6 Tips: How to Become a Digital Nomad
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This year has been a whirlwind: after leaving LA in the spring, I went on a roadtrip around the Southwest United States, then spent a month in Oakland, a month in NYC, and then did a quick detour to Portugal (where I am now!)
In the past few months, my partner Kyle and I have been weighing the pros and cons of putting down roots somewhere. We’ve been digital nomads for the past two years, working remotely and traveling all over Europe and the U.S.
After taking a look at different options, we’ve decided to keep traveling and stay digital nomads!
So, in honor of planning another year of remote work and seeing the world, here are my top 6 tips for how to become a digital nomad.
Tip #1: Become a Freelancer or Get a Flexible Remote Job
If you’ve been on this blog for two seconds, you’ve probably seen me doing a happy dance and trying to get you to go freelance. Why? So many reasons — mostly, I’ve experienced firsthand how freelance writing got me out of a devastating garbage fire of a situation to a wonderful, thriving life. I’ve also helped other freelancers change their life through freelancing and created a Freelancing 101 Guide to help people get started.
Freelancing is the most compatible with the digital nomad lifestyle, but if you’re not ready to make the leap you can get a flexible, remote-work job that (ideally) doesn’t have a ton of meetings that ties you to a timezone.
I believe freelancing is the future of work, so if I were you I’d go all-in on learning how to build and monetize your skills.
Tip #2: Pick Digital Nomad-Friendly Stays for Long-Term Travel
You probably already have a hefty list of bucket list destinations. Write them all down so you have a starting point: this will help you get a sense of where you want to go.
Once you’ve created that list, it’s time to do your research on these places to see if they’re somewhere you (actually!) want to spend a good chunk of time in. As a digital nomad, you’re living your life on the road — not on a permanent vacation. That means you should spend the majority of your time in cities that aren’t tourist traps, and have better amenities (and prices!) for long-term travel.
For example, Rome, Italy might be a wonderful place for a vacation, but it’s not an ideal place for a digital nomad because it’s so damn expensive. Instead, try a place like Lisbon, Portugal that’s much more affordable and better for longer-term stays.
Tip #3: Pack Lighter Than You Think
There are a few huge swaps I made to reduce the amount I carry with me when I travel and work remotely. As a writer, I used to love carrying huge 3-ring binders and printed-out manuscripts with me, but that was not carry-on luggage friendly. I switched to a Remarkable 2 tablet, which is a lovely digital legal pad with a Kindle-like “screen” that looks and feels like you’re writing and reading on paper. I use this every day for notetaking and document reading and my eyes (and luggage) are much happier. Use my affiliate link to get $40 off your Remarkable!
I usually travel with just a carry-on, and reducing your wardrobe and other items to multi-tasking essentials is a must.
I have an Amazon list with all of my favorite travel gadgets if you’re looking to do an audit of what you’re bringing with you!
Tip #4: Plan Your Weeks to Prevent Burnout and Travel Fatigue
I’m building some Notion templates for you (stay tuned!) that will help you plan your time better. As a digital nomad, I recommend that you stay in one place for a minimum of two weeks so that you don’t get travel fatigue from constantly moving.
I also recommend enforcing some boundaries with your freelance clients when it comes to meetings. I only do meetings two days per week (Tuesdays and Thursdays!) and ask clients to use asynchronous tools (voice memos, Loom screenshare videos, etc.) as that helps me do better work for them.
As soon as you can, move to a 4-day workweek and spend the extra days traveling and exploring the city you’re in. Finding work-life balance is one of the most challenging parts of being a digital nomad because there’s so much to do!
Tip #5: Travel Hack Using Credit Card Points and Cheap Flight Tools
There are a ton of points gurus out there that can help you decide what credit card to get. I’m an amateur travel hacker, and I opted for the Amex Platinum card which has a ton of travel perks.
When you’re booking travel, book your flights first: you can fly cheaper on certain days of the week, so if you can hack together the best/cheapest flights before you book a single Airbnb or hostel, you’ll be sitting pretty right off the bat. Use websites like Scott’s Cheap Flights to help you find deals on your next adventure!
Tip #6: Have a Great Time :)
And don’t forget to book some photos ;)
Time to book that trip!
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