Becoming a digital nomad is entering a world where your office spans the globe—from Balinese cafes to Portuguese beaches. It’s waking up to distant waves, working with ancient temples as your backdrop, and seamlessly shifting from mountain retreats to vibrant cities. This lifestyle fuses work with exploration, allowing you to savor diverse cultures, local cuisines, and the richness of the world. It’s a journey where each day is a unique chapter in your story, offering the freedom to trade the conventional for the extraordinary. So, if you crave a life where your desk is wherever your wanderlust takes you, the digital nomad dream awaits—an adventure as boundless as the horizons you’ll discover.
Welcome Back Vagabonds!
Welcome to “Atypical Vagabond,” a portal to a realm where boundaries blur and conventional paths diverge. Here, we delve into the world of unconventional exploration and celebrate the art of wandering without constraints. Join us as we uncover hidden gems, unravel the tales of unconventional nomads, and delve into the transformative experiences that await those who dare to embrace the call of wanderlust.
A strong desire for freedom often arises in a busy world of daily routines and societal pressures. We become fascinated by the exciting appeal of unfamiliar places, the mysterious call of undiscovered destinations, and the life-changing influence of travel. In these instances, we awaken the spirit of the unconventional traveler — the wanderer who desires to explore the world and embark on a journey of self-discovery and personal freedom.
What is a Digital Nomad?
Remote workers who travel to different locations are typically called digital nomads. Often, they work in coffee shops, co-working spaces, or public libraries. These individuals primarily rely upon devices with wireless internet capabilities, such as smartphones and mobile hotspots, to do their work wherever they want.
Dream big – Here are 5 Benefits of Becoming a Digital Nomad
1. Productivity will increase
One of the best types of motivation is planning your next adventure. Wasting time when traveling is the last thing you want to do. Knowing you have gorgeous places almost every day is highly motivating. Exploring these new surroundings motivates you to get work done promptly and proactively.
2. Breakthrough Concepts
Creativity occurs when unrelated concepts get mashed together to form a new idea. The more variance applied to the pictures, the more synapses occur in your brain. Each day, working in a different location provides various spatial occurrences that can be recalled to form creative connections. When your brain is full of new visual stimulation, your brain offers inventive ideas.
3. Increased Adaptability
Persistently traveling to new places pushes you out of your comfort zone. Adaptation to new environments every day provides the need to engage with different people and cultures. Forcing yourself to make these new connections facilitates familiarity with future experiences.
Traveling further develops your reaction to new developments. The stress of navigating a foreign location develops new dendrites in your brain when you travel. These extensions grow your brain’s capacity for attentiveness. During new and demanding situations in the future, you will be able to pay better attention to the details of the unique situation. Traveling makes your desire and ability to learn new skills stronger.
4. Do the things you love.
Some individuals find work to be significant. I have found myself working to live and not the other way around. Finishing work affords increased time to explore the new surroundings. Ultimately this allows one to do the things we are passionate.
5. Lifelong friendships.
Close connections between people occur when you share a memorable adventure. Shared experiences forge close relationships between people. Embarking on your journey, I have met other digital nomads, and we have become friends. If your journey includes a friend or significant other, these relationships become closer as you navigate these new lands.
Typical Jobs for Digital Nomads
Today, most companies embrace remote work. 70% of American employees spent time working remotely last year. This number will probably drop as in previous years it was closer to 40%. A digital nomad lifestyle and working a few days at home are entirely different lifestyles. If keeping your job and living as a digital nomad is your goal, you need to prove to your manager you can handle full-time remote work. When you develop this report with your manager, you can ask about working remotely from international locations.
If you’re looking for a job, screen sites for remote jobs. I have found We Work Remotely or Remote.co to be reputable employment boards for remote work. It is important to ask prospective employers if the role lends itself to your nomadic lifestyle.
