By Andrew Forrester
With technological advances, we live in a time where travel and work can coincide. Read more about the positives and negatives that come with being a digital nomad, and whether or not the lifestyle would work for you.
“I travel because it makes me realize how much I haven’t seen, how much I’m not going to see, and how much I still need to see.”
Carew Papritz, American author and filmmaker
I have a friend—an acquaintance, really—from high school, who recently uprooted her life in favor of jet-setting, exploring and seeing the world. “Uprooted” sounds a bit dramatic, but that is in fact what she’s done: she has chosen, specifically, not to put down roots anywhere in order to see the beaches of Fiji, Thailand and New Zealand and the mountains of Iceland, Tanzania and Canada.
And let me tell you: sometimes, when I’m drinking my third cup of coffee from the office Keurig in my button-down and slacks, with dozens of emails awaiting my response, I think about that friend. I think, I could be in a Swiss chalet right now, sitting by the fireplace while sipping on an Apérol Spritz. And then I think: I could be doing all of that but still be answering those emails . . .
That’s the trade off with digital nomadism. You get to work from anywhere, but you have to work nearly everywhere you go. If you’re considering a life in which your career and your spirit of adventure are intertwined, here are some things to consider before you hop a plane.
Work Anywhere
I think the best argument for digital nomadism is that, if you can do it, why wouldn’t you? If you work for a company with a generous remote policy and a flexible hour structure, and if traveling is something that appeals to you, there’s really very little to stop you from taking the leap. There are too many potential aphorisms to count: you only have one life to live; chase your dreams and so on. But here’s the thing: they’re true! If you’ve always wanted to see Istanbul or Paris or Buenos Aires, you can, and maybe you should.
The list opens out when you really start to think about it: perhaps you’re not too keen on international travel, but you want to be somewhere a little cooler in the summer, or a little closer to the mountains, or a little more suited to your political inclinations. None of the usual barriers to entry hold up. There’s no more waiting for a job vacancy to appear, and the rickety old days of “telecommuting” are a foreign territory. There’s never been a better time to spin the globe, let your finger land where it may and make your new life happen.
But Work All the Time
Okay, but there is one catch. Any dreams of hiking, fine dining, beachside relaxing and so on have to be tempered with one harsh reality: you still have to work. It might be worth practicing phrases like, “I’m sorry, I can’t go paragliding because I have to get this to accounts receivable ASAP.” If you’re imagining one long vacation with a few pauses here and there to sit at a café and jump on a Zoom call, you may need to be a little more realistic. Ask yourself what it will be like to take your workday and transplant it to a new place where the comforts of familiarity are no more.
On top of this, you’ll want to be smart about things like time zones and office hours. It may be 4 AM wherever you are, but your company back home probably still operates according to an American 9-to-5 framework. And if you’re hoping to bebop from town to town rather than linger in one place for weeks or months at time, now you’re dealing with jetlag and factoring in more consistent adjustments to your sleep and general way of being.
Lastly, don’t forget the nitty gritty details, like passport and visa requirements and figuring out housing (as well as what to do about your current homebase). Concerns you already have, like tax expectations and healthcare, are bothersome even in a domestic context. They’ll take on new layers of complexity when you’re away from home, whether just in another city or off in a country where the rules are completely new and possibly unintuitive. And of course, travel isn’t cheap, and it can be hard to make a nomadic lifestyle sustainable. Whatever you decide, it’s important to approach things clearheadedly, and remember that, just because you’re in some picturesque far-off locale, doesn’t mean the unglamorous parts of adulthood disappear.
Consider What You’re Giving Up
So those are the tangible realities of digital nomadism. None of these is reason enough to reject a potential lifestyle change, but it’s worth being up front about possible concrete issues and snags. However, the cost of jet-setting across six continents (and sure, if you’re a completist, maybe even Antarctica) can be more than just logistical or financial. It’s personal, too. When I remember my friend from high school, who has seen the Taj Mahal and Machu Picchu, I remember that she saw those places on her own because, at least in her case, the wanderlust and whimsy of being a globetrotter is more easily attainable as a party of one. I sometimes wonder if she’s at all lonely. Unless you’ve found yourself a partner who shares your same flexibility and adventuresomeness, to not only work remotely but also live remotely means leaving any established friends and family behind to start fresh in each new location.
Other, less visible conveniences come to mind, too: favorite grocery stores and restaurants, gym memberships, religious attachments, even just the everyday ease of knowing your way around. And don’t forget all the stuff you leave behind: your favorite clothes, your keepsakes, your creature comforts—really anything that can fit into a few pieces of sturdy luggage. Remember, you are not exactly choosing a life of comfort and ease here, but of course, that’s not the point. You can be certain that there will be days when you’ll find yourself yearning for your go-to order at your most frequented coffee shop or taco stand, and you’ll just have to remind yourself that what you’re getting in exchange is something kind of magical.
And Consider What You’re Gaining
Digital nomads get to live life in a way that, heretofore, would have been unfeasible and impossible. Your childhood self would probably be amazed that you could potentially continue doing something very adult (and, they might think, a little boring) while also getting to live, essentially, wherever you want. Before now, the opportunity to really see the world was limited to a very small, very privileged set of people, but now that opportunity is wide open for anyone who wants it badly enough.
Furthermore, the freedom you’ll gain is incomparable. You decide where to go and for how long, whether to really immerse yourself in a particular culture for weeks on end or to plan and execute your own grand tour. The options are endless. Maybe one day, I’ll message that former friend to ask if she thinks she’s made the right choice. Just kidding. I will absolutely not do that. But I don’t really need to: I’m pretty sure I already know what her answer would be.
Andrew Forrester is a writer whose work has appeared in Parents Magazine, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, and elsewhere. Andrew also teaches English and creative writing in Austin, Texas, and has a Ph.D. in English literature from Southern Methodist University.
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