Wondering how to become a digital nomad? Well, if making the world your office excites you, you’ve come to the right place.
The idea of working remotely from anywhere in the world is more doable than ever before, thanks to the rise of digital tools, remote-first industries, gig jobs, and coworking spaces. More and more people are hitting the road and bringing their laptops with them. Many of them are documenting it on social media to show that if they can do it, so can you – I am one of those people! And, while I am not a full-time digital nomad myself, I do spend about four to six months out of the year traveling while working remotely.
What I have learned after the past 6+ years of working remotely abroad is that, while a digital nomad lifestyle allows for incredible freedom and new experiences, it’s not for everyone. There are a lot of logistics to consider and lifestyle changes that need to be made in order for long-term travel and remote work to be feasible. For me personally, ‘nomadding’ for shorter periods – a couple months at a time – and maintaining a home base to return to has been the right balance for me. For you, you may be able to live on the road for years at a time, or you might find comfort in simply going on workations every now and again to scratch the travel itch.
Becoming a digital nomad is not one size fits all, which I hope is reassuring as you consider whether doing so is right for you. Below, I’ll break down everything you need to know about how to become a digital nomad so you can test drive or deep-dive into this new lifestyle as smoothly as possible.
Let’s get into it!
First, What is a Digital Nomad?
A digital nomad is someone who works remotely and typically travels for extended periods of time instead of maintaining a permanent home base. Not to be confused with remote workers, who may have the option to work from anywhere but don’t necessarily have the desire to, digital nomads are unique in that they and their income are not tied to a physical location and have set up systems that allow them to travel the world while funding that travel simultaneously.
Some digital nomads travel continuously, only staying in each place for a few weeks, while others opt to spend months in a given location before moving on to the next.
Pros & Cons of Being a Digital Nomad
Becoming a digital nomad may sound glamorous–and in some ways, it is, but it does have a few things you want to consider before committing to this lifestyle. It’s not as easy as just working remotely.
Here are some things to keep in mind before you end your lease and book the plane ticket!
Pros
- Work Wherever You Want: Want to spend your winters skiing in the Alps, then fly to the beach to set your office up by the water? As a digital nomad, you’ll have the freedom to do it all as long as there’s a WiFi connection.
- Travel Full-Time: Have you always dreamt of long-term travel, but were worried about how to afford it? Well, if you’re a digital nomad, you can make your travel dreams happen without jeopardizing your income along the way.
- Save Money: Sure, travel and adventure are expensive, but as a digital nomad, you’re going to be experiencing things more slowly, which can save you more money than a jam-packed 5-day vacation in the long run. Some accommodations offer discounts for longer stays, and odds are you’re not going to be cramming in fancy restaurants and activities every single day you’re on the road. Further, being a digital nomad allows you to diversify your home base from an economic standpoint – stay longer in places where your money goes further, and move around only as your budget allows.
Cons
- Lack of Community: If you’re traveling full-time, it can be hard to establish a community around you, leading to feelings of loneliness. Even if you are traveling with a partner or someone else, you still are leaving behind family, friends, and others, and will miss out on important celebrations, life events, and birthdays.
- Harder to Stay Focused: When you arrive in a new place and have a whole list of new experiences that await you, it can be hard to prioritize work. You’ll have to take a lot of personal responsibility in managing your time, work, and fun.
- Mentally Draining: Traveling full-time can be exhausting. Unlike working from home, you’ll have to constantly figure out where you’re living next, how to use public transportation, where you’ll work from, where and what to eat, what to do, and how to settle into a new schedule.
- Increased Volatility: Between income fluctuations (especially if you have a freelance or gig job versus a full-time remote job), navigating taxes, and figuring out your healthcare situation, being a digital nomad comes with increased volatility that a regular remote worker may not have to deal with.
Is Becoming a Digital Nomad Right for You?
Ultimately, it’s all about the lifestyle you want, and how much you’re willing to change in order to make it happen. The answer to how to become a digital nomad and whether it’s right for you will vary for every individual person.
Evaluate whether the digital nomad lifestyle is a good fit based on your personality, goals, career, and preferred lifestyle. Those who thrive on autonomy, can easily navigate uncertainty,e, and are fueled by experiences above material possessions will be more naturally suited to the digital nomad lifestyle.
