As I write to you from Madrid, Spain, and checking things off my work to-do list, it occurred to me that I haven’t spent much time on this blog discussing one of the best perks of working remotely: being able to travel while working. If you take this perk to the extreme, you’re in a group of professionals called digital nomads.
People have been traveling for work since… well, forever. Hunting, gathering, sailing, exploring, sales…plenty of work-related activities have long involved leaving the home for a certain amount of time.
So what’s so special about being a digital nomad?
If you’re a digital nomad:
- All you need to complete your work is a computer and internet connection
- You can work from literally anywhere in the world — and you do!
- Your livelihood doesn’t depend on you staying in just one place
- You use various tools to communicate with your team and customers, like email, video chat, Slack, phone, or other tools
- You have a flexible schedule
The biggest difference between being a digital nomad and traveling for work is that as a digital nomad YOU decide where you want to travel and for how long.
I don’t call myself a digital nomad because I tend to only work in my home office—I rarely even go to coffeeshops! But I would be remiss if I didn’t feature this workstyle here on the workplaceless blog.
While I do plan on adding more content geared towards digital nomads here on this site, I first want to share some fantastic resources for current or aspiring digital nomads.
Resources for Digital Nomads
Websites
Nomad List: A crowdsources list of the best cities to live and work in around the world
Web Work Travel: Travel guide and community connecting digital nomads from around the world
Remote Year: A program that gives you the tools and resources to travel the world for 4 or 12 months while you work remotely
Hobo with a Laptop: “A Digital Nomad Travel Blog Mashup”
Fulltime Nomad: Radhika & Johnny share how they’ve built a life of unlimited travel
Books
The Digital Nomad Survivor Guide by Katherine Conaway
The Suitcase Entrepreneur by Natalie Sisson
Have a specific question about the digital nomad workstyle you’d like me to address on the blog? Let me know!