Freelancing
Freelancing is also a familiar opportunity for digital nomads. Be realistic with yourself before you embark on your journey. Asking questions such as, “How can I make a living remotely?” Also, answer the following questions to help you figure this out:
- What skills do I possess?
- What tasks do I enjoy?
- Is there a need for my skills?
- Can my skills be marketed online?
How to Freelance?
Once you know how to make money, you can begin your journey. At some point, you might want to join the gig economy. Market or sell your services on your own. If you need help finding clients, try marketplaces or find work on a freelance service marketplace like Upwork or Fiverr to find work.
Do not feel like you must pigeonhole yourself into a specific role. The only requirement is your job has to be fully digital. Listed below are some particular positions that lend themselves well to a fully remote lifestyle:
- Accounting
- IT
- Customer Service
- Design
- Editing
- Healthcare
- Sales
- Marketing
- Project Management
- Quality Analyst (QA)
- Recruiting & HR
- Teacher/Tutor
- Writing
- Transcription
- Virtual Assistant
- Software Development
As you can make out, there are numerous roles for digital nomads. Remote work is now commonplace. But that doesn’t mean anyone and everyone should be a digital nomad. The lifestyle of a digital nomad is still a tough challenge. You need to be organized and disciplined, or you won’t enjoy your travels — which is the point of the lifestyle, right?
So now you might ask how I can set myself up for success.
5 Things to Consider Before Becoming a Digital Nomad
1. Get rid of unnecessary expenses.
Paying for things that do not significantly impact your life is not ideal circumstances. Living minimally in ideal as a digital nomad. Decreased unnecessary expenses allow another layer of freedom. Expenses like gym memberships, subscriptions, and debt will bog you down along your journey. As a freelancer, I have experienced periods of inconsistent income. Dropping these memberships has helped decrease the burden as one never knows when reduced payments might occur. Removing unnecessary expenses and paying off debt will allow you to focus on your work and travels entirely.
2. Make sure you have an income you can rely on for months in advance.
Whatever lifestyle you pursue, it’s always wise to have a safety net. Emergencies occur at the drop of a dime. How digital nomads prepare for emergencies is vital because you’re mostly alone. Being miles away means you can’t find comfort in your home or family. If you’re a freelancer, the luxury of a consistent paycheck may not occur. It is crucial to widen your safety net. Selling any unnecessary belongings, moving the essentials into a storage unit, selling or renting your house, and saving as much money as possible will help facilitate flexibility in international living.
3. Travel Health Insurance
Traveling can provide the most enriching experiences in your life. Every experience will not always be a blissful, perpetual highlight reel for Instagram. It is still real life. Eventually, we get sick, and accidents happen, and regular medical checkups. Getting immunizations before you enter the central parts of the world is good preventive medicine. Your number one priority during your travels is your health. Make sure you buy a quality health insurance plan valid in all the places you plan to visit.
4. Financial Success
Adequate funds are the precondition to your successful journeys. American credit cards often charge international fees when used abroad. Ask your bank for an international debit card. They might not have an international card, but it should be your first solution.
Signing up for credit monitoring services will also help alert you if anyone tries to steal your identity.
5. Unlock your phone when traveling internationally.
Different cell phone carriers are found in other countries. If you desire to bounce from country to country, call your current phone carrier and ask them to unlock your phone. An unlocked phone will allow you to use your phone in any country. Put the new international carrier’s sim card in your phone, and you can use the new service.
When you square these things away, it’s time to start your new life on the road. Remember, living life as a digital nomad is entirely different than preparing to be one. As much as you prepare, mistakes will occur.
7 Tips for Living Abroad as a Digital Nomad
Embarking on the digital nomad lifestyle is an exhilarating fusion of work and exploration. In this guide, discover seven essential tips to elevate your nomadic experience. From mastering remote work to navigating new destinations, these insights are a compass for a seamless and adventurous life as a digital nomad. Get ready for a thrilling nomadic odyssey, with each tip unlocking a layer of wisdom for your journey.