Be honest with yourself about what your tolerance is for the characteristics of this lifestyle, what you want to spend your money on, where you want your career to go, and what you’ll need to change or give up in order to create the ideal lifestyle for you.
You also don’t necessarily need to maintain a 100% nomadic lifestyle to enjoy many of the benefits of traveling while working. There is a wide spectrum of remote work and remote-friendly jobs for every lifestyle, and you can still have worldwide adventures even if you’re not on the road full-time. Maybe you can only be nomadic for half the year, or every other quarter, like me! Or maybe you are more comfortable taking shorter workations, where you work remotely from somewhere new for a week or a month.
The point is, you can create the lifestyle you want and there’s no wrong way to tap into the benefits of a digital nomad lifestyle. It’s all about finding freedom from the traditionally restrictive confines of cubicle culture, and prioritizing experiences that enrich your life along the way.
Think about what is best for you in what life stage you’re in, where your career is, and your personality type.
Securing a Remote, Digital Nomad-Friendly Job
A huge part of being a digital nomad is figuring out how you can make money while traveling.
If you already have a remote-friendly job, then you’re well on your way to hitting the road! However, if you’re looking for ways to make your current job remote, or considering looking for a new remote-friendly job, keep reading.
Where to Find a Remote Job
Remote jobs are more popular, and common, than ever before. So, if you’re in the market for a more flexible working arrangement that allows you to travel, you can look for job opportunities much in the same way you would if you were hunting for an office job.
There are several job sites where you can search for and filter specifically for remote jobs. These include big job search sites, such as LinkedIn, Monster, or Indeed. Additionally, some sites specialize only in remote work opportunities, including job boards like FlexJobs, WeWorkRemotely, RemoteJobs, Remote, and more.
I go into more detail in my comprehensive guide on how to find a remote job, which you can queue up next!
How to Get Your Employer on Board for Remote Work
If you already have a job you love, you can – and should! – explore whether your company would be open to you transitioning to remote work. Some companies are more flexible than you’d expect, as long as you’re still able to meet deadlines and attend meetings. Others may be less amenable to remote work, but with the right communication about your goals and a plan on how you’ll prioritize your work, you might be able to convince them that a more flexible arrangement can actually help your company and career.
Asking your boss if you can work remotely requires some research, reflection, and preparation. If you can present a solid proposal for how remote work can enhance, not detract from, your role, odds are your boss may be willing to hear you out. You’ll never know until you try!
Part-Time Digital Nomad Alternatives
Like I mentioned earlier, you don’t necessarily need to be a full-time digital nomad to enjoy traveling while working. You can work remotely and travel for shorter stints, taking workations whenever you can so you can experience more of the world on your own terms. This can be an especially strong option to consider if your employer isn’t compatible with full-time remote work, or if you only have hybrid work flexibility.
This can also be ideal if you want to prioritize maintaining a home base, which is what I do!
By becoming a part-time digital nomad, you’ll be able to maintain a community, friendships, healthcare, and more in your home base. Simultaneously, you’ll be able to get a taste of meeting new community on the road, and fostering new experiences along the way that enrich your overall life and make your work commitments feel more balanced.
How to Find Freelance, Side Hustle, and Gig Work
If you want more flexibility than a full-time job, freelancing gigs, temp jobs, andcontract work are all great alternatives. These allow you to define your own schedule and make income to fund your travels on your own terms.
There are tons of travel-friendly side hustles and opportunities out there for WiFI warriors and those looking to earn extra income while being nomadic.
For the extra ambitious, you can also use your digital nomad travels to launch your own business. With all the inspiration I receive while traveling and working remotely, I think there’s honestly no better time to explore your own career ambitions and see where they take you, both metaphorically and literally 🙂
Adapting to a Digital Nomad Lifestyle
In addition to sorting out your remote job or income streams, becoming a digital nomad also requires rethinking your possessions, housing, finances, and other lifestyle logistics. These changes can be big or small depending on your current lifestyle and creature comforts, and they will definitely feel weird as you go against the grain of what society says you should be doing with your time, job, and money. All that to say, if you want it badly enough, you’ll find a way to make it happen!
