What is Digital Nomading 🗺️

In mid-2018 I briefly left my job in gaming to try something else for a while. That something else was working in a NOC for a fashion company doing 24/7 monitoring for their website. We rotated shifts, but sometimes I had the 2nd or 3rd shift, which meant, overnight. Overnight for 8 hours, monitoring a website that didn’t get much overnight traffic. Not only this, but if something DID go wrong.. it was only my job to inform the team involved and to send out the appropriate alerts. To stay awake, I would pace in circles around the floor the NOC was on, and steal candy from the desks of the normal people that were at home sleeping. This was the most boring job I’ve ever had in my life.

Now, to the upside of all this free time. This was before Covid, and the travel bug was strong. Massively strong. It’s almost all I thought about. Planning our next trip, organizing photos from the last, and scouring the web for mistake fares. During this time, I found something called Digital Nomading. Being a digital nomad requires you either have job that allows you to be fully remote, or you do some sort of freelance work you can do from anywhere with a laptop and an internet connection. If you have this prerequisite, this idea is, you bounce from country to country, for a few months at a time. (Depending on what your Visa allows) So, maybe I live in Thailand or 3 months, and then bounce over to Indonesia for another 3. The big draw is, you get to REALLY experience a place like a local. Not just a tourist that is there for a few days, eats at all the tourist trap restaurants, and then leaves. You get to live like a local. Eating cheap street food. Experiencing the local cultures on a longer term basis. Also, in a lot of places this is popular, your dollar can got a lot further. Here is an example of some basic costs of living from NomadList.com for working in Chiang Mai, Thailand. A hugely popular nomad destination.

Ever since I learned about this, I’ve been obsessed with trying to make this happen. Even for a short while. I’ve just never had the remote job, and the freedom to roam necessary. While my job now is fully remote and I’m very rarely expected to be in the office.. I technically can only work from anywhere my company has a physical presence. Even then, it would be questionable how they would react if one day I was just in another country. However.. Zoom does have some lovely privacy backgrounds. Maybe more on this soon.. 😄

Reasons that Nomading is Dope

1. Freedom and Flexibility: Work from anywhere with an internet connection. Want to answer emails from a beach in Bali or a cafe in Paris? You got it!
2. Experiencing New Cultures: This lifestyle allows you to immerse yourself in different cultures, learn new languages, and meet people from all walks of life. It’s like a never-ending journey of discovery.
3. Escaping the 9-5 Routine: Traditional office jobs can feel monotonous. As a digital nomad, you break free from the typical 9-5 grind, setting your own schedule and working at your own pace.
4. Cost of Living Advantages: In some cases, living in a different country can be cheaper than your home country, especially if you’re earning in a strong currency. This can mean a better quality of life for less.
5. Personal Growth: Stepping out of your comfort zone and handling the challenges of a nomadic lifestyle can lead to significant personal growth and increased independence.
6. Network of Global Contacts: You’ll meet other digital nomads, entrepreneurs, and locals, expanding your professional and social network on a global scale.
7. Learning New Skills: Adapting to different environments and cultures can help you develop new skills, both personally and professionally.