Nomadic life used to be the reality of all humans. We had to move around to find food, water, and shelter in the cold months. As humanity evolved into more cosmopolitan creatures, the nomadic lifestyle has all but vanished. However, thanks to the internet, this ancient way of life is making a modern-day comeback. Known as digital nomads, many people are trading office jobs for the ability to work remotely all around the world.
Many people hear about bloggers who travel the world making money off of their videos and promotional features. But blogging isn’t a prerequisite for nomadic living. Graphic designers, freelance developers, and online instructors are just some of the professionals with the ability to live the life of a nomad if they choose. Many different kinds of people think buying an old conversion van, shopping quotes for car insurance
, and hitting the open road beats the locked-in life of a 12-month lease any day.
Several services have made locationless living easier in recent years, including Airbnb, Couchsurfing, and Workaway, among others. Airbnb allows bookings of shared rooms or even whole homes and apartments
, often for much cheaper than a hotel room. Keep in mind that booking through Airbnb means staying in someone’s actual home, so amenities might not be up to the same standards of a hotel. Hostels can be another great way to save but are typically harder to book in advance and have a dorm style to them.
Couchsurfing allows free housing, usually in exchange for sharing culture, and is typically better for experienced travelers who are more comfortable being part of a local household. It offers a much different experience than any other type of housing abroad because of the ability to stay with locals for very little real cost.
Workaway is another way to travel on the cheap. It is a work exchange where hosts offer housing, food, and occasionally even spending money for 3-5 hours of work per day. Workawayers have the advantage of being a part of a global community and working on various projects ranging from construction to environmental conservation to hostel helpers. All of which allow them to gain skills while traveling basically for free.
The trend between these websites is that they all eliminate the cost concern of where to stay when traveling by making it more affordable or free. Housing is the most expensive part of a long-term stay anywhere, and by looking into other methods and not staying in pricey hotels, becoming a world traveler has infinite possibilities and methodologies.
When transitioning to nomadic life, it is very important to maintain money to get back to the point of origin. Being stuck in a foreign country with no money can be incredibly problematic, so making money
is critical to long-term travel. It is also incredibly important to maintain an internet connection. The majority of nomads today rely on Wifi to do their jobs, whether it be managing a blog or simply working remotely. Without Wifi, there is typically no way to get paid.
Hopefully, this article opens up a new discussion on the definition of careers in the modern world. Traveling is a great experience that everyone should go for at some point, even if doing it as a career is not entirely feasible.