Why it’s okay not to be a Digital Nomad in your 20's

Social media has led many millennials to daydream about becoming a Digital Nomad. I used to feel that way but then something changed. I’m here to share my revelation and give a less common perspective as to why it’s okay not to be a Digital Nomad in your twenties.
It started in college. I was disenchanted with the educational system and after interning abroad in the UK, I had a travel bug that needed itching. It wasn’t until I became an Independent Contractor that I got a taste of how its actually like to do freelance work. I could work where ever and when ever as long as I got the work done. The flexibility was nice. I made enough to pay off my bills here living in San Diego so that meant I could easily afford living abroad since A LOT of countries are cheaper than San Diego.
During this time I also traveled a lot. Over 6 months, I went to the Redwoods, New York, and Thailand. In a “typical” full time job, I would have never accrued that much vacation in such a short amount of time. But social media makes it look more glamorous than it actually is. After a year of freelancing from my computer, there were a lot of cons for me (keep in mind this may not hold true for some people as we all have different work styles so it’s important to find what works for you and not what social media is trying to sell you).
I didn’t like working directly with clients anymore. As a freelancer, you essentially manage your own business which means you have to find work, keep work and stay in communication with those paying you. I was good at it but I didn’t enjoy that client facing aspect anymore. The tax burden is also much higher. Sure my hourly rate was higher but that’s because it’s supposed to make up for the increased tax burden, supplies, and lack of medical benefits. And lastly, I was ALWAYS working. I thought there would be more “free time” as a freelancer but there’s less. There are no business hours, you work when you have to work. Fact of the matter is, you may be in a different time zone from your client. And since you’re constantly trying to get new business, it didn’t feel like I had a set schedule of free time vs work time- the two blended together. So it just wasn’t the lifestyle that I wanted anymore- it was too tiring and too much work to make stable. It goes to show that if you don’t enjoy the entrepreneur lifestyle, then being a Digital Nomad is not for you. Couple that with travelers fatigue- always on the move and packing.
I found what I wanted to do before I graduated from college and I set out to reach that goal. While in college, I realized how naive I was. Often times, us recent grads see the peak of the mountain and don’t see the climb that actually gets us there. We see: arghh I wanna work for Google already but don’t see that I have to gather experience first to get there. I think its during these trying climbs that we are more susceptible to just let go/escape/run away. And that’s what I was doing in becoming a Digital Nomad was running away. Think about it. Most people you see on Facebook who became Digital Nomads were not happy with something: their previous job or lifestyle. When we are not happy with something, we daydream about what we think makes us happy. I was certainly at that point in my life. But now I’m getting closer to that peak of the mountain and I’m loving every minute of it. The fact of the matter is, you just have to find a job that you love. Now that I’m doing what I love, it truly doesn’t feel like work and I don’t want to run away anymore.
When I see those digital nomad videos on Facebook, I no longer get inspired by them anymore because I’m no longer in that position of trying to find my happiness. I already found it. But I still am happy for people who found their happiness by becoming a digital nomad. Do what makes you happy. But I mainly write this article to those of you who are lost, I don’t want you to feel like you have to be a digital nomad to be happy. Don’t feel bad if you aren’t constantly traveling because its not as glamorous as you think it is.
I think its also because I prefer quality over quantity. I like having a solid home base and having a few close knit friends that I see often. I don’t like meeting new people all the time and having a short lived relationship with them. I think its all about balance- you have to have stability and unpredictability. The digital nomad lifestyle was too much unpredictability for me. I finally came to that realization when I was in Thailand.
Now Thailand is the ultimate backpacker destination right? When you think of digital nomad, you think “oh let’s sell everything and go to Southeast Asia!”.
Well I went to Thailand and it was fun. But most of the travelers that were there were mainly trying to run away and more obsessed with partying than actually embracing the culture. It was almost like they were whitewashing the experience there. I left Thailand feeling like I couldn’t actually see myself working in Thailand and being happy there. It really wasn’t what I was expecting.
San Diego really spoiled me. It was also in my trip to Thailand that I realized America isn’t as bad as I originally thought. I went to Thailand right after Trump got elected. I couldn’t wait to leave America if Trump won and I was really primed to escape.
When I went to Thailand, I missed the diversity of cultures. I missed access to Mexican, African, Brazilian, Chinese food. I missed seeing people of different races in one area. I missed First World amenities like clean bathrooms and clean water. I came to realize that America was a pretty nice place to live even with Trump.
So that trip sealed the deal, I no longer had a reason to run away. Its okay to feel lost and not have it all figured out but I don’t want anyone feeling like happiness only happens if they have A, B or C. Because once you have it, you will always seek more or realize how good you originally had it.
Now I’m working full time doing what I love, not facing clients and still able to travel the world a lot thanks to unlimited PTO. People think that you can’t travel a lot in a traditional full time setting but you just have to find the right opportunity.
I was lucky that the field I’m in allowed me to become a Digital Nomad. But not all careers are suited for this lifestyle so often times, people have to pick up new skills in order to make this work. Whether it’s learning how to blog, or build a website. Hence why its called Digital Nomad.
I believe that Life is about discovering your gift and sharing it with the world. It’s okay if your gift isn’t in the Digital Realm, don’t feel pressure to conform to this in order to travel. Lastly, don’t compare your life to others on social media.
