is tough because you are never in one place long enough to form a connection and before you know it, it’s time to go again!"

Learn more about Matt’s lifestyle here.

2. Niel de la Rouviere

Niel took a two-month-long trip to Southeast Asia before returning to his native South Africa, learning a thing or two about being a digital nomad.

via Medium

He encourages everyone to at least give what he did a shot. Interestingly, this is all part of his day job as a front-end developer for social media management service provider, Buffer. "There’s nothing quite like sipping a fresh coconut while coding up a new feature," quips Neil.

3. Legalnomads (Jodi Ettenberg)

Jodi quit her career – being a corporate lawyer for over five years – to focus on her travel site Legalnomads and hasn’t looked back since.

According to Jodi, the biggest disadvantages of being a digital nomad are uncertainty about the future, being worried about your health, and not being able to stay with your loved ones at home on special occasions. She also has a book about her adventures: The Food Traveler’s Handbook.

"It’s not a calming choice to walk away from what you grow up being told is normal," admits Jodi, "But at the same time, if you are excited enough about that flexibility to build life on terms you find compelling, the latter is a very rewarding option."

4. Travel Fish (Stuart McDonald)

Stuart runs the blog Travel Fish – a travel-planning website that encompasses a significant part of Southeast Asia – and is honest about the difficulties of putting your phone in your pocket and going to places with no WiFi, among other challenges.

"There are significant lifestyle costs to pursuing this style of living, not least that in many cases you’ll be working far more than you would have been back in the cubicle, in a far less productive manner and often in a less than ideal work environment," shares Stuart. "But, when that all gets me down, I get on my bike and ride down to the beach to watch the surf."

5. Exilelifestyle (Colin Wright)

Colin of Exilelifestyle has an interesting gimmick: Based on his fans’ votes, he moves to a new country every four months. Follow his blog to learn more about his thoughts and experiences regarding this one-of-a-kind nomadic journey.

Colin Wright / Twitter

Colin poses a challenge to all dreamers. "You may also find, while deep-diving into your motivations, that you don’t want travel specifically: you want novelty and new experiences and the like. You can start achieving those things immediately, without leaving your hometown. Do so. Whatever the case may be, though, start working on it immediately, or you’ll keep putting it off."

“I can go anywhere I want at any time,” he shared, a clear indication that he’d love for people to experience the same thing.

6. Vagabonding (Rolf Potts)

Rolf, who owns the blog Vagabonding, wrote a book on independent travel called Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel. The blog and book contain insights from the man who has worked with such industry giants as the National Geographic Traveler and the New York Times magazine.

Vagabondish

Rolf has some sound advice for new nomads. "Forcing yourself to slow down and improvise your way through each new day on the road is the best way to break out of the habits of home and embrace the amazing possibilities a journey promises."

Read Nomadic Matt’s interview with Rolf Potts of Vagabonding.

7. Making It Anywhere (Rob Dix & Michelle Slade)

This couple own and manage the site Making It Anywhere, where they discuss real stories of digital nomads’ successes, failures, and everything in between, in addition to providing useful tips and advice. It only took them two or so years to leave their mark in 16 cities across three continents.

"Our targets are always closely linked in with our core values, and in all our personal quarterly plans we say what we’re going to do to bring those values to life," affirm the couple. Here’s an article where they explained how they run their “local business” from around the world.

Conclusion

Ultimately, if you’re planning to escape from the corporate world and jump headlong into the world of digital nomads, be prepared for the sacrifices that such a move would entail. Sure, there are roadblocks, but they’re not impossible to overcome. All it takes is patience, street smarts, and a genuine desire to live for something more than being cooped up inside a concrete building.

Oh, plus a knack for finding a decent internet connection.

No related posts.

The Truth About Life As A Digital Nomad

The Truth About Life As A Digital Nomad

Over the years – thanks to the advent of online communication – a new type of working professional has emerged: the "digital nomad." Digital nomads are individuals whose daily routine is to keep moving, travelling and trying out new things.

They require only a laptop and an internet connection to be able to work from practically anywhere in the world: on the sands of a quiet beach in an exotic island, from a well-reviewed restaurant or even a hotel room halfway across the world. For many, the unshackled lifestyle of the digital nomad compensates for the lack of stable employment and benefits that a regular employee would be entitled to.

The freedom to travel keeps perspectives fresh, the creative juices and imagination flowing, the soul uninhibited – the kind of thing paper-pushing office employees can only dream of.

More on Hongkiat:

• 60 mobile apps for road travelers


• 15 travel apps to log your globe-trotting trips


• 20 photos that will inspire you to travel in 2015


• 5 creative & unique ways couples document their travels

The Challenges of Being a Wanderer

In reality, however, the life of a digital nomad is neither as simple nor as glamorous as one may think. While their goals and aspirations may differ, digital nomads can never escape these few challenges that plague their every day existence – things like:

1. The search for consistent and stable internet Connectivity is ongoing (and never-ending).

The work of a wandering freelancer is highly dependent on being connected to the Internet. Thus, it isn’t surprising that the absence of a stable connection could throw a wrench into their work schedule. Staying in cafes that offer WiFi connectivity will burn a hole through your wallet. It doesn’t help that public WiFi areas and portable "pocket WiFi" devices aren’t exactly as reliable as a cable connection. Good luck finding a company willing to keep you connected during the quarter year (at most) that you’ll be staying put at a single residence.

2. All that traveling may hinder your ability to work efficiently.

Unless you’re some kind of superhuman, you will definitely find yourself getting tired from moving around so much. It’s not just limited to physical fatigue though. Your constant trips might lead to your body and mind being taxed to their limits because of all the frequent changes in your immediate surroundings. It may also be easy to forget that you’re globetrotting (mainly) because of work, as every new place you find yourself in will certainly have plenty of distractions.

