Living the life of a digital nomad sounds like a dream come true. And, granted, some days it is. Sitting by the beach, enjoying the sun, meeting interesting natives and obviously fellow expats, is super fun. And I wouldn’t want it any other way (in the tune of Meredith Brooks).
But getting there, getting to the point where you can comfortably live off of what you love, that is the tricky part. And it isn’t all sunshine and roses, and some days it feels like you just wanna give up and live that boring old 9-to-5-job your parents will occasionally tell you you should have taken to begin with.
So, here’s ten challenges you will have to face and overcome to be an expertly confident digital nomad – the more you think about these challenges and obstacles, the easier it’ll be for you. So, learn from my mistakes and be prepared – as always: knowing is half the battle!
1. Can I Have Your Wi-Fi Password? It’s Buy a Coffee or Bugger Off!
Okay, so this problem is becoming less and less of a problem every year. Internet accessibility and 4G coverage, thou art the best!
Coffee shops are your one stop spot to be online and enjoy (mostly) good coffee, coworking spaces will have lightning fast Wi-Fi almost anywhere on the planet and Airbnb flats will have you covered as wall. Inner cities, tube stations, airports and train stations are always sure bets to get good coverage. At least to start you off with.
Even if you can’t find Wi-Fi anywhere, which is rare to begin with, a mobile SIM will have you covered in most cases. Use your phone to create a digital hotspot and surf at full throttle wherever you go. Or get your self a SIM enabled tablet and a keyboard case to save yourself the hustle and just surf as you go.
Just make sure you compare prices and realise that while working on two espressos per hour at a local Starbucks boosts your productivity, it also blows a huge hole in your wallet.
2. I’m Late, I’m Late, I’m Late
The White Rabbit is one of the most important characters in all of literature to describe modern lifestyle. And sometimes there’s good reasons to be late, because your flight has been delayed or cancelled, or the train personell is on strike, or simply because you’ve missed your bus.
Traveling is always a bit of a challenge, and being organised enough to weather the difficulties can be quite harrowing. But it’s a skill to have…
It feels like the loosey goosey lifestyle you’d expect as a digital nomad is at odds with that, but actually you need to be organised to make it. And more so than your average employee who has his work laid out for him/her.
But it’s not only transportation, most of the time it’s deadlines. Whether it’s business, bureaucracy or your mum’s birthday (sorry, I didn’t call, I was… *generic excuse*), get organised. And get organised fast!
3. Does This Feel Like a Fracture?
Health insurance isn’t something we worry about much. At least in Europe. It’s a little different for US citizens, and by a little I mean a lot.
Health insurance is just something we take for granted. It’s a monthly fee we pay without thinking about it much. But going abroad means you need some extra coverage, talk to your insurance company, tell them where your going, compare different offers. It’s honestly not that pricey and whether it’s a mild cold a broken leg, you need health insurance. The only exception? You’re already dead and reading this from beyond the grave. Everyone else needs health insurance.
4. The ATM Is Not Your Friend
Banks. You can’t live with them. And you sure like hell can’t live without them. You’ll need your Visa or Master Card just to book a flight, so good luck living off of cash alone. Now, in most countries banking isn’t much of a problem, because you won’t really need any to be honest. Most stores, restaurants, and cafés will just accept card payment, but there are rural areas where cash will be your own personal Jesus.
There are sometimes fees involved, unless you find an offer to fit your travel needs. So, make sure your account is suitable for world wide withdrawals and payments without fees (ideally). There are a few good offers in pretty much every country, just be on the lookout.
5. Your Tech Is Your Life!
You wouldn’t carry 5.000,- Euros worth of cash with you all the time, would you? And yet, you kind of do. An iPhone, a moderately set up MacBook, a DSLR, perhaps a tablet, and a smartwatch, all that will easily come in at 5.000,- quid and more. And it’s not just unnecessarily luxurious, it’s not diamond encrusted underwear, this is your office. An office that neatly fits a duffel bag for you to carry or someone else to steal.
