I’m not a digital nomad myself, but this is something that I definitely dream of. If I were to become one, I would start slow, closer to home in Europe. Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, is becoming a more and more popular choice for digital nomads. Despite having a population of more than 544,000 people, this won’t bother you; as a digital nomad, you never spend too much time in one place. However, you should get out and see some of the sights while you are in this gorgeous European city.
Lisbon is one of the oldest cities, dating back to the Neolithic period over 12,000 years ago. To learn more about the history of the city, you can visit some of the many museums like the Museum of Lisbon and the Chiado Museum. But we all know you cannot bring your big bags with you to attractions and museums. Your best choice in this case is to leave them at one of the Lisbon luggage storage sites for safekeeping.
What is digital nomadism?
A digital nomad is someone who never stays in one spot for very long. It means you do all of your work remotely, typically using the internet and a computer. You may be traveling in a recreational vehicle or flying from city to city, whenever the mood suits you.
This means you may be reading this from a Greek Island or the remote village of Marvao in Portugal. You probably go wherever the work or your mood takes you. As long as you have a good Wi-Fi signal, you can work. And if you don’t, you can always stop at an internet café or library.
Having a based as a digital nomad
Not everyone can handle nomadism. Some people need to have that feeling of security that a home and office give them. Others can travel often as long as they have a home base or remote office to go back to as needed. Others, the true digital nomads, need the freedom of going wherever they want when they want to.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, many of us found ourselves having to work remotely whether we wanted to or not. Most businesses were closed and you either had to work from home or not work at all. But some of us who did this found out how much we love being a nomad albeit most often with a base.
Freedom to see the world
If you have dreamed of being able to see the world, this type of lifestyle is perfect. You do not have to worry about getting back to work because you can take your work with you. Just stuff everything you have in a duffel bag and go.
With such freedom, you will be able to see all of those places you always wanted to visit but you could not go because of work. You can travel to Mexico, Africa or Australia. You will be able to wake up in Paris and go to sleep in Amsterdam. Every day. No need to worry about being back at work on Monday.
Freedom to work when you want to
This is another bonus besides traveling. A digital nomad does not work from nine to five like many people. You can spend the day hiking in the mountains and do a little work on your laptop before falling asleep under the stars.
Nomads are often freelancers, entrepreneurs, or remote office workers. You may be a programmer, a writer, or a photographer. You may write a travel or food blog, using your travels as part of your job. Let your work take you where it will, as a nomad, you can work wherever you are.
The way you get from one place to another is up to you
Some people fly from city to city, staying in hotels or Airbnbs. Others drive themselves around in a recreational vehicle, sleeping wherever and whenever they want to. The joy of being a nomad is that freedom.
The thing about being a digital nomad means that you will need some kind of Wi-Fi to do at least some of your work. You may be able to get away with working without it as long as you can stop at a place with the internet once a day or even once a week.
For example, a blogger or writer can write, take notes, do interviews, and all that without using the internet at all. Just writing things on your computer offline or recording your notes and interviews to enter later. Either way though, you will eventually need to use some kind of Wi-Fi to get your work done.
While amazing, being a digital nomad is lonely work
One of the realities about being a digital nomad is that it can be solitary. If you like to be around people all the time or need to have someone around you often, you may not be happy as a nomad. However, you can fix that problem if you have a partner or spouse who wants to be a nomad too.
If you have a spouse or partner who can work remotely like you are, why not work remotely together? Being a digital nomad does not have to be a solitary job. Partner up and work together so you can keep each other company when you are on the road.
Even if your spouse is not doing the same work as you, that does not mean you cannot be nomads together. They may have a whole different type of job where they have to check in online daily or maybe they do not work at all. Either way, you can travel together to see the world while you work.
Wherever you decide to go and however you get there, being a digital nomad will allow you to see places you never thought you would be able to see and do things you never thought you could do. Why not? You only live once so make sure you enjoy it!