3. Not everyone Ends Up a success story.

We’ve no doubt heard numerous anecdotes about former employees who left for greener pastures and eventually found themselves financially sound opportunities through nomadic digital freelancing. Let’s face it, though – it’s still a risky proposition, and the cost for failure can be quite high. Be wary of claims by digital nomads who said they started from the bottom and rose through the ranks on their own. More often than note, they didn’t build their wealth on their own.

4. The line between work and leisure blurs.

Another problem with being a digital nomad is that you tend to have difficulty switching off your "work mode." While most people go on beach vacations to swim and bask in the sun’s rays, you would be there to work. Furthermore, with no one looking over your shoulder, keeping you in check and dumping (and limiting) responsibilities on you, you’ll find it hard to distinguish between work and leisure, and will probably be working when you should be enjoying yourself, or worse, vice versa.

5. Your interpersonal relationships will most certainly take a blow.

Being away often also means not having enough time to speak with your friends and loved ones. If you are thinking there’s Skype or Facetime, don’t forget the Internet connection issues you may encounter. The hard truth is people will miss you for a while but will continue on with their lives with or without you. It’s a sad thought, but it happens. It will be tough to build strong personal relationships when you can’t even hold on to a permanent address and the same thing applies to children (if you have any), who may suffer more losses than you will.

And yet, despite all of these concerns, there are plenty of digital nomads who are handling these challenges like a breeze.

Digital Nomads To Follow Online

We take a look at a few digital nomads who are always on the go but always connected online. These individuals paint an accurate, painful and truthful picture of what it is like being a digital nomad.

1. Nomadic Matt (Matthew Kepnes)

Matt, who owns the travel blog Nomadic Matt, admits that there are disadvantages to living the lifestyle of a digital nomad, just like everything else. Still, Matt has managed to make a successful career out of helping people who want to travel on a budget.

"When you are always on the road, it’s hard to get into routines and build habits," says Matt. "Dating is tough because you are never in one place long enough to form a connection and before you know it, it’s time to go again!"

Learn more about Matt’s lifestyle here.

2. Niel de la Rouviere

Niel took a two-month-long trip to Southeast Asia before returning to his native South Africa, learning a thing or two about being a digital nomad.

via Medium

He encourages everyone to at least give what he did a shot. Interestingly, this is all part of his day job as a front-end developer for social media management service provider, Buffer. "There’s nothing quite like sipping a fresh coconut while coding up a new feature," quips Neil.

3. Legalnomads (Jodi Ettenberg)

Jodi quit her career – being a corporate lawyer for over five years – to focus on her travel site Legalnomads and hasn’t looked back since.

According to Jodi, the biggest disadvantages of being a digital nomad are uncertainty about the future, being worried about your health, and not being able to stay with your loved ones at home on special occasions. She also has a book about her adventures: The Food Traveler’s Handbook.

"It’s not a calming choice to walk away from what you grow up being told is normal," admits Jodi, "But at the same time, if you are excited enough about that flexibility to build life on terms you find compelling, the latter is a very rewarding option."

4. Travel Fish (Stuart McDonald)

Stuart runs the blog Travel Fish – a travel-planning website that encompasses a significant part of Southeast Asia – and is honest about the difficulties of putting your phone in your pocket and going to places with no WiFi, among other challenges.

"There are significant lifestyle costs to pursuing this style of living, not least that in many cases you’ll be working far more than you would have been back in the cubicle, in a far less productive manner and often in a less than ideal work environment," shares Stuart. "But, when that all gets me down, I get on my bike and ride down to the beach to watch the surf."

5. Exilelifestyle (Colin Wright)

Colin of Exilelifestyle has an interesting gimmick: Based on his fans’ votes, he moves to a new country every four months. Follow his blog to learn more about his thoughts and experiences regarding this one-of-a-kind nomadic journey.

Colin Wright / Twitter

Colin poses a challenge to all dreamers. "You may also find, while deep-diving into your motivations, that you don’t want travel specifically: you want novelty and new experiences and the like. You can start achieving those things immediately, without leaving your hometown. Do so. Whatever the case may be, though, start working on it immediately, or you’ll keep putting it off."

“I can go anywhere I want at any time,” he shared, a clear indication that he’d love for people to experience the same thing.

6. Vagabonding (Rolf Potts)

Rolf, who owns the blog Vagabonding, wrote a book on independent travel called Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel. The blog and book contain insights from the man who has worked with such industry giants as the National Geographic Traveler and the New York Times magazine.

Vagabondish

Rolf has some sound advice for new nomads. "Forcing yourself to slow down and improvise your way through each new day on the road is the best way to break out of the habits of home and embrace the amazing possibilities a journey promises."

Read Nomadic Matt’s interview with Rolf Potts of Vagabonding.

7. Making It Anywhere (Rob Dix & Michelle Slade)

This couple own and manage the site Making It Anywhere, where they discuss real stories of digital nomads’ successes, failures, and everything in between, in addition to providing useful tips and advice. It only took them two or so years to leave their mark in 16 cities across three continents.

"Our targets are always closely linked in with our core values, and in all our personal quarterly plans we say what we’re going to do to bring those values to life," affirm the couple. Here’s an article where they explained how they run their “local business” from around the world.

Conclusion

Ultimately, if you’re planning to escape from the corporate world and jump headlong into the world of digital nomads, be prepared for the sacrifices that such a move would entail. Sure, there are roadblocks, but they’re not impossible to overcome. All it takes is patience, street smarts, and a genuine desire to live for something more than being cooped up inside a concrete building.

Oh, plus a knack for finding a decent internet connection.

No related posts.

The Truth About Life As A Digital Nomad