Make sure you treat all your personal belongings accordingly. Stuff gets stolen all the time. Every frequent traveller can tell you a story about theft at a hostel, might not have been you, but you’re sure to have shared breakfast with someone who got robbed while snoozing away. Find a place where you can safely lock your precious belongings away, get a locker at a train station until you’ve found permanent residence, do whatever it takes and pay whatever it takes!
On that note: get a case. And a screen protector. Sure, it’s all fun and games to operate your phone in a way that outmaneuvers the cracked screen, and I looked all grungy rock’n’roll for a while. But the novelty factor wears off quickly and you can’t always access official retailers or afford your lifeline to be in repairs for a week.
And if your laptop battery or any other component feels kind of wonky before you leave, have it fixed before you leave.
6. When It All Feels Like Lonely Planet…
Life on the road is fun, because you meet new people. And new people are great. But that comes at a price, you’ll sometimes lose touch with old people. And old people are great, too.
Get your feelings sorted, and you can. First time I left home, I was crushed by loneliness and the superficial relationships you build up.
That means, it’s so much more important to stay in touch with your good friends. Video chat, talk on the phone, WhatsApp them – your good friends will be there for you, wherever you are. And make new friends and acquaintances, meet people besides those you work with. Branch out, chat, learn your country of choice’s language, and talk to the locals.
As for relationships… that can be a bit trickier. Long distance relationships are super sensitive little plants, you can make it work. But be honest to your partner and to yourself.
7. All Work And No Play
You’re abroad to work, this is no bloody holiday you’re on! So get some work done, force yourself to work, burn yourself out! But, more importantly, don’t.
How many people around you are currently on sabbatical? A candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long, so pace yourself. Work-life balance is something we all want from our jobs and as a digital nomad it’s sometimes important to remember just that. Working all the time will be to the detriment of your performance and it wreak havoc on your mind as well. Don’t bully yourself into being a busy bee 24/7.
You don’t miss anything important if you skip the occasional get together.
8. Papers, Please!
Paperwork and Bureaucracy, we all love it, don’t we?
The correct answer here is “no, we don’t”, but there is something you can do. Sit down, research all the necessary information before you leave and figure out where you need a visa, what the tax situation is, if an ID will suffice to cross borders, whether you’ll need to get a new passport, and so on. It’s not that hard to do, the information is readily available online, but I get it. I have to force myself to sit down and just read up on it, too. Just thinking about it makes me… so… sleepy…Zzzzz
9. Having Money for Luxuries Such as Food and Rent
So you’re a successful vlogger, you have followers in the thousands on Instagram, your university degree is so fresh the ink on it hasn’t dried, yet. Great, surely everyone will want to pay you thousands, nay, millions! Alas, the truth is: You’ll sometimes have to operate at a loss.
Especially for the first few weeks in any new location, you’ll be spending money faster than you’ll be making it. And whenever you think you’ve just caught a break, you’ll need a new phone. So there’s that.
It’s tricky to figure out, I too have my troubles with it, occasionally. Especially if you’re freelancing. It’s hard to find the right balance, but it is ultimately manageable.
10. In It to Win It?
Which brings us to the final challenge and question of the day: Is it worth it? Wouldn’t you much rather enjoy the sweet lifestyle of a regular job with regular hours. There’s no easy answer here, it’ll depend on what you want from life.
Personally I love it, I love the freedom, and I love the places you get to see and the things you get to do. But it can get tedious, and I totally understand. There’s no helping you here, you need to figure it out for yourself. That’s my final piece of advice in a nutshell: Go, figure it out for yourself. Travel, work, network, blog, enjoy the sun, do whatever makes you happy wherever it makes you happy. There’s no time like today and there’s no place like *insert your go to country*!
And if you don’t enjoy it, there’s no shame in doing what you love. And if you don’t love being a digital nomad, leave it to others and be a freelancer in your home town..