Here are some things you’ll want to consider when adapting to a digital nomad lifestyle:
- Minimizing Material Possessions: If you’re going to be moving and traveling a lot, you will have to cut down on your possessions, unless you want to have the extra expense of renting a storage unit or moving your stuff in with family or friends for an extended period of time. The latter may not be an option for everyone, but it was an opportunity I was lucky enough to have and I jumped at the chance.
- Getting Rid of Your Home, or Finding Ways to Maintain It While You’re Away: Some people find that it’s easy to start traveling once their lease is up. For others, you may have a house and a mortgage to consider. It’s up to you whether it makes more sense to sell your home or explore other options to offset your mortgage payments, like listing it on a vacation rental site or seeking a tenant.
- Accepting That You’ll Miss Out on Some Life Events: Extended periods of time away from friends, family, coworkers, and community means you’ll very likely be missing the occasional birthday, post-workday happy hour, and wedding. This can be emotionally taxing and for many digital nomads, it can feel a bit isolating. The best way to mitigate this is to maintain your relationships while traveling and show up for your community however you can. If they are close to you, most of them will also understand the journey you are on as well.
- Finding a New Home Every Few Months: As a digital nomad, you’re probably going to move around quite frequently. You’ll have to be okay with staying in places that aren’t yours, that you may not be familiar with, and that may not have all the creature comforts you were used to back home.
- Figuring Out Pets: While traveling long-term with pets is possible, it’s more logistically involved and needs to be carefully considered.You’ll have to factor in the effect that traveling will have on your pets, and on you (financially and emotionally). You may consider either leaving your pets with a trusted friend/family member or you might want to even consider holding off on getting a pet until you are more settled.
- Adapting to New Work Environments: One of the best things about being a digital nomad can also be one of the most stressful. The world becomes your office, but the ‘office’ may not always be reliable. From juggling WiFi needs to figuring out the best places to work remotely, a digital nomad lifestyle requires adaptability and responsibility. You need to be able to do your due diligence not to only plan your travels, but also your work routine and needs along the way.
Finances and Money as a Digital Nomad
Though living like a digital nomad can look expensive, it can actually save you money – if you’re strategic about it.
While vacation travel can be costly because you are filling your days with tours, and restaurants, and hotels (as you well deserve to!), traveling long-term means your expenses will be more evenly distributed.
- You’ll stay in affordable vacation homes, or hostels, or coliving apartments, many of which are not as luxurious as a hotel but are designed for living. Better yet, many of them get cheaper the longer you stay.
- You’re working on a regular schedule, so you’re not spending all day every day on tours or doing expensive excursions.
- You cook at least some of your meals, and eat out only as much as your budget can afford. You also find reliable spots that, while not as flashy as that #1-rated restaurant on Tripadvisor, become your go-to. That sandwich shop on the corner, that coffee shop that knows you by your name, that taqueria in the plaza by your apartment, and so on.
- You’ve minimized, balanced, or entirely rid yourself of the expenses you had back home. You sold your belongings, found a tenant for your house, and cancelled your subscriptions to free yourself up for the lifestyle that’s ahead.
- You’ll continue to earn an income as you go, meaning you won’t be depleting your finances as you travel. In fact, depending on where you base yourself and how you live your life, you might even save money in the process.
For three years of my remote work journey, I was living rent-free. I got rid of my apartment in Los Angeles (which was costing me over $2,600 a month), moved my essential possessions in with family, and hit the road. I maintained my full-time job and diverted 40% of my monthly salary into savings and retirement funds, relying on the remaining money I had to travel the world. Eventually, my partner and I downsized to one car as well, freeing up a car payment and the insurance that came with it to make long-term travel a sustainable thing.
While everyone’s financial situation may vary, I encourage you to level-set and get creative with the money moves you make in order to become a digital nomad. What can you get rid of? What can you optimize? How much can you continue to save? What is a realistic monthly travel budget that allows you to stay on the road long-term?
