Being a digital nomad is often romanticized as a dream lifestyle, with the ability to work from anywhere in the world and experience freedom and flexibility. However, while there are certainly many perks to this lifestyle, there are also some drawbacks. As someone who has been living the digital nomad life for several years, here are five things that I hate about it:
1. Instability: One of the biggest challenges of being a digital nomad is the lack of stability. Not having a permanent home or consistent routine can be disorienting and stressful. It can be difficult to build a sense of community and maintain relationships when you are constantly on the move. Additionally, the uncertainty of not knowing where you will be living or working in the near future can take a toll on your mental and emotional well-being.
2. Isolation: While traveling to new places can be exciting, it can also be incredibly lonely. As a digital nomad, you may find yourself constantly making new friends and then saying goodbye as you move on to the next destination. This transience can lead to feelings of isolation and a lack of connection with others. It can also be challenging to find a sense of belonging and establish a support system when you are always on the move.
3. Work-life balance: With the ability to work from anywhere, it can be difficult to switch off and create boundaries between work and personal life. Many digital nomads find themselves working long hours and struggling to find a healthy balance between their professional and personal lives. The temptation to work all the time, especially when you are in a new and exciting location, can lead to burnout and a lack of fulfillment outside of work.
4. Internet and infrastructure issues: While many places around the world have reliable internet and infrastructure, there are also many that do not. As a digital nomad, you rely on a stable internet connection to do your work, and when this is not available, it can be incredibly frustrating and disruptive. Dealing with slow or unreliable internet, power outages, and other infrastructure issues can make working remotely a constant challenge.
5. Travel fatigue: While traveling is exciting, it can also be exhausting. Constantly moving from place to place, dealing with different time zones, and navigating unfamiliar surroundings can take a toll on your physical and mental well-being. The constant need to pack and unpack, find accommodation, and adjust to new environments can be draining and overwhelming.
In conclusion, while being a digital nomad has its perks, it also comes with its fair share of challenges. Instability, isolation, work-life balance, internet and infrastructure issues, and travel fatigue are just a few of the things that can make this lifestyle difficult. It’s important to be aware of the downsides of being a digital nomad and to find ways to mitigate these challenges in order to make the most of this unique and adventurous lifestyle.
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To my mind, this lifestyle must suck.
Are you lonely out there traveling?
Hello. I just saw an Interview with you on Forest Lee's Channel. The Topic is The Challenges of a Black Man Living in Thailand.. I enjoyed the Video and I'm about to check out some of your Videos. I'm 58 Black from NC. I have my Passport yet I'm on Workman's Comp!
I'm trying to Escape The Matrix. Maybe I'll get a response from ya and learn From your Experience.
Take care
Just watched you in Thailand doing an interview @ being blk n that city/country.. U made several great points when it comes to dealing with new people that took decades for me to learn. Leave the World better than u found it. Yes. I'm and African America female who has live a bitter life in America. Even hard work didn't give me the peace of mind I search. IV watched decades of Black men parish under yt anger . Yes America is the most violent place for Blacks . Especially Blacks with a generational history here. I'm older now. My biggest regret is that I didn't travel much. And spent decades working for a very small pension.
Love your videos. But I think it’s different for people who are retired with stable Monthly income. I’m thinking of being a Digital Nomad. I’m starting late lol.. which I would’ve knew about this life earlier. So what’s the best mobile service, medical coverage, etc to have when you’re traveling to all these places?
I’m watching you on WQED Pittsburgh. Thank you
Just subscribed to your channel! Great interview on the Future of Work PBS documentary. Hope we can meet again soon in Thailand.
Good thing I don't get sick.
After 30 years as an IT systems infrastructure and security professional, I could never be allowed to go nomad. Pre-COVID, the powers that be kept us in cages and limited, 50 hours a week. I said F That and quit. My skills won't translate to location-independent work. But, at $12K a year, geo-arbitrage might be able to make it work once I sell all my American shit.
Thank you so much for providing this excellent advice and insight!
I like your channel's name and found it after a search. Thank you for that name. I would like to know how a dark skinned woman and a Muslim could survive being a digital nomad. I am not interested in moving every months and would select a few countries I feel would be safe for me. Some of these are Indonesia and Malaysia. But I am dying to see Vietnam and not sure what to expect.
I wrote this comment before.even watching but after I smashed the subscribe button lol.
I hate getting weird stares from immigration officers and other travelers when I tell them I work 100% remotely from anywhere. I also don’t like the cost of maintaining a home base in addition to 6-8 months a year of travel – but I like the peace of mind and security of owning a place I can always return to
Excellent background.
Any advice for good skills to develop for this kind of work? I'm self-quarantining at home and trying to make money off of translating (Chinese to English) right now.
If I didn't have a wife, dog, cat, and house I would do this lifestyle for sure being a part web design among other digital things. Do you know anyone who does this with a family, not with them but by themselves when the family is home?
It seems to me, but could be incorrect, that a digital nomad is term applied to people who do their job in various locations rather than one location and use a computer to do that job.
Obviously, they are not in a country for a vacation thus a tourist visa is not applicable. As they are working, it would seem a work visa is the appropriate visa. I assume that it not difficult to get a work visa, as i never see it mentioned as an issue.
This was an interesting video. Good point about taxes, but about having no days off and needing to work so hard all the time, I think any self employed person who runs their own business has the same complaint even if they are not working remotely. 🙂 Good point also about immigration. NEVER say you are a journalist. One thing you didn't mention though is about visas. When you are thinking of staying in a country for a considerable amount of time, arriving on a tourist visa often does not work. I have found this visa question to be a royal pain in many countries.
If you don't like explaining "digital nomad" just say your actual jobs – the jobs you do that pay. Digital nomad is an umbrella term for the freelance lifestyle, not the job itself.
I am an aspirin digital nomad, and one of the things that is stopping me from becoming one is that I can't see the bad side of it in youtube. Thankfully, this is one of the few I have found.
I still am unsure if this is a path I aspire to go to, but it's given me more clarity. I am just scared if this won't work out.
Haha hate my digital nomad friends that don't want to do anything but work and complain about trivial things like chair, workspace. Also hate those nomads that have commitment issues haha guilty as well
Nice you're keeping it real. As a content creator take at least a 50%deposit to take a booking. Remainder due on delivery of content unwatermarked. Yes to contract.
Just buy an air asia ticket for $40 and use it or dont.. it's an exit ticket and you dont have to explain yourself.. also you are self employed..of course u dont get sick days lol… what stupid fucking vlog!! Think outside the box man!
I wanted to thank you for that honest video. It's greatly appreciated.
How many times did he say "digital nomad"?
Why wouldn't you use fiverr, it holds the money in escrow until the job is completed, they also work as an arbiter if there are any issues.
How do you handle savings and eventually retirement?
if you work remotely as an employee of a company you get full benefits including pto and sick days and get paid regularly in usd so taxes would be easy.
I never think about that. Yeah but true get your point.
https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9A%D0%BE%D1%87%D1%96%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B8#%D0%94%D0%B8%D0%B2._%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B6
Been burned too many times lol Great video!
Wouldn't you yourself much better be described as being a travelling blowheart? What type of numbskull even is so shamelessly stupid as to self describe themselves in your manner? I know of nobody I would respect that ever would.