The traditional 9-5 rhythm is the biggest nightmare for adventurous people who love to travel. However, the technological developments of the past decades brought along wonderful opportunities to escape from this standard way of living. Accordingly, the term digital nomad arose. In this blog, we have created a mini guide on how to become a digital nomad.
What is a digital nomad?
According to Urban Dictionary, a digital nomad is a person who ‘derives an income remotely and online, rather than from commuting to an office’. This way of generating an income enables the person to work from wherever they want, whenever they want to.
Digital nomads are oftentimes adventurous, curious souls. Therefore, it is not uncommon for digital nomads to also be interested in couch surfing and to travel all over the world to discover new cultures. The benefits of being a digital nomad is that you get to enjoy true freedom and be in charge of the rhythm of your life.
How to become a digital nomad
Does this sound like music to your ears? Great! We wrote this article just for you. Below, you can find practical tips on how to become a digital nomad.
#1 Reflect on your ‘why’
The first thing you may want to do in your journey towards becoming a digital nomad, is to reflect on your ‘why’. Why do you want to become a digital nomad?
Do you want to live in a country with lower costs in order to have a wealthy lifestyle? Or perhaps you’d like to discover different cultures to broaden your horizon? Another reason for you to become a digital nomad may be to give more meaning to your life by volunteering for a good cause next to your digital nomad job.
To get back to the point, sit down and ask yourself why the digital nomad lifestyle seems appealing to you. This will provide you with a clear vision, which you will need when making a concrete plan to become a digital nomad.
#2 Identify your current work situation
Next, you should have a look at your current work situation. What job are you currently performing and does it enable you to become a digital nomad?
Perhaps, your employer is open-minded about the idea of you travelling the world while working for them abroad. If your current job is location-bound, you will have to look for an alternative way of generating income to pursue a digital nomad lifestyle. Accordingly, step 3 and 4 are highly relevant for you.
#3 Point out your skills
If you need to head in a new career direction to become a digital nomad, you first will have to identify your skills. What are your talents and how can you translate them into an online profession?
Don’t be shy and write down everything that you are good at. If you struggle with this, you may want to take a few personality tests that help you to identify your talents. For instance, the Myers-Briggs Personality Test is a useful tool to understand your personal traits and skills.
#4 Set up a business
Once you’ve identified your talents and skills, you may want to come up with a business idea. Obviously, this business idea should enable you to work online, as you do not want to be location-bound with your business.
There are hundreds of ways to create an income online and in this blog, we have created a list of digital nomad jobs that you can perform from anywhere in the world.
Once your business idea is clear, create a plan and execute it! Moreover, we do not recommend you to launch your business when entering the airplane. When you want to become a digital nomad, you may want to start your adventure with a well-established online business.
#5 Identify where you want to go
Now that you have established why you want to become a digital nomad and how you will enable this lifestyle financially, it is time to start dreaming! Where do you want to go? Which country supports your vision of a digital nomad lifestyle?
If you are not sure which countries are safe, head over to this blog, where we share a list of the safest places in the world to travel and work.
#6 Find an accommodation
After identifying a couple of destinations for your first trip, it is time to dive into the different types of accommodations. You could consider couchsurfing or staying at a hostel, but there is a great alternative for those who care about contributing to make the world a better place!
At FairestBnb, we connect volunteers with organisations (hosts) from all over the world. Our hosts offer accommodations to their volunteers in exchange for their unique skills. Oftentimes, food & internet access also are included in the job descriptions. Perfect for digital nomads who care about helping others and impacting the world in a positive way!
Why not have a look at these hosts, who can’t wait to welcome you in their accommodation? Discover our hosts here.
#7 Save up enough money
One thing we cannot stress enough, is the importance of saving up money for your digital nomad lifestyle. You do not want to be abroad and broke, trust us!
Imagine that you have to travel back home because of an emergency or an important life moment and you do not have the money for it. That would be terrible, right?
Therefore, save up at least €3000-€6000 and do only use this money in case of a serious emergency or important moment.
#8 Take care of all practical matters
Besides saving up enough money, you should consider taking care of all practical matters before boarding the airplane.
When you want to become a digital nomad, it is important to have a health insurance, bank account (that works basically anywhere in the world) and a physical mail address. Also, you will have to look into visas for the countries you want to stay in.
#9 Sell your belongings
In the last months before embarking on your adventure, you may want to sell your belongings or store them somewhere safe. The benefit of selling most of your items is that you have extra money to spend during your travels.
However, if you only intend to travel for a short period of time, selling everything you own may not be a wise choice. Perhaps you could ask a close friend or family member for storage space at their home, while you are travelling?
#10 Connect with likeminded people
You are almost ready for your big trip! However, keep in mind that the digital nomad lifestyle can feel quite lonely at times. Therefore, it is important to connect with likeminded people.
For example, you may want to join this Facebook community for digital nomads.
You can do it!
Now that you have read all these practical tips on how to become a digital nomad, it is time to get started! We wish you good luck on your journey and would love to welcome you as one of the volunteers on our platform in the future.
