For most of the last five years I’ve lived as a digital nomad, working while traveling for months at a time across dozens of countries and five continents. For the most part, this is as fun as it sounds. It isn’t, however, an unbroken chain of big beach umbrellas, little drink umbrellas and a few scattered minutes spent working. You have the occasional bad day. Working in a humid hostel with dial-up internet speeds, worrying about deadlines and that meeting scheduled for 4 a.m. can take the glamour out of it all.
In the end, though, it’s worth it. Here are some tricks I’ve learned to keep those bad days to a minimum.
No one understands what you are doing
No matter how much you have explained it, no one will truly get it. The mind-set of “work” only being possible in an office, and only having two weeks each year for vacation, is pervasive (and in my opinion, troubling). You are going to have to make an extra effort to maintain relationships, both work and personal. Be wary of boss changes as well. Just because your old boss did not mind you working remotely does not mean their replacement understands why you are Skyping into meetings from Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Always be on the lookout for new work
This is especially important for freelancers, employees need to think about it, too. My father taught me that you’re going to lose 10 percent of your clients each year just through unavoidable attrition. So if you are not finding new work, you’re going to make less money every year. Or if you are an employee and your boss says come home now or you are fired — well, what’s that choice look like? A solid backup plan, multiple regular clients, or both, are really the only safe way to be a digital nomad, wherever you are, whether New York City or Hong Kong.
Make new friends
As an introvert, this was the part I found most difficult as a digital nomad. The thing is, it’s rather vital. Isolation is not good for mental health.
The turning point for me was when I realized that nearly everyone staying in a hostel is there by themselves and most want someone else to make the first introduction. Just simply asking where someone is from can lead to a fascinating conversation. Or not. That’s fine too. If you don’t make a new friend today, you probably will tomorrow.
Embrace the cloud
Though you cannot entirely prevent hard drive crashes or theft, you can minimize the destructive effects by using Google Drive, Apple iCloud or one of the options recommended by Wirecutter, the New York Times company that reviews products and services. Having a cloud-based backup means that even if you lose your computer, your work will be safe. This has saved me numerous times. I can’t imagine being a digital nomad without it.
Self-care
Living on a strict budget is the main way most digital nomads keep the party going. That means choosing hostels over hotels, and, often, instant ramen over sushi. But sometimes you need a hotel and some sushi. Not feeling guilty about that splurge is one of the key aspects to enjoying that splurge. Having a day to relax in the quiet, or soaking in a hot tub, or really whatever you need to reset — sometimes you just need to do exactly that.
It’s a marathon, not a sprint
Slow down. One of the biggest mistakes I made early on was moving too often. Now my general rule is no less than three nights in any one place. If the place feels right, has good food and has a convenient place to work, I’ll stay longer. But that’s me. You’ll have to figure out how many days are right for you. It might take some time, though, to recalibrate to a slower travel speed.
Geoffrey Morrison is a freelance writer and photographer covering technology and travel. He’s the editor-at-large for Wirecutter and you can also find his work at CNET. You can follow him on Instagram or Twitter.
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