What is a Digital Nomad?

With Remote-first becoming a standard practice for many companies all over the world, the lifestyle of the digital nomad has become attractive to people in all different industries.

We have all heard stories of nomads and wanderers, roaming from place to place with no fixed home looking for food, water, and grazing land. In 2021, adventure and wanderlust are calling, and it’s the digital nomads that come.

Like our ancestors, digital nomads can move with the seasons, or whenever they feel the need. Working remote provides the opportunity for financial stability and many people are using this approach to travel the world. Some change location every few days whilst others may spend long periods in one place. As our world becomes more and more technology-driven, and companies offer flexible modes of work, the digital nomad life is becoming more widely available.    

For those that choose this, it is much more than a title. It is an intentional decision, much like starting a family or joining a religious community, a philosophy for many. It applies to all aspects of one’s life, not only work or leisure. The most important aspects of one’s life, for example, work and travel are not competing for one’s time, but rather melt together seamlessly. This lifestyle can be both big and small. For some it may be moving away from one’s desk to work in the park, for another, it is to move country and not know where you will be for next week’s call.

In reality, moving around has many factors to consider. Are you trying to get to somewhere specific at a set time and place, is there a schedule? Do you have an itinerary of things you want to do in your current location or do you have work requirements that simply keep you put? Where are you heading? Is there enough infrastructure to provide the availability you need? Will you risk a day or two off the grid?

There are also factors for staying put, is there a need to stay for availability reasons because something is coming up and the risk of moving into the unknown is too high? Is the trip itself about exploring or is it about looking for somewhere to settle. Can you simply stay in one place for as long as it makes sense, however long that may be?

The most important thing in a nomads life is the independence and freedom to go wherever one wants to go. This lifestyle allows that and so much more. It forces one to take responsibility for oneself, and live life intentionally.   In the next article in this series, we will explore the effect this lifestyle choice has on those left behind, those on the other side of the screen, and those taking on the approach for holidays and extended periods but still coming back home.