What Is a Digital Nomad? Pros and Cons of Digital Nomad Life

A digital nomad is a person who works remotely, either full-time or part-time, while traveling to new places. Digital nomads often work from public libraries, coworking spaces, and coffee shops, connecting their laptops, smartphones, or tablets to the Wi-Fi hubs in these locations or using their hotspots.

As a digital nomad, you have the flexibility to create your own work schedule, free of the standard nine-to-five timetable. This lifestyle also allows you to see the world: Lisbon, New York City, Playa del Carmen, and Medellín are popular locations for digital nomads.

Living as a digital nomad has both short- and long-term lifestyle benefits:

1. 1. Flexibility: One of the main advantages of being a digital nomad is flexibility. While working remotely, you have the flexibility to work on your schedule, decide when to work, and enjoy your travels.
2. 2. Travels: As a digital nomad, you can travel more frequently and experience different countries and cultures. While a typical nine-to-five position offers about two weeks of vacation for the entire year, digital nomad jobs provide an opportunity to create your own travel time. Also, you can use a mobile device to work from anywhere in the world, allowing you to move around freely.
3. 3. Community: The digital nomad community is a great way to meet new people and make friends as an expat. Joining groups for remote workers and travelers may lead to friendships and assist with finding co-living and co-working spaces. If it’s your first time traveling solo, these groups may offer a helpful network of resources as you navigate different challenges.
4. 4. Low cost of living: You can reduce your overall expenses by comparing the cost of living in different locations and moving to a country with a lower cost of living. Another advantage of working as a digital nomad is that you don’t have to spend money on commuting.

While there are many perks to the digital nomad life, there are downsides to consider:

1. 1. Homesickness: Depending on where you end up traveling, you may be far from family and friends. While the new experience of traveling to a foreign country may be exciting at first, it’s common to feel homesick over time. With technology, it’s easier to keep in touch with friends and family, but the time difference may make this more difficult.
2. 2. Increase in spending: As a digital nomad, you may spend most of your money on travel and experiences, which can put a dent in your long-term savings over time. When creating a budget with your income, consider setting a portion aside for the future.
3. 3. Lack of motivation: While traveling, it’s easy to feel distracted and unmotivated to work. Self-discipline is an important aspect of the digital nomad life, so creating a balance between work and travel is necessary for maintaining this lifestyle long term.
4. 4. Administrative complications: Working remotely from a different country requires permits and tax codes. Different countries have separate rules and regulations, which may make it difficult to organize all your necessary documents. Before traveling and working abroad, review the bureaucratic steps you’ll need to follow to avoid any problems upon your arrival.

There are remote work opportunities across industries and skill sets; however, the following remote jobs are location-independent and suitable for the digital nomad lifestyle. As long as you have a stable internet connection, you can work the following jobs remotely across the globe:

1. 1. Blogger: With social media and the increasing content creation landscape, blogging is a great opportunity for digital nomads. Consider creating a blog to share your travels and experiences with your followers. Over time, you can increase site traffic and expand your reach across social channels. It may take some time for your blog to gain traction, but with consistent content creation, you can make blogging a full-time gig.
2. 2. Writer: Similar to blogging, writing is another suitable job for remote work. As a freelance writer, you can generate website copy, blog posts, and articles for different companies while traveling. Consider your expertise and passion for finding writing jobs in an industry related to your field of knowledge. There is an expansive market for digital nomads looking to write, as companies across industries need writers for copywriting.
3. 3. Graphic designer: Like freelance writers, graphic designers also have the flexibility to work remotely and outsource work to different companies at once. As a graphic designer, you can take on different design and development projects within your area of expertise. While some graphic designers specialize in logo design, others work on layouts for advertisements.
4. 4. Software developer: Software developers have a background in computer science and use their knowledge of different coding languages to create computer applications for specific functions. Working as a remote software developer allows you to create codes for different clients and companies that help improve their IT systems.
5. 5. Virtual assistant: A virtual assistant is an independent contractor who provides various administrative services for a client or business from a remote location. Virtual assistants often coordinate calendar events, manage email accounts and organize travel arrangements. Depending on the client, the role of the virtual assistant may vary. For example, a virtual assistant working for a marketing client may also assist with social media campaigns and copywriting.
6. 6. Digital marketer: Digital marketers promote products and services through online mechanisms, such as social media marketing and blogging. Day-to-day tasks include product research, data analytics, and campaign development.
7. 7. Entrepreneur: As a self-employed online business owner or entrepreneur, you have the opportunity to live as a digital nomad. Work from a beach in Bali or Thailand as you run and organize your online startup. Some common entrepreneurial opportunities for digital nomads include dropshipping and affiliate marketing.

To become a digital nomad, consider both the practical and exciting aspects of your adventure by mapping out your travel experiences along with your budget and storage plan. Here’s a guide you can follow:

• Create a budget: Outlining travel and living expenses before embarking on your pursuit will help you stay organized and avoid unnecessary expenses. When creating a budget, consider how much you spend on transportation, housing, food, and experiences.
• Map out your travels: While you can move to different cities and countries on a whim, it’s a good idea to map out your first few destinations. This map will make it easier to determine other necessary admin and practical aspects of your journey, such as visas and residency permit applications. When researching places to live, consider your job and the time difference. For example, if your clients or boss are in a different time zone, it may be challenging to continue working remotely.
• Set up health insurance: Research and select a health insurance plan that will provide coverage in all the places you plan to travel. It may also be worthwhile to purchase travel insurance if you want to spend most of your time abroad.
• Select a phone plan: If you plan on traveling internationally, consider unlocking your phone. When you unlock your phone, you can use it to move from one country to the next. You can also purchase a prepaid SIM card with a set amount of data through an international phone carrier. Once you set up your phone plan, you can purchase a mobile Wi-Fi device, so you don’t have to rely on cafés and Wi-Fi spots for work.
• Organize your finances: It’s a good idea to check whether the country you’re moving to accepts your debit and credit cards before embarking on your journey. There is often a foreign transaction fee on international purchases; however, some banks have options for international accounts. With these types of checking accounts, you don’t pay a foreign transaction fee and only pay the conversion rate. Also, if you’re traveling abroad, consider buying foreign currency from your bank or credit union before you depart.
• Store your belongings: Digital nomads tend to travel light since it makes it easier to move from one city to the next. You can pay for a storage unit to hold your belongings or ask friends and family to store some of your things at their place. Another cost-effective option is to sign up for a home-sharing program or find a long-term renter while you’re away.
  

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