The global pandemic declared in 2020 resulted in an unprecedented boom in teleworking, making digital nomadism a rising trend. However, not everyone seems to be entirely sure what a digital nomad actually is. That is why we are publishing this post, in which we talk about a lifestyle that 35 million people around the world have already adopted, according to Brotherabroad.
So… What is a digital nomad?
Let’s start by explaining that a digital nomad is not simply someone who has switched from on-site to off-site work. In fact, digital nomadism is not even just about work, it is a way of life that started long before the pandemic made us realise that many of us can work just as well from home thanks to technologies that are no longer that new.
This is precisely the origin of this phenomenon, the appearance of technical means that allow us to work remotely. And you may find it hard to believe, but the first digital nomad in history was born long before the Internet became popular. He is Steve Roberts, a freelance writer from Ohio who in 1983 decided to travel the world on his bicycle, using a computer of that era to write the articles he sent to editors through CompuServe, one of the pioneering companies providing online services.
What Steve Roberts did four decades ago is what more and more people have been doing since the beginning of the 21st century. A digital nomad (as we have already mentioned) is not simply someone who works from a remote location thanks to digital environments, but someone who takes advantage of the opportunity to offer 100% online services to adopt a lifestyle without a fixed residence. This allows them to be in contact with nature, travel to other countries or get to know different cultures.
Although to embark on this adventure, it is enough to have a job that can be performed remotely, the truth is that the most common professions among digital nomads have to do with design, creativity or web development.
In terms of the types of digital nomads based on how they connect with work, there are three main groups: freelancers (independent professionals), entrepreneurs, and employees who agree to this type of relationship with their company.
How to become a digital nomad?
If your job allows you to work online from anywhere and you are thinking about becoming a digital nomad, you need to consider several variables that might influence your decision.
The first (and perhaps the most important) requirement is to be fully convinced of what this change entails on a social, family and emotional level. After all, being a nomad is the opposite of putting down roots. The opportunity to travel from one place to another and change your residence whenever you want implies giving up being close to your family, lifelong friends and so on. If you have a partner, you will have to agree on your plans and, if you have children, you will have to consider such important things as their education and social environment.
If you are aware of all this and decide to leave your office and take it with you wherever you go, there are several practical aspects to bear in mind. First of all, you have to decide whether you are moving permanently or whether you are going to maintain your fixed residence and come back one day. This is important for census registration purposes, addresses, etc. and also to estimate what you need to take with you; whether you are going to make a complete move with everything you have or whether you are only going to take the essentials with you.
Another question you should ask yourself is where to go and how long you will be staying because many aspects affect such a decision. For example, and although it may seem obvious, if you want to be a digital nomad you have to make sure you have access to a good internet connection, which is not as common as you might think. If you are moving to a big city or a major town you should have no problems in this respect, but if you are going to a village, find out beforehand whether it can provide the necessary infrastructure to do your job.
Finally, let’s address an important issue for digital nomads: housing. Some people move around in their own motorhomes or stay in campsites or hostels, but most often they live in rented accommodation and have to adapt to requirements (length of contract, deposits, guarantees, etc.) that almost always clash with a nomadic lifestyle. Faced with this problem, an interesting option is flexible accommodation, such as Be Casa, where you have the privacy and intimacy of your own apartment, but with all the flexibility you need in terms of the length of your stay: you can stay for days, weeks or months. You also save on moving house, because the flats are fully furnished and equipped, and you can forget about having to sign a contract with your landlord, about bills (electricity, water, gas or air-conditioning) because everything is included, even the cleaning.
In addition, there are communal areas where you can share a pool, gym, cafeteria and outdoor spaces and a coworking area with individual or teamwork desks, meeting rooms… and of course, you can connect to a high-speed WiFi network anywhere on the premises.
