The term “digital nomad” has gone mainstream in the past couple of years with people dreaming of travelling the world, working as they go. It’s a fantastic idea and if you work in a field that can be performed remotely it is certainly possible. Before you pack your bags read on – this article covers what you may want to consider before becoming a digital nomad in 2023.
by Jessica DaleReading Time: 5minutes
Ensure you can Actually Generate Money Remotely as a Digital Nomad
Whilst this may seem fairly obvious it is also the key principle on what separates a digital nomad to your average traveller. The ability to make money remotely will allow you to travel for much longer.
If you are going to be employed by a company that is fine with you working remotely then great – be sure that your company allows location independent working though as the term “remote working” has become broadly used these days and the company may not be set up for network access from certain continents or countries. It may not want to navigate the potential tax issues. It is always a good idea to check with them beforehand.
If you are going to be generating your own income ensure your skills can be performed remotely from anywhere and that you are not not going to trigger any tax residency laws. Websites like Fiver and Upwork are considered a good source of income for freelancers but can be oversaturated with competition. Do your research if this is how you plan to earn.
Have an Rough Idea For Your Journey Duration
OK so this is one of those things that may need a little context. Having a rough idea on how long you will be travelling does not necessarily mean a specific time. I merely mean if you plan to travel for under a year your plans, budget, ideas etc would be vastly different to travelling for potentially multiple years.
As an example when I was preparing to leave the UK I planned to be away for a long amount of time and as such I knew to prepare a large bag to accommodate a variety of clothes, tech, essentials etc whilst leaving room for potential future purchases I would pick up along the way. Having an idea means you can pack and organise appropriately.
Choose Where You Want to go and Research
This one closely relates to the previous point, choosing the location(s) where you want to go must be a decision based on the proposed duration of travel, budget and personal interests.
Next step research the following areas:
Country/Area stability
How safe is the area potentially going to be for foreigners? Is there political unrest?
Individual Safety
Look at yourself as an individual and research any potential factors in that location that may contribute to an unsafe environment? For example if you are a solo female traveller is the area safe for women?
Culture
What is the local culture and how would you respect it? The last thing you would want to do is offend somebody in their country. Certain cultures find various everyday gestures rude such as pointing in the direction or shaking hands using the left hand are just some examples of this.
Cost of Living
This is a fairly obvious one but it always pays to double check. Just because somewhere is in a country that has a reputation for being does not mean that every area is cheap.
Local Applications
Think about the applications you use currently in your home country. Taxi applications, food delivery apps and loyalty apps can vary across the world. Research these and if possible have them downloaded and set up ready for when you arrive.
Local scams
Unfortunately in most countries there is petty crime, scams and cons can vary from country to country. Researching the country and potential common scams in the area you are staying in can help you maintain a positive experience.
As you can see performing a bit of research can greatly benefit you on the small things and help you avoid certain negative experiences. This step should be an essential part of anybody’s preparation.
Research and Embrace the Downsides of the Digital Nomad Life
Travelling the world, seeing the sights and experiencing other cultures sounds amazing doesn’t it? Whilst there are certainly the positives to travelling the world as a digital nomad it does not come without its downsides. For example, did you know that loneliness is one of the most commonly stated downsides among travelers?
To be well prepared before starting your journey be sure to read our article about the downsides of digital nomad life and be aware of them. If possible make plans to negate these as much as possible to give you the best experience on your journey.
Save, Save, Save
Again I am not trying to state the obvious here but going with a reasonable amount of savings that you can access creates a good safety net should anything go wrong. Savings ensure that you can always get back to your home country where you may have additional support should the worst case scenario hit.
Fan only rooms can have free standing fans or ceiling ones which (we have found out from experience) are manageable for a couple of days but any longer and you can become somewhat sticky to say the least. Even if the aircon is listed in the description of the room you’re looking at, it’s always good practice to inspect the room photos to get an idea of the age of the unit just in case.
Required Vaccinations
Parts of the world are more prone to various diseases and viruses than others and if the Covid-19 pandemic has taught us anything then checking the vaccinations you require should be of a priority.
If you are heading to less developed parts of the world than the chances are it is a wise idea to know what shots to get. Depending on your country’s health care system you may not even have to pay for a lot of them if at all but they come in very handy in generally staying healthy abroad.
