When you think about a digital nomad lifestyle, you probably think of beaches, coconut drinks, and hammocks. Or, maybe you think about living in a tent, catching salmon from a stream, and cooking it over a fire. Any of these thoughts could have led you to become a digital nomad. No matter what the reason, you’ll find that what you expected was far less than what you received. In this post we want to talk about what it’s like becoming a digital nomad!
Travelling, in general, opens our minds to new opportunities. We learn about other cultures. We experience their food, their languages, and their lifestyle. Usually, travel involves a vacation mindset. We shut off from our regular lives with knowing that we will eventually return once the getaway is finished. For some, disconnecting from the daily grind is easy and for others, not so much. When you become a digital nomad, your mind is the same kind of open as it would be on vacation, except, there is no return. Your life is free, and you are in the flow. It will change you. Some of these changes are obvious. Others will blow you away. You’ll look in the mirror and see the same person, but inside of that body is an entirely new mind that you didn’t know you could possess. Here are just a few examples of how you will change.
Becoming a Digital Nomad – What It’s Like to be a Digital Nomad
You’ll Become More Social
When you’re traveling alone for extended periods, you’ll inevitably find yourself engaging with hostel employees, waiters, shopkeepers, and really anyone that will exchange words with you. Before, you may have been a person who never asked for directions from a stranger when lost. Now, you do. Not only because you need help but because you actually enjoy engaging with others under the premise of help-seeking.
You’ll become more risk-averse
Invitations you may have politely refused in the past, you will accept eagerly. Dinner in someone’s home? Sleeping on someone’s couch? Crossing that bridge? It is all apart of the adventure. You’ll learn that when you say, “Yes,” the world opens up opportunities for you that you would never have experienced before.
Planning is Only for Work
I’m talking to you, my fellow Type-A-schedules-by-the-minute-friend. It is going to blow your mind how much non-planning you’re going to do. During my first three months of travel, I made lists of things to do. I assigned myself pointless projects and timelines because the freedom that I was experiencing was so far out of my comfort zone. I promise, this compulsion gradually slips away. When it does, you realize what really living is like. It almost feels like breathing for the first time.
Accidental Minimalist
You’ll find that half of the things you thought you needed you never use. Instead of keeping them on hand for, “just in case,” you will realize that all they do is add extra weight to your bag. It won’t be about making sure you have everything. You will become a person who cares more about necessity than luxury. You’ll probably end up giving it away or leaving it in a hostel for someone else to find.
Pro-packer
What once was an overfilled bag of stuff poorly organized by packing cubes will eventually become an efficiency machine. You’ll fold your clothes “your way,” without having to reference Pinterest or blogs. You’ll know which cable goes in which pocket. You’ll know exactly how to organize your packing cubes. You’ll consider starting a youtube channel to teach other people the ways of being a pro-packer and then change your mind because they won’t understand until they venture out on their own.
Itinerary Based Travel is Not a Thing
You’ll find that you’ll want to go to places not because of the things that are there but because of the people you meet. Sure, the Eiffel Tower is a global sensation, but have you ever been to a Nepalese wedding?
Alone is not Lonely
As a global citizen, you’ll find yourself, often, alone. The digital nomad is often surrounded by strangers or even no one (depending on their choice of local). Alone does not mean you are lonely. Thanks to technology, if you’re having a bad day or if you genuinely are isolated, you’ll be able to connect with the people you need to communicate with back home. So much even, that you may wish that technology didn’t exist.
Language Exposure
You will, in some way, become a polyglot. You’ll be able to say Hello, Goodbye, and Thank You in every country you go to. You’ll also pick up some other expressions along the way. You’ll become embarrassed by the people who only speak English and who assume that everyone around the world should accommodate them. It’s a real shift in mentality and a real motivator to learn.
Cultural Acceptance
Any part of your psyche that holds stereotypes is going to blow wide open. You’ll find yourself, at first, questioning the cultures around you. You may even find yourself thinking that something isn’t “right,” because it doesn’t align with something you are accustomed too. Then, one day, you’ll realize that there are 12 different ways to do one thing, and they are all right.
History Buff
All of the buildings, fountains, bridges, and cemeteries will leave you wondering so many questions. Who built these things? Why did they make them? What did this person do? Who created this system? You may find yourself knowing more about other countries’ histories than you know about your own motherland.
Potty Time
You know what no one told me? There isn’t a universal way to go to the bathroom. I’ve gone to the bathroom in outhouses, ditches, bushes, and toilets. There are so many varieties of toilets to use. Sometimes, you have to ask for a how-to guide. Sure, right now, it may make you incredibly uncomfortable to think about. Before, you may have questioned why someone would waste energy on having a preference for how to go to the bathroom. Not anymore.
