Feeling free is one of the most elusive of commodities. We remain strapped to our settled lifestyle that is a byproduct of living together in urbanized dwellings, such as big cities and towns. The current modus operandi of adult life in nearly all cities of the world is entrapping. Getting a job that takes up 8 hours of the day, the hours-long commutes that take us to and from our homes, the loan-based assets that we own which keep us bound for long periods of time, and other urban chains that push us towards following the same lifestyle over and over again.
While everyone wants a sense of relief, relaxation, and the ability to live their life freely and enjoy it to the maximum, the “settled” lifestyle which most of us lead fails to give us all of that in a consistent manner. There is always the option of becoming a nomad and traveling to any place you want. But how will you support yourself, where will you live, how will things pan out? These are just some of the questions that create a sense of foreboding and fear inside us whenever we start entertaining such a thought, but, globalization and the advent of the internet has opened to us a world of countless possibilities through which we can live the way we choose – and with diverse options to sustain us perfectly.
Becoming a digital nomad is one of the best ways through which you can leave your caged lifestyle and see the world, all while earning a sizable income to support your expenses and travel whims. However, despite the increasing number of people who are now shunning offices and working remotely, becoming a digital nomad who continuously travels stirs confusion on a lot of fronts. But it’s not difficult if you know the right hacks and have the drive in you to ace this alternate lifestyle.
Determining a place to work and stay:
One of the most disturbing thoughts one can have is of being rendered homeless. Contrary to what people believe, digital nomads are not exclusively “homeless.” The sharing economy has opened up a lot of options that makes it easier to find a suitable accommodation that is easy on the wallet.
Hotels and motels can cost you a fortune beyond a couple of days. Instead of this, you can opt for renting out a room in a local home in your city of choice. Staying at home has a lot of advantages, of which the most important one is that it reduces the feeling of being homesick to a high extent, while also giving you the vibes of living within a community. You will be able to find one on Airbnb easily to suit your lifestyle.
When it comes to working, shared office spaces are becoming even more common than homes, and a lot of tech startups have begun to shape such places where digital nomads can work without interruptions. One of the most noteworthy mentions here is TechHub on Google Campus in London, which is probably the most prime example of how future companies will cater specifically to digital nomads.
Learning to live without guilt:
Finding yourself a temporary abode to live and work isn’t that difficult, but learning to live without carrying the feelings of selfishness, guilt, and loneliness is even harder to accomplish. When we leave our homes to become digital nomads, we are leaving behind a whole set of people that we have known and loved all our life.
Digital nomads are bound to have feelings of guilt from not being there on special occasions or not being able to spend quality time with the people they love. These feelings can be controlled to a high extent with frequent visits home, where they can make up for the lost time and memories.
The extra appliances:
For most people, a television, a fridge, and a washing/dishwashing machine might be some of the most important appliances to own – and ones that we cannot imagine being without. But digital nomads’ set of needs is drastically different from others. You will start to realize the importance of owning an unlocked phone which doesn’t get blocked when you travel to different countries, a comfortable bag to store your wardrobe basics and other accessories, a USB Ethernet adapter for gaining higher internet speeds when everyone is frantically trying to ramp up the speed on a shared Wi-Fi system, a power bank for charging your phone and other accessories on the go, and much more. You need to understand the complexities involved in catering to such a lifestyle by understanding how everything changes when you are not constantly tied to a single place.
Despite the troubles and issues of being a digital nomad, nothing can replace the excitement you feel when you meet new people and visit new places, a feeling which can provide you with a constant boost of motivation to flourish in your work, all the while keeping yourself rejuvenated mentally and revitalized physically.
