A long time ago, way before the first countries started to emerge, nomadic groups made of hunters, tinsmiths, shepherds and traders would move from place to place, following their livelihoods and meeting with other groups without the need for long-term settlements. Although there are still some nomadic tribes scattered around the world, the term is now primarily used to describe people working remotely and without a permanent fixed address.
This trend is gaining momentum and is particularly popular among millennials and entrepreneurs. Working from wherever you want comes with many benefits, including more personal time and a higher quality of life, but it also comes with a set of challenges. It requires you to be more disciplined, take full responsibility for yourself, and get used to a lack of stability, at least in the traditional sense. If you want to learn more about nomad life, read on!
What is nomad life?
Digital nomad life is a form of lifestyle which allows you to work remotely without having a permanent residence. It involves frequent travel and stays in various places, such as hotels, hostels, apartments, or houses of friends. The term “digital nomad” refers to the fact that this way of living is common among people who work in the digital industry, such as freelancers, entrepreneurs, marketers, developers, designers and so on.
There isn’t a single precise definition of what a digital nomad is and how to become one. For example, while working in a delivery service (here, you can see the best food delivery service to work for) allows you to have a flexible schedule and choose your working days, it doesn’t make you a nomad. However, there are some common characteristics that most nomads tend to share.
As mentioned above, they rely on working remotely and are constantly on the move, primarily for work-related reasons but also for their own interests. This however doesn’t mean that they don’t work hard. Most nomads can work just as well remotely as when they’re in their own office or co-working spaces.
Reasons to become a nomad
The idea behind a nomadic approach to life is to enjoy freedom, independence and the flexibility offered by the digital field. You get to choose your own schedule and work conditions, have a flexible income, and do what you want to do.
A regular nine-to-five job always gives the financial and social security of a permanent job, but as it gets more and more difficult to secure other aspects of life, such as buying a house without resorting to credit, some people, especially the younger generation, have started to look for alternatives which could provide them with a similar quality of life.
In other words, working regular jobs that would allow you to achieve financial and social security just a few decades ago may not be enough anymore. And due to that, more and more people are considering nomad life as a viable alternative to “sacrificing” the quality of life for the security of a permanent job.
Image by Matthias Zeitler from Pixabay
Challenges of a nomadic lifestyle
Although nomad life comes with many benefits, it also comes with a lot of challenges. First and foremost, it requires a certain level of discipline and self-management. Working from wherever you want involves taking responsibility for yourself, from providing yourself with a roof over your head, to making sure that you have all the documents required to do business in a new country.
Being a nomad affects your social life as well. As you are constantly on the move, you find yourself spending more time with people you’ve just met. Being in a foreign place with new people can be exciting at first, but it’s not always easy to find common ground, especially if you’re dealing with people from different cultures and backgrounds.
Similarly, it’s much more challenging to establish closer relationships with people who are not nomads themselves. You can still visit your family on Christmas or spend a few days with them every now and then but being in a long-term relationship with a partner who is not a nomad will only prove to be challenging, if not impossible.
How to become a nomad
Becoming a nomad is a long process. It involves a lot of planning and preparation. Many companies allow for working from home already, and this is what many nomads start with. Once you learn how to manage your time effectively when working from your home office, cafés or co-working spaces, you can then consider travelling for your job, even for just a few days at a time.
You don’t have to give up your permanent residence and worry about everything that comes with it in order to become a nomad. You can slowly start by spending more time on the road and gradually reduce your time spent at home and find opportunities that involve longer stays outside of your country. Some nomads keep their houses long after leaving them; if you’re not staying there, why not turn it into a secondary source of income and rent it out to new people?
Alternatively, you can decide to go all-in and sell your house, buy a van and live in it for a while, or even sell everything you own and travel the world. This will require much more courage and extreme self-discipline, but it can also be much more rewarding, especially if you are very tired of the permanent job routine and are looking for a new challenge.
Final thoughts
Overall, nomad life provides a lot of exciting opportunities to live differently. It requires a certain level of self-discipline, but it can be gratifying if done responsibly. You can make a living from anywhere in the world and get to do the things you like best while travelling around.
You get to see new places and meet new people. It’s not for everyone, but it could be perfect for you, especially if you’re open to change and are looking for an alternative to the traditional lifestyle.
Being a digital nomad is more than just a “travelling lifestyle.” It’s a way of living that offers a lot of freedom, flexibility, and opportunities, as well as challenges. If you’re already a nomad or thinking about becoming one, there’s nothing stopping you from doing it. So, what are you waiting for? Start today, book your tickets and go somewhere!
Top image by Peggy_Marco from Pixabay
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