Carpe Diem
Life is short. When you talk to your friends and family at home, you realize it. It’s a double-edged sword. Children grow up. Family members get older. Holidays pass. You may not be physically present for all of them. On the other side, people will reach out to you saying, “I wish I could do what you’re dong,” and in the same breath complain about how mundane their life is. You’ll understand how precious life is and how wise you were for giving yourself the opportunity to enjoy it.
Critical Thinking
Things happen. Phones break; we follow the GPS incorrectly. Whatever the reason, you’ll develop skills that make these mishaps unimportant and maybe even amusing. You’ll be able to solve the problem of a broken shoulder strap on a bag with ease. You’ll be able to find ways to communicate with people who don’t share your language. You’ll become an engineer of life. A swiss army pocket knife if you will.
Travel Agent
You will become a pro at finding cheap flights and train tickets. You’ll look at 48-hour flights with 12-hour layovers as an opportunity and not an inconvenience. You’ll know which airports to fly out of and which to avoid at all costs. You’ll know which airlines to fly. You’ll know which places to stay or too avoid. Most interestingly, you’ll become the guru for how to travel for your friends and family. They’ll come to you too frequently to ask you for advice or to schedule their travel plans for them.
Homesick
There are things at home that you can’t get elsewhere and they will be little things. Like bathrooms at grocery stores or a certain type of mustard. Whatever it is, make a list every time you miss something new. Should you opt to return home at any point, even if it is for a short visit, you’ll have a list of things you want to experience before you go home.
Routine Maintenance
It is going to be a challenge to develop a new routine or bring your old habits with you on the road. Your lifestyle is different now, not only that, the environment you’re in is different. That is okay. Let yourself be immersed in the culture around you, maybe you’ll develop new habits in each place that you go.
Vacation Mode is No Longer A Thing
This is not a vacation, this is your life. This means, that all you can drink bar on the beach is available every night of the week that you choose to stay in that town. How you spend your time and your money is not the same as it would be if you were on vacation. At first, it is incredibly hard to remember. This is your life. It’s like a dream vacation, except it’s your reality. What a gift.
Resourcefulness with Money
You’ll be able to make a Euro/Dollar/Thai Baht/Rupi stretch further than you ever thought imaginable. How you arrange travel, feed yourself, and find housing will become a new skill and one that you impress even yourself with.
Self Aware
You are going to become incredibly self-aware. You’ll know what ticks you off, what brings you joy, what foods upset your stomach, and what your lowest standards for sleeping arrangements are.
Need vs. Want
You’ll find yourself wanting a lot of things. A beautiful Turkish rug, a new tattoo, a new laptop. You won’t buy them because you know you don’t need them. Not only that, you won’t want to carry the extra weight. You’ll also find yourself needing things you’ve never needed before. As your new digital nomad self, your wants and needs will change as your perspective and lifestyle change.
Global Social Club
You will have friends all over the world! They will become your second family and you will be so excited to visit them. You may meet them while they are on their travels and will have a shared nomadic mindset, or, you may meet them in the back of a taxicab. Wherever you meet them, you’ll be more inclined to stay in touch as a digital nomad. Not only because you are traveling, but because those friendships become more meaningful keepsakes than any souvenir you could buy.
New Definition of Home
You’ll find meaning in the old expression, “Home is where the heart is.” Your heart will spread across the globe. Places you never thought about before will give you the most profound comfort.
Freedom
This lifestyle choice is incredibly liberating. People will try to understand what you do or how you do it, but you won’t be able to explain it to them unless they’ve done it themselves. You can go anywhere. You can do anything. No, it is not conventional, but it is not a lifestyle that is intended for the conventionally minded. It is for people like you. People who want to breathe and stretch and live life to the fullest. You may be tempted to go back home for a number of reasons: love, family, money, etc. Should you return, adopting a conventional means of living will be a challenge. Don’t worry. If you decide the traditional lifestyle is not for you anymore, you can always come back to the nomad way of life. It will always be there.
Conclusion
Some of these lessons you may appreciate learning. Other experiences, not listed, may lead you to believe that this lifestyle is not for you. If that happens, congratulations. You gave it a try, you saw some things, and you learned something about yourself. Whether you love it or hate it, becoming a digital nomad will teach you more about yourself than you ever could have known prior to taking the leap. So often, you’ll find, others ask you why. Why take the risk? Why leave your comfort zone? I think the appropriate answer or even maybe the proper question is why not? How can we truly live if we do not allow ourselves options? Perhaps I have this mindset because I am a digital nomad and it is something I have gained along the way.
Hope you guys enjoyed this post on what it’s like becoming a digital nomad! If you have feedback, let us know in the comments.
