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Becoming a Digital Nomad

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More and more modern-day nomads are taking on this new lifestyle, creating a new trend amidst the hippie-wannabes of recent years. Some call themselves ‘location-independent’, while others have fancier names like ‘technomedia’. All sorts of lingo have sprung up revolving around the newly sought after lifestyle of ‘working as you go’. Regardless of where you are, in the Amazon jungle or atop Mount Bromo, with a laptop in hand and internet connection to link you up with the world, anything can be done.

locationindependent              By Altus

Why become a Digital Nomad?

imageWho said work has to be boring? Who said work needs to be in an office? Picture yourself working on your laptop sitting at a cafe overlooking the Iguazu Falls, finishing up an article due for submission or designing the graphics of a program. Beautiful setting and alluring atmosphere to work on the bucks don’t you think? What better way to motivate you to work?

That said, making a living while on the road is not a bed of roses like many would imagine. Taking precious time off travelling to check emails, work on articles and liaise with editors can be taxing on what is otherwise a leisure activity for others. Instead of completely getting away from work and soaking in nature and beauty, your mind might not be able to shut off even while travelling. However, with some excellent time management and prioritization, I believe adopting such a free lifestyle definitely overwrites any other undesirable traits it might entail.

Our Transition into a Digital Nomadic Lifestyle

imageAlthough we have yet to complete our transition into full-fletched Digital Nomads, I can already see the difference it will make and is currently impacting on the way we travel. I personally see more of the positive sides than negativities of the digital nomad lifestyle, and honestly can’t wait to plunge right into it. With our new Canon 450D SLR camera and tiny netbook Lenovo S10, we are almost constantly plugged in and connected to the world even while on the go. Writing from our hostel in Buenos Aires, I am already loving the baby steps we are taking into the Digital Nomadic world.

Some interesting articles/blogs that provide tips on Digital Nomad Lifestyle that are worth checking out.


July 26, 2009 · Recommendations, Travel Tips, Travel Writing  
　　　　

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18 Responses to “Becoming a Digital Nomad”

  1. Yi Lin on July 26th, 2009 10:01 pm

    Hola Nellie!

    Como estas? We SO understand what you mean about writing on the go. We blogged about it too – our friends told us to get off the Internet and go have a proper holiday. But – as I'm sure you know – long-term travel isn't like a normal holiday, it's more like normal life on the go. And like in normal life back home, getting plugged in is just another daily activity for us. I used to do write freelance and people told me to write while on this trip and sell articles and photos to publications. But I haven't done so cos I don't want to get bogged down by 'work' on this trip. The extra cash would be good though.

    I have a 450D too and love it lots. But we've been rather wary about carrying a big camera around in Bogota, so it's been under lock and key. Which is a pity. Snapping with a small point-and-shoot just seems less inspiring and satisfying!

  2. Anil on July 27th, 2009 5:24 pm

    Best of luck with the transition. Technology is really making traditional offices less important and I think there will be a shift away from them over the year to come.

  3. Matt on July 27th, 2009 10:50 pm

    good luck! i hope it works out for you. it's hard but it can be done

  4. Princess on August 4th, 2009 5:03 am

    It's true, these are exciting times. On the one hand people have the opportunity to be liberated from their desk jobs, daily commutes and office politics, while the flipside is working on the road or from home can feel like yu are never away from the job and make it difficult to switch off and relax.

  5. Melbourne Gallery Jobs on October 31st, 2009 3:07 pm

    I really enjoy reading Becoming a Digital Nomad | Wild Junket . It’s very interesting. Hope you will post something like this again.

  6. Your Wildest Adventure: Escaping Robbers Cave | Wild Junket on November 16th, 2009 3:46 am

    [...] Becoming a Digital Nomad [...]

  7. Digital Nomad Blog Carnival | JetSetCitizen.com on November 17th, 2009 9:16 pm

    [...] Becoming a Digital Nomad Nellie Huang of WildJunket.com offers and introduction into a nomadic lifestyle. [...]

