Digital nomads are growing in numbers and earning ever-increasing incomes not tied to a geographical area.
Co-work spaces are cropping up in cities around the world that cater to digital nomads.
So what is a digital nomad?
Digital nomads are people who use telecommunications technologies to earn a living and, more generally, conduct their lives in a nomadic manner.[1] Such workers typically work remotely—generally from foreign countries, coffee shops, public libraries, coworking spaces and even recreational vehicles—to accomplish tasks and goals that traditionally took place in a single, stationary workplace Wikipedia
What started as a small trend has turned into a lifestyle that gives us a glimpse into the future of work. According to Pieter Levels there will be 1 billion digital nomads by 2035
Many cities are seeing the trend and are actively competing to attract digital nomads to work in their cities. Some cities are offering a digital nomad tax to foreigners to legally live and work in their community. They are building fast internet services, digital work spaces, and internet cafes to attract this new type of worker.
Blending work with leisure, digital nomads tend to live happier lives and move around a lot.
We have fast, cheap internet, fast, cheap air travel, so many freelancers, everybody’s almost a freelancer, nobody’s marrying (or fewer people, at least), and everybody’s dating everyone. There’s no ownership, so I only have a laptop on my back … Like nomads, we’ll move around the world. We don’t own anything. Most of us, what we do is rent, use Airbnb, or stay in hotels, we buy food, that stuff. We don’t cook ourselves so much. Pieter Levels
As a traveler, I love making money that is not tied to a specific geographic location and is not based on a specific time schedule.
I work very well with deadlines and tasks that need to get done by a certain time but love the flexibility of choosing when I actually do the task, so working online is a good fit for me.
Here is a video of a group of digital nomads from around the world sharing their insights about this lifestyle.
Digital Nomads: The Documentary
One of the top hubs of the digital nomad movement is in Chang Mai, Thailand. Fast internet, cheap living expenses, and easy transportation to the world makes Thailand very attractive to digital nomads.
This video talks about How Thailand Perceives the Massive Influx of Digital Nomads
How Thailand Perceives the Massive Influx of Digital Nomads
Are you a digital nomad or would you like to be? What would be your biggest challenge in choosing the digital nomad lifestyle?###
Thanks for this @luzcypher . I live in a rural part of Canada - Newfoundland. We have had declining population in our outport communities for decades. I recently had a discussion with a forward-thinking politician who would like to propose incentives for individuals and companies to attract remote, Internet-based working environments. There is no reason why a person cannot do many jobs from home while living in remote and isolated communities of our province. I hope he can get some tractions.
I am a Digital Nomad (sort of)! I teach music to high school students in rural and isolated communities throughout of province. I teach entirely over the Internet and I never physically meet my students. I have been doing this for 14 years now :) Loving it.
Thanks for posting
Following
BuckyDurddle
That sounds really interesting. teaching music remotely. Maybe some of your students can join the Steemit Open Mic contest.
I hope your local officials are successful creating incentives for digital nomads to work there.
Not a bad idea. I will have to see what we have in store in Sept.
All the best.
BuckyDurddle
I would love to be. Traveling from here to there, there and here, seeing interesting new places. Having a family tends to keep people planted. Perhaps one day, when the children are more self-sufficient, I'll venture out and do it on the fly.
Very interesting post thanks for sharing.
This is really interesting. I'm not one but I believe this is probably some time in the future we may be heading this direction.
I'm just about there myself.
like the old song says... it's nice work if you can get it ! (-:
Great post. This is an interesting topic. And the videos were very informative. I've been looking into getting into this lifestyle for myself. Thanks for sharing this.
I like the idea of travelling as a nomad of sorts. If I ever get to the point where I'm getting extra money from steemit, that would help with paying for the various campground stays and such. I don't think my social security is quite enough to do that right now. Who knows, perhaps next spring...
very interesting post
Very interesting post! Oddly, I am an analog nomad. I do construction work, mostly renovations, repairs, etc..., and pack everything I own (tools mostly) into a tool trailer I built from scraps left over from jobs and a 1939 Ford pickup truck axle.
However, I am getting increasingly older, and breaking more stuff every job (I mean stuff that is part of me, not stuff I am fixing), so there is writing on the wall, and hopefully, in my future.
I have fallen in love with Steemit, and yesterday found @hardfork-series, which asked for contributions to a storyline based on an impending economic collapse and consolidation of global power by transnational financial concerns (I know, I know, you really have to suspend disbelief, but it's a fun storyline /sarc), so I did.
So far the response was surprisingly positive to the sorta rough draft of the first chapter. Mebbe it'll become something?!? That would be cool, as it would be good to morph my career to something that doesn't take such a toll on my creaky meat prison.
Thanks!
I used to have my own tools but pretty much earn online for the most part now.
Welcome to Steemit. If you write consistently and engage with people here, over time you could earn some rewards. It's working so far and a lot of fun.
I have a feeling you'll do fine here.
The concept of digital nomad lifestyle is very attractive. It is linked to the concept of freedom. One is free to work from wherever he wants, with no boss and strict limits.
A bit challenging if you have family and kids. But still very attractive concept indeed.
Nice post, i didn't know there was a name for what i do. Was 5 years in Carribean and now 15 years in India. I clearly have to check out chang mai, thanks!
I actually comment because i got to follow you based on a reply from you with an openmic song "Steem (Stir) it up". I am looking for the performers on Steemit but don't find them or original post, hint appreciated...
This is a Dream lifestyle. Although it's nice to have a home too... maybe spend half of the year in nomad style and half living in an apartment somewhere fun.
Absolutely! I've always wanted to be able to work and travel, and somehow without planning for it, it's worked out that I've become more and more of a digital nomad over the last few months.
We're loving it so far, we can work from anywhere and be with our kids all the time. Hopefully we can keep it up!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experience. Digital Nomading is truly the next step in our society, and social researches show, that the amount of digital nomads will highly increase in next couple years.