The Luxury Travel Magazine
The Luxury Travel Magazine
If you have the right digital skills, then you might be able to submit work from a computer anywhere in the world. As such, you might be able to move from one destination to the next, and bring your workplace with you.
This kind of lifestyle has become popular enough in recent times that it even has a name. If you move from country to country, and submit your work using an internet connection, then you’re what’s known as a digital nomad.
It might be that you haven’t yet taken up this lifestyle, but the idea of it appeals. How, though, might you start on your journey as a digital nomad? Let’s consider the fundamentals.
Only certain kinds of work are compatible with this lifestyle. If all of the value you generate can be expressed in ones and zeros, then the chances are that you’d make a good fit. This means writers, video content creators, marketers and engineers can be nomadic. If your profession relies on face-to-face contact, or physical labour, then it probably isn’t compatible with digital nomadism.
This needn’t mean that you can’t make a shift to a more digital skill set, however. For example, if you’re an English teacher, you might start teaching the subject over the internet, using the right videoconferencing software.
Part of the joy of digital nomadism is that you can travel as often as you’d like. But most digital nomads tend to stay in one location for at least a few months. You’ll want to pick a destination that aligns with your goals and preferences.
Certain places, like Bali, Lisbon, and Mexico City, are renowned for their vibrant communities of digital nomads. This is a result of their intrinsic qualities, as well as the tax environment.
Working as a digital nomad requires that you have access to the right tools. These might include a portable charger and a laptop. You might not need to spend a huge amount of money to make these work, especially if the software and operating system you’re using are lightweight.
Other gadgets, like chargers, battery packs, and noise-cancelling headphones, might make a difference to your productivity in an unfamiliar environment. But it isn’t just your hardware that matters; the right software can also make a difference.
Among the most important pieces of software, as far as a digital nomad is concerned, is a VPN (that’s ‘Virtual Private Network’). This is a program that will divert all of your internet traffic through a secure, remote server – meaning that unscrupulous third parties won’t be able to intercept it. This might be especially important if, for example, you’re logging into an email account via a public WiFi network.
Certain parts of the world might seek to draw in digital nomads with the help of an attractive system of visas. However, it’s important that you think carefully about what legal implications your chosen destination might come with. For example, if you arrive on a special digital nomad visa, you might be forbidden from picking up other, non-digital forms of work.
If you’re a U.S. citizen, then it may not matter where you’re based – you’ll be required by law to submit an income tax return in the United States.
