9 Things I Learned In My First Month As A Digital Nomad
“Well…I could get a remote job.”
Look, on the horizon…adventure!
I said these seven words out loud, but in my head hundreds of thoughts spiraled into a whirlwind of feelings, to do’s, and anxiety. Internally, the dialogue went a little more like this…
“What if I am not able to land a remote job? What about my current job? My team? What if my computer breaks? What if living on an island bores the hell out of me? What am I going to do with my house? My cats? What if, what if, what if…”
For anyone who has ever thought about becoming a digital nomad, traveling long term, or just simply landing a remote job, I am sure all of these deliberations sound familiar. Not only do you have your own overactive brain to deal with, but there is a world of (well meaning) people out there who have advice on how you should live your life. You can quickly get wrapped up in seemingly endless tasks and uncertainties; these can cause something that seemed so easy and felt so right feel like a Herculean effort.
Now, I am not even close to the first person to pursue a digital nomad lifestyle or fulfill the desire to travel long-term and seek out adventures (more to come on the pioneers of this field in future posts). As I explored my options I opened all of the Google tabs and contemplated many times whether this was the right decision or not. I am so incredibly new to the world traveling community that part of me feels abashed writing this post. Who am I to give anyone advice? I have only been abroad and working remotely for a month and am, by all accounts, a complete rookie at this whole thing.
I believe that is why I am in a good place to give an account of what I have learned so far.
Many things are still new to me and I have a perspective that only a fresh set of eyes can provide. I am not sick of sitting at home (not all of the time, at least) on my computer for long periods of time during the day. As with many things, when you start a new quest or take on a new challenge, the honeymoon phase is usually wonderful. I am still in that phase but am starting to slide in and out of it with each passing day.
As my departure approached and I talked with others about my plans, the majority of my conversations went a lot like this:
Explained to friend/colleague/acquaintance what I was doing…
“Ohhhh that is so sick! [Insert general question here]…
Nine times out of ten the response I got was:
“I wish I could do something like that…”
My goal is to show you that you can.
Some of us are happy at home, content to have our own little domain, a part of the world that is ours. That is great too! Everyone is different. For all readers I hope this also provides a framework on how to approach any goal you could wish to accomplish and ways to make whatever you dream of come true. I also hope that it does inspire you to visit new places and try new things and to grow as a person.
The 9 Most Important Things I Learned In My First Month As A Digital Nomad
1. It is still nice to have a community.
Humans are social creatures. While the point of getting out there and taking a risk and doing something new has to do with growing as a person, I believe that you are missing out on a huge part of that growth without other people. Additionally, an accepting community can help make your transition into a new place, a new lifestyle, and a new culture so much easier and enjoyable.
I was lucky enough to have an established community at Sarah’s dive shop, West Bay Divers, ready for me upon making my move. Communities may not always be that easy to come by, but like anything in life that does not come easily they are worth it.
2. Have a purpose and goals to work towards.
No matter where you are located having a higher purpose that you can work towards and skills that you aim to improve make every day more enjoyable. It provides a sense of purpose that you can use to wake up each day with a mission and a goal. The wonderful thing about living in a new place for an extended period of time is that it opens up your options to so many new learning opportunities. Having goals will help provide an overarching direction to your life and travels and will also help you meet new people who are interested in the same things as you.
Say cheese! We are all happier when working towards a goal.
As an example, my goals right now in Honduras are threefold:
Launch my website and spend more time working towards my goal of being a travel photographer.
Improve my scuba diving and underwater photography skills.
Become as close to fluent in Spanish as possible.
3. Do not lose touch with friends and family.
I think this goes without saying, but even when we live within driving distance it can be easy to forget to check in on those we care about. Make it a priority to stay in touch regularly with your loved ones.
4. The internet is your best friend.
The first thing that I did when I decided to make my lifestyle change was take to the internet. I wound up spending lots of time looking into things that I probably did not need to, but there were many tidbits of information and online resources that I could not have done without.
Before you leave, make sure you research cost of living in your destination, tourist and visa regulations, internet capabilities, access to necessary medical care, etc. If you want more tips on the logistics of long term travel, check out our travel resources page.
5. Remote work is still work.
Still, it is just a tad bit better than a cubicle.
Even though I am currently sitting in an open air coffee shop on the ocean with the breeze blowing lightly on me, my work is no different from an employee who has to go to a physical location to clock in. I still have responsibilities, deadlines, and people who rely on me.
While you may have trouble convincing your friends otherwise, working remotely, no matter where you are, can still have the inglorious feeling that all work can sometimes take on.
6. Bring as little as possible.
I cannot stress this point enough. Depending on where you are traveling you should be able to get by with a carry on and a personal item. As you prepare to leave start downsizing your possessions by thinking about the last time you used a particular item that you own. If you cannot remember when that was, get rid of it. Not only will this make your life much easier both on the road and at home, but it can help you make some extra cash before you leave!
“If travel is really in the journey and not the destination, if travel really is an attitude of awareness and openness to new things, then any moment can be considered travel. ”
This also applies to emotional baggage or responsibilities back home. All of us have commitments that we need to honor, but many of them we stick with because of some sort of mental barrier surrounding them. We do not want to rent out our house because we are not comfortable with strangers living in it. We have a beloved pet that we cannot bring ourselves to leave behind. No matter the situation, there is always a solution. It is up to you to decide what you will prioritize and make a decision based on that.
Ps…major shout out to Ryan Noshay for watching my cats while I am gone. That is a true friend.
7. You will most likely have to make changes to your lifestyle.
As with many of these learnings this depends on where you will be living. However, as a digital nomad, it is more than likely that you will need to make adjustments to the food you eat, the hygiene products you use, and many other things. Be prepared to go without some of the amenities or usual items you are used to having at home - at least temporarily.
8. You will (probably) not want to go back to your old life.
Initially when I started thinking about making this change there was always an end date in mind. One year, two years, maybe when I turn 30…there was no set date, but my conditioned brain automatically set a limit on my departure time because that is what I have always done in the past.
After spending a month working remotely from paradise, I can say that I do not know if I will ever want to go back to being stuck in one place with no end in sight (sorry Mom). I love the feeling of being able to do what I want, when I want, where I want. It was also nice to dodge the incredibly cold temperatures that we had in Minnesota this year!
9. The biggest key is to simply make it happen.
The biggest gatekeeper is your own mind.
By far the biggest lesson I have learned that applies to all parts of life is that I can make anything I truly desire happen for myself and for others in my life. If you would have told me a year ago that I would be where I am today in almost all aspects of my life I would not have believed you. I am very lucky; many things came together for me at the right time. However when I saw that happening I did not hesitate to take a chance and go after a lifestyle that I had craved for many years.
Everyone is so attuned to societal constraints and what we are “supposed” to do that we hardly take time to think about what we really want. When we finally realize what we want we convince ourselves that it is too risky and that it is not worth taking the plunge.
As a parting word I challenge you to take a risk towards something you really want in life. It could be small, like finally investing in a hobby you have been interested in for years, or it could be life changing. It is all about getting your foot in the door and being ready to take your life by the horns when your opportunity comes along.