1. Set up a budget.
A budget should be your bible as a digital nomad. You can live quite comfortably if you follow your budget. A successful budget includes calculating your living expenditures, the cost of traveling to each destination, staying there, the activities you’ll do there, the startup costs of working abroad, and how your savings are affected if you can’t earn a salary for a while.
2. Plan for the worst scenario.
It is crucial to have multiple backup plans in case of any emergencies. Nothing ever works out exactly the way it was planned. Things happen. It is essential to have solutions when your truck breaks down, you get stuck in a foreign country, etc. Knowing you have plans B and C will help alleviate stress. Set these processes in place to handle the inevitable bumps in the road.
3. Join a digital nomad community
Digital Nomad communities like Couchsurfing and Nomadlist provide articles on the nuances of the digital nomad lifestyle. Obtaining knowledge will help decrease the steep learning curve. I have found fellow nomads are happy to answer any questions. We all were new to this lifestyle and may not have had the answers we wished we had known.
It is good to have an individual’s experience to teach you how to work effectively on the road. I have found the most beneficial perk is connecting with traveling professionals. Creating new business opportunities, partnerships, and friendships often occurs in these digital nomad communities.
4. Quality cell reception or wifi.
If your employer lets you work remotely, be available as much as possible online. Wi-Fi or cell phone reception could affect availability. Ensure your Airbnb, cell service, etc., have high-quality internet services. Being online will show them and your team respect. No excuses should be made for missing a meeting or failing to complete an assignment. The same goes for freelancers, as it is essential to get the work to your clients.
To ensure you’ll always have an internet connection, consider investing in a cell phone booster and a mobile hotspot MiFi device. Cell phone boosters can amplify a weak cell phone reception and send a stronger signal to your vehicle. Mobile hotspot MiFi devices provide a solid mobile hotspot service for your laptop. Having these devices will help you to not rely upon a spotty, public Wi-Fi connection and remain available to your team.
5. Make sure you can communicate with locals.
Knowing the country’s language is critical for successful travel. Assuming someone will be nearby who understands English is a dangerous move. Google Translate or another translation app is essential if you travel to a place where you don’t know the native language.
6. Research the destinations.
If Van Life or RVing will not be your living accommodations, find affordable housing on Couchsurf or AirBnB. Do a quick Google search to see if your lodging is near a hospital, emergency room, or clinic. In case of an emergency, it is nice knowing a hospital is nearby. It would be best if you also researched the area to find a safe neighborhood to stay.
7. Draw cash from ATMs.
Airports are infamous for ridiculously high currency exchange fees. If you need cash, check with your bank before traveling. If you need money, leave the airport and withdraw cash from an ATM. While your bank will charge you a fee, it’ll be significantly lower than the airport currency exchange desk.
Atypical Last Thoughts
In essence, becoming a digital nomad is a profound lifestyle choice. It transcends the boundaries of conventional work and living. Therefore, it’s an audacious step out of the traditional office setup. You will be in a dynamic, ever-changing landscape that spans the globe. Beyond earning a living remotely, embracing the digital nomad lifestyle represents a commitment to a philosophy that values experiences, cultural immersion, and personal growth.
Embrace the Journey
The journey offers the chance to break free and explore the richness of diverse cultures, landscapes, and communities. Picture waking up to the call of nature in a tropical paradise. You get to work nearby historical landmarks. Each day as a digital nomad unfolds as a chapter in a personalized narrative, filled with opportunities to learn, adapt, and create memorable experiences.
The essence of becoming a digital nomad lies in the harmonious integration of work and wanderlust. It’s about redefining the traditional workweek and embracing the flexibility to choose when and where productivity flourishes best. The allure of this lifestyle isn’t just in the professional freedom it provides but in the rich tapestry of life experiences it weaves. So, you’re ready to redefine your relationship with work. The digital nomad path is an exhilarating expedition into a world where every day is an adventure.
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