As a precursor to your digital nomad journey, it’s a good idea to save some extra money beforehand. At least six months of living expenses is ideal, though this again varies based on each person’s personal circumstances. Having some savings in the bank can help you to be prepared for any unforeseen circumstances while on the road, and on a more positive note, give you some funds to splurge every now and then on those epic travel experiences you’re inevitably going to want to do!
Preparing for Life on the Road
In addition to the financial and mindset preparation, you’ll need to next consider all the logistical necessities of being a digital nomad.
- Gathering Your Important Documents: Make sure your passport, driver’s license, birth certificate, travel insurance, and other documents are up-to-date and that you have digital copies of everythingt. Download them locally to your phone as well in case you need them in a pinch and don’t have access to WiFi.
- Evaluate Your Banking Plans: Make sure you opt for debit and credit card providers that don’t penalize you for international transactions. You’ll also want to verify that you’ll easily be able to access your income while on the road (for example, if you receive checks in the mail, see if you can switch to direct deposit). Last but not least, download apps that make cash sharing easy without fees, like Venmo and Wise.
- Getting Travel-Friendly Health Insurance: Having travel-friendly health insurance is critical for digital nomads. Make sure you sign up for health insurance from a reputable provider, or if you have a full-time job, see if their health insurance policy can cover you while traveling. If not, some travel-friendly health insurance companies to look into include Allianz, World Nomads, and Safety Wing.
- Assembling Your Remote Work Tools: From laptops to noise-cancelling headphones, now’s the time to make sure you have all the essential remote work tools you’ll need to successfully work while on the road.
Finding Community as a Digital Nomad
As a digital nomad, loneliness while on the road can be a real concern. It’s a tough adjustment to leave behind your friends and your familiar surroundings for extended periods of time! It’s equally hard to feel as if you can’t create community because you’re moving around so much.
Fortunately the good news about digital nomading becoming more and more popular is that there are so many others out there who are experiencing the same things and craving a sense of community. It’s up to you to assess your needs and take steps to give yourself a sense of community while on the road. Here are some ways to do just that.
- Joining Facebook Groups: There are several Facebook groups focused on being a digital nomad and meeting up with others in the same lifestyle! Some are international, and more focused on the mindset and tips and crowdsourcing benefits of speaking with other likeminded individuals. Others are hyper-local, connecting digital nomads in specific countries and cities. Facebook groups can be a fun way to connect with others on the road, both on- and offline! Some Facebook groups that’ve helped me along the way include:
- Traveling on Digital Nomad Trips: There are several organizations now that help nomads build a community, from organizing local meetups to creating multi-week or multi-month itineraries completely catered to the needs of working nomads. Some of these companies include:
- Noma Collective: A remote community with trips anywhere from two to six weeks in destinations around the world like Belize, Spain, Mexico, and more. Noma is great for casual digital nomads, or part-time nomads like me. Check out their upcoming trips here.
- Wifi Tribe: Digital nomad retreats around the world and a diehard travel lifestyle community. Check out their upcoming trips here.
- Nomad Cruise: A conference at sea for digital nomads! Nomad Cruise encompasses workshops, learning, community-building, networking, and more while setting sail to some of the most epic destinations in the world. Check out their upcoming expeditions here.
- Outsite: Less about organized group trips and more focused on providing quality co-living that meets the needs of digital nomads, Outsite is a membership-based co-living brand with amazing locations across the globe. Check out their locations here.
- Staying Hostels or Co-Living Spaces: Hostels and co-living spaces are a great way to meet new people! Even if you don’t stay at the hostel, you can always inquire about using their common spaces, like lounges, co-working spaces, or bars, to hang out, meet others, and join in on activities. Many cities have hostels catering to budget- and community-seeking travelers, but some larger global companies have also emerged to connect you with remote work comforts and community no matter where you go. Find hostels all over the world on HostelWorld, or look into one of these companies:
- Spending a Longer Time in One Place: It’s easy to feel like you’re missing a sense of community when you move from place to place too quickly. If finding community, familiarity, and routine are important for your mental peace, try to travel more slowly and really savor the places you visit. Spend at least a month, or more, in one location before moving on. This has worked wonders for me personally – there is nothing like finding a yoga studio I love, or a coffee shop I want to visit every morning, or a handful of other nomads I can hang out with in the evenings, when I am in a new place.