  8. janet on November 17th, 2009 10:40 pm

    I was stumbling around and found this conversation about being a digital nomad…I'm not really sure what it is, but if I'm getting it correctly, it's kinda like taking your computer everywhere you go …and going everywhere! hmmm…I think I'd like that :D

  9. soultravelers3 on December 21st, 2009 12:13 am

    Go global nomads! It's a fantastic way to live and raise a family! ;) We've been doing it since 2006 and love it! Stumbled!

  10. Your Wildest Adventure: Jet Boating in New Zealand | Wild Junket on January 4th, 2010 6:16 am

    [...] Becoming a Digital Nomad [...]

  11. Travelfusion on January 20th, 2010 9:57 am

    Great and inspiring post – I've often thought of making the transition to "digital nomad" someday but have to admit that I'm not sure I have the courage! Keep us posted on your adventures!

    Kathryn @Travelfusion

  12. Alex Simpson on January 22nd, 2010 4:34 pm

    Interesting article and some great comments. It sounds like a wonderful way to earn a living but I imagine there are some challenging aspects as well. Travelling is pretty tiring as well as mundane and as long as you are able to work on the go (as you travel from A to B) there shouldn’t be any problems.

    I have thought about doing this a few times as I love both travelling and writing but have found it hard to actually get going. Imagine giving someone a business card with the job title “Digital Nomad’, so cool!

    Does anyone have any tips on how to get started or other experiences from digital nomads?

  13. Nellie on January 22nd, 2010 9:08 am

    hey Alex thanks for stopping by. Yeh definitely, digital nomad has its challenges as well – like finding a good connection in certain parts of the world, finding the time to actually go out and explore while managing your work etc. I found it especially difficult while travelling through Latin America, I basically put my travel writing on hold. But I've honestly never been happier, doing travel writing is so gratifying – while it doesn't exactly pay all the bills, I still manage to make a modest living out of it and I'm sure if you work hard at it, you'll get there too. I started my digital nomadic lifestyle after I sorta established my travel writing career at home i.e. writing for free until I started getting paid writing gigs and then I was off. But it's hard to do it without some savings or a sideline – so there, I'll be writing more about it, stay tuned!

  14. backpacklife on January 31st, 2010 5:39 pm

    I think its best to make sure you realise travel writing is not an EASY way to make a living. Its not impossible of course but it helps to have a strong network and a certain amount of credibility to make the grade. I was shocked to hear the amount of full-time travel writers there are in the USA. Take a guess… currently I believe its less than 12 (Jan 2010). So the freelance gig is very very competitive and having a casual blog might not be enough (considering you are competing with experienced professional writers). Some people do it of course – but I think you need to have a strong angle or USP to stand out.

    It's a dream worth chasing but you need to remember its still a dream until you are covering all of your living costs. If you are getting income elsewhere to cover the costs then its not really a living – modest or not. As a means of topping up your travel funds – I believe that's a more achievable goal.

    Good luck nomads!

  15. backpacklife on January 31st, 2010 5:40 pm

    I hope that didn't sound too negative – just wanted to add a bit of balance :)

  16. admin on February 1st, 2010 5:35 pm

    hey Steve, thanks for sharing – and nah, you’re just being more realistic than negative so don’t worry ’bout it. ;) I did quite a bit of research before I decided to give travel writing a go. Yes I agree that keeping a full-time job while writing is the smarter way out. Since we got back from South America, I’ve been dedicating all my time to writing, but I also teach 3 hours a day just to get some pocket money (more like spare change). But I’ve been getting results – beyond my own expectations! – I’m writing for a Singapore newspaper now and have got quite a few gigs in international publications, so there you go, sometimes determination and hard work really helps! ;)

  17. Travel photography on February 12th, 2010 9:57 am

    I am currently trying to develop a location-independant business and trying to make passive income from photography. This is the way I think is easier to make a nomad life, having various sources of incomes and making a work you can do anywhere, since it's nearly impossible to live only with passive income or without work.

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