(Newswire.net — February 14, 2023) — The idea of traveling the world while working is something that has exploded in terms of popularity in recent years, in no small part because it has become much more practical to do so. Even as recently as five years ago, the idea of working from home for most of us was quite out-there. As in, how would you even begin to do that? We soon got the chance to learn, though, as the pandemic forced as many of us as could work from home to actually do so. And now we realize that that’s a possibility, more of us want to give it a try. Some of us have even considered the possibility that this can be extended to allow us to work from anywhere.
This is a lifestyle that is already being embraced by more than a few people, as a look at Digital Nomad World will make abundantly clear. Any of us who had heard of a digital nomad five years ago probably pictured someone who worked in a bar in the evenings to fund the holiday lifestyle during the days, or who taught English in the mornings before taking their laptop to the nearest bar to answer email after lunch. Now, the concept of digital nomadism is much broader and includes marketers, producers, and much more. It could likely include you, as long as you bear in mind the following.
Don’t leap head first into the lifestyle – take it for a test drive
Possibly literally! It’s going to cost money to get this lifestyle going, so it is worth funding a small experiment. Depending on where you live, book a short break either in the next state over or in the nearest new country. Don’t book time off work – travel on your days off. For the duration of the break, work your normal day from your travel accommodation instead of “home”. Is it a pleasant experience? Is it more pleasant than keeping the usual routine going? If either of these is the case, then you may be cut out to live as a digital nomad.
Ask your employer
If you’re self-employed, replace this with a conversation (with yourself) about the technical requirements of working abroad. But if you’re not, you will need to get your employer’s blessing to work from abroad rather than working from home. You’re already location independent, so the principle is proven – but your employer may have questions about how the process will work. There may need to be conversations with legal, IT, and HR departments. None of this needs to be a wrench in the machinery of your plan to work abroad, but there may be some regulatory hurdles to clear, and it’s important to know.
Get all the support you can
It’s not going to be easy making the transition to working abroad, even if you don’t much like where you are right now. It’s a change, and change can be very good, but it still needs to be managed. Join digital nomad groups online, and ask all the questions that come into your head – or, less dramatically, search their forums for other people asking the same. Arrange for friends to join you in one of your new locations from time to time. Make friends in your new locations – there is nothing better in a new place than having a local who will help you get to grips with life there. You’re going to be homesick – it happens! – but the quicker you establish a new normal, the easier it is to beat homesickness.