Being a Digital Nomad Came With A Price I Wasn’t Ready To Pay

I thought being able to work remotely would set me free. Instead, I felt more trapped than ever.

A picture of me in Singapore during my trip around Southeast Asia as a digital nomad.

The first week I arrived in Southeast Asia, I stayed in a luxury high-rise apartment. It was one of those places with a rooftop pool that looked amazing in photos. And I certainly posted a few on Instagram. Replied to a couple of “jealous” comments like it was all a joke. Then, I put my phone down, stared out the window, and realized I was living 25 floors up in a country where I didn’t know anyone.

Of course, I’d felt lonely before. But this was something else. It was the realization that I’d built a life around the idea of escape. I needed to keep moving. Not sit still long enough to feel stuck. And so, there I was, alone in a glossy Malaysian apartment straight out of a travel ad, feeling more isolated than ever.

Most days, I worked from cafes where the Wi-Fi was fast and the coffee good. By all accounts, it should have been perfect. Laptop open. Noise-canceling headphones in. Air-conditioning blasting. But I wasn’t talking to anyone. I just ordered an iced Americano, smiled, said thank you, then disappeared into my screen for six hours.