Is the Digital Nomad Lifestyle Right for You? May 31, 2019 bizadmin I like to think of travelers on a spectrum from ‘homebody’ to ‘digital nomad.’ I’ve only met a small handful of complete homebodies who don’t enjoy exploring past their backyard. Out of those who do enjoy it, most really look forward to vacations that punctuate their careers and their comfortable, reliable lifestyles. This is the common midzone. And then there’s the smaller subset of travel lovers. We’re the ones who can’t get enough. Who giggles when others suggest that maybe our last trip ‘finally got the travel bug out of your system.’ Who start planning our next trip on the return flight home from our current trip. For us, travel is more like a way of being. We don’t prefer our personal spaces and steadfast daily routines to keep us grounded. (Though there’s nothing wrong with that!) We’re explorers who enjoy being out of our comfort zone. We’re not satisfied with taking a vacation a couple of times a year – it should be an ongoing affair. If you feel this on a soul level, you just might be a digital nomad in the making. But before we get into the good stuff, let me introduce myself: I’m Amanda. I’ve been living the nomad life for the past five years, with about three months as the most prolonged period I’ve managed to sit still in between flights. When the little travel light first turned on in my head, I was in New York City, living in what might equate to a $1,000 shoebox. I escaped to a Costa Rican beach just in time to give winter the middle finger, and life never went back to ‘normal.’ More than 40 countries later, I’ve road tripped around Kyrgyzstan, gotten food poisoning in the Philippines, made best friends in Turkey, and jumped off a cliff in Colombia. And I’m typing this sentence from Mexico. I believe that becoming a digital nomad can be tough, but it’s way more attainable than it might feel to you right now. That’s why this guide maps it all out to help you on your way. In this article, we’re going to take a closer look at: A definition of the digital nomad and whether you’re really cut out for it The pros and cons of living the digital nomad lifestyle 5 skills and traits all digital nomads share Let’s do this. What is a Digital Nomad? While there’s no explicit definition of digital nomad, they all generally share two main qualities. You can categorize these qualities by splitting up the term. [Digital] They have location-independent jobs. They earn most or all of their income online, so they’re not tied to a specific location to work. [Nomad] Because they don’t have to stay in any single place, many are constantly on-the-move – to anywhere with a wifi connection and a place to plug in their laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Some digital nomads take these work and travel benefits to the extreme, hoping to a new location every few weeks or even days. Others like to stay in one spot for longer periods so they can get to know the city and the local culture. It’s common to see a digital nomad who rents an apartment for a few months or a year but still takes several short trips to nearby destinations. For example, say your first destination is Prague for six months. From there, you can easily take week-long trips to cities like London, Paris, Berlin, and Amsterdam. Pro tip: Choosing an affordable ‘home base’ like this is a great technique for beginners. It gives you some time to figure out your personal preferences and processes without diving head first into the deep end of the location-independent lifestyle.