How to Decide Where to Go When You’re a Digital Nomad
When the world is your oyster, sometimes having too many options is overwhelming and it can be hard to decide where to go! While digital nomads are everywhere, some places are more naturally amenable to a nomad lifestyle than others. Ultimately, it comes down to your wants and needs, and what you are seeking both for your work setup and your experiences abroad. Some things you might want to consider first to help you narrow down places to travel include:
- Time Zones: What are some compatible time zones that you could work in? For example, if your job is based on the east coast of the USA and you want to travel to Europe, consider that you would be working afternoons and evenings there. You may like that schedule (I do!) or find that you struggle to be productive at night. In that case, traveling west may be easier for you.
- Access to WiFi: Traveling shouldn’t put your job in jeopardy. Make sure that wherever you go, you’ll have access to a strong internet connection or whatever else you need to be successful. Ask your accommodation about their WiFi speeds, find coworking spaces or coffee shops well-rated online for their WiFi, and consider bringing a portable WiFi device as a back-up. If you’re getting a local SIM while traveling, you can also use it as a hotspot.
- Cost of Living: Research the typical costs for rent, groceries, transportation, activities, and other life expenses when deciding where to go. You may find that you will want to spend less time in more expensive places to make your money last longer, or hack your living setup to make it more feasible (like finding a roommate or cooking meals at home)..
- Visas and Legal Requirements: Different countries have different requirements around visas, taxes, and legal stays for remote workers and digital nomads. Some countries offer visas specifically for remote work, like the United Arab Emirates, Croatia, Estonia, Germany, Portugal, Japan, Costa Rica, and Mexico, among many others.
- The Weather: Perhaps you want to head to the mountains to ski for a few months, or book a flight to a warm country to lay in the sun and surf. Think about how you want to spend your days and the culture and cuisine you’re after when making your travel decisions.
- Safety: While everyone’s safety tolerance is different, and I personally don’t always believe in the safety warnings I read online, it’s an important consideration to choose a place that’s generally considered to be safe based on your own definition. Additionally, you’ll want to take some precautions once traveling, like backing up your work and purchasing insurance for your belongings in case of petty theft. I also like to register with my local traveler safety program (STEP, for those in the US), to be alerted of any news relevant to my safety in the country I’m in, which can range from alerts about local protests to notifications about natural disasters.
Need Some Digital Nomad Travel Inspiration?
Check out some of my guides to different digital nomad-friendly places to go!
- 10 Countries with Digital Nomad Visas
- Your Complete Guide to Working Remotely from Belize
- Your Complete Guide to Working Remotely from the Czech Republic
How to be Successful as a Digital Nomad
The ability to live and work from anywhere as a digital nomad is incredibly freeing. But to be successful as a digital nomad will look differently for everyone.
Successful digital nomads are those who can maintain a healthy balance between work and play, ensuring they manage their time effectively to both get their work done and get the most out of the country or city they decide to travel to. This takes some skill, practice, and adjustment, to make sure you aren’t neglecting your responsibilities. Remember, this is not a vacation! If you want to travel long-term without work-related resonsibilities, you might be seeking a gap year or sabbatical instead.
Successful digital nomads are also those who maximize their experiences, in whatever way is most meaningful to them. Maybe for you, it is about meeting new people from all over the world and building yourself an international community. Or, maybe your goal is to get more international exposure and cultural enrichment. Or, perhaps you want to learn a new skill, like speaking Spanish or surfing. Whatever it is, striking a balance that allows you to soak up these experiences in a sustainable way is all part of the journey – and the thrill – of the digital nomad lifestyle!
Thinking about becoming a digital nomad? What other questions do you have? Drop them in the comments below!
Read This Next:
- What is a Digital Nomad vs Remote Worker? Pros, Cons, and Choosing What’s Right For You
- How to Work Remotely from Anywhere: The Ultimate Guide
- 9 Tips for Working While Traveling and Staying Productive
- How to Find a Remote Job: Everything You Need to Know
- Essential Remote Work Tools for Successful Work Anywhere
- How to Work Remotely from Anywhere: The Ultimate Guide
- How to Ask Your Boss To Let You Work Remotely
Pin For Later:
