You Don’t Have to Leave Home to be a Digital Nomad
The rather newly-minted term, Digital Nomad, immediately conjures up visions of travel bloggers swaying away under a palm tree on a remote beach, laptop placed ever so slightly in the middle of their colorful hammocks.
Of course, this picture is completely sublime to the fact that:
- Hammocks aren’t that comfortable — let’s face it!
- Glare from the sweltering sun and your computer screen DO NOT MIX.
- Attempting to do almost anything in a hammock, other than laying there awkwardly and maintaining a consistent swing speed while trying not to fall out, is futile.
Yet, this is the image that the mass public has been sold (Tim Ferriss could be partially to blame for The 4HWW’s cover art).
The bottom line is that — somehow — it’s become a radical concept to enjoy the benefits of remote work without filling up your passport.
If you’ve ever felt guilty about not wanting to travel, or craving a home base and stability without sidelining yourself from the digital community, let me be the first to tell you “it’s okay.”
Here’s why:
Working from a Laptop on the Beach Is a Dumb Concept
This should be self-explanatory, but I’m going to call everyone out (myself included) who’s ever posted a photo of the view from their laptop. It’s just not practical or productive to work on the beach every day, and it propagates an unrealistic standard of the lifestyle throughout the mainstream.
Even if you’re based in a tropical place — I see you, Bali nomads — chances are, working in an exotic environment is a novelty, not the norm.
Sure, once in a while, it might be amusing to glance around, see the conditions you’re working in and pinch yourself.
But keep in mind that behind every panoramic view from a pool deck is the other side of the story: sluggish Wi-Fi, kids screaming for ice cream, dust blowing across your keyboard, and saltwater threatening your new MacBook.
Whenever I ask fellow nomad friends about their experiences at co-working spaces in tropical places, the most common reaction is,
“I love it and it’s fun, but it’s hot. And crowded. And loud. And the chairs are uncomfortable.”
For every carefully crafted Instagram post from Canggu, there’s a meeting you have to wake up for at 3am (jet lagged, obviously), a conference call from a hotel bathroom or work deadline in another time zone that needs to be met at all costs.
Or, my personal favorite, looking for a plug and a place to sit at an airport terminal when your flight is delayed (Priority Pass FTW).
Even as I type these words, I’m slightly sweltering in the afternoon heat of downtown Lisbon in August. Air conditioning is a want, not a need, apparently. While the trade-off between normalcy and adventure is worth it for me, it’s hard to shake the general feeling of discomfort lingering in my psyche at the moment.
The good news is, working for yourself or working remotely doesn’t mean you have to do it under these conditions, especially all the time. You can decide to stay in your hometown or home country, taking a few trips on the side for vacation, and probably be more comfortable and productive.
Traveling Is Tough, but Perpetual Travel Is Tougher
Traveling around the world can be a daunting task. The assumption that it’s part of the job can be an attraction but also a barrier to people who want to become location independent.
Not only does this transition typically accompany a significant job or career change, it can also turn your life upside down when it includes selling everything, hitting the road and figuring out how to replicate daily activities abroad while attempting to grow your business and enjoy life at the same time.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to keep your house, car and other possessions intact while still embracing other facets of the location independent lifestyle. The jury is still definitely out on whether perpetual travel is most conducive to success as a digital nomad.
Is it fun? Heck yes.
Is it stressful? Also yes.
Is it the best use of your time, all the time? Eh… debatable.
What’s the Rush?
The reality of remote work is that it doesn’t have to be such an abrupt transition with a steep learning curve. You can — and probably should — test out the lifestyle from home, get in a rhythm, generate regular income, pad your savings account, and make sure it works for you before adding globe-trotter to the mix.
The flexibility of working from home in your home country can be just as fulfilling or more-so than working from overseas. Yet, somehow, being an expat has become a prerequisite for flying the digital nomad flag.
Just because you can work from anywhere, doesn’t mean you (always) should. There can be an ebb and flow.
If you’ve ever wanted to pull your hair out trying to plan a vacation, take that for a hint of what perpetual travel can be like while you’re working full-time or trying to build an online business.
Maximizing your passport stamps can be as exhausting as it is invigorating. A catch-22 in some ways. After traveling to more than 50 countries while working remotely, that’s the conclusion I’ve come to.
Conclusion
If joining the location independence movement has been on your mind but you’re intimidated by the infinite steps that a life of traveling abroad requires, maybe this perspective can ease your mind.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with maintaining a home base and traveling when you feel like it. Keep your gym membership, stay in your social circle, live near family, or do whatever makes sense to you.
You can always decide “when and if” you want to see the world on a regular basis. Chances are, you’ll probably achieve more longevity and stability this way compared to people who take the leap all at once. Feel free to take your time to prepare financially and mentally for such a significant life change.
For more about sustaining life in the digital nomad lifestyle, check out my website or YouTube channel, Traveling with Kristin.
