The life of a digital nomad is pure dream job material for anyone with the travel bug. You can control your income while traveling to see the world’s greatest wonders.
The lifestyle indeed has its perks. But, like any lifestyle, it also has downsides that many aren’t quite as quick to acknowledge. If you’re hovering on the edge of a lifelong road trip, here are six challenges you may not have heard about working as you travel.
Challenge #1: Keeping a steady flow of income
As a digital nomad, you’re typically working as a freelancer. If you haven’t yet developed a consistent base of clients who keep you working inside ongoing projects, you might find it challenging to find new work often enough. Before you set out on your journey, you should ensure you either have a solid client base or a reliable remote job.
Challenge #2: Staying connected to your home base
Living as a digital nomad takes you away from everything that feels familiar. You’ll live far away from your home country and your friends or family members. You can read the news and watch television from your home country to stay connected, but the homesickness is often greater than people expect. That’s why you should also strive to stay connected to friends and family by using tools such as Skype, Zoom, or WhatsApp.
If you’re a fan of the old-fashioned snail mail, you don’t have to give up on your postcard hobby just because you’ll be far from home. You can purchase a digital mailbox from a reliable provider like iPostal1 and keep continuous tabs on essential deliveries. These digital mailboxes use a smartphone app to let you know when anything is in your box and send pictures to your liking.
Challenge #3: Accessing quality Wi-Fi connections
Different locations sometimes make it challenging to find a quality Wi-Fi connection to buckle down with and do your work. It’s frustrating to waste precious work time searching for a decent connection strong enough for remote work purposes. Stay productive by researching quality Wi-Fi connections before arriving at each location, or invest in a portable Wi-Fi hotspot.
Challenge #4: Managing paperwork in different countries
The rules and regulations in different countries can make it a headache and a half to manage banking, taxes, and other paperwork. For example, you might have questions about opening a bank account as a foreigner. Do the proper research, so you never run into the red tape clothesline while you’re traveling.
Challenge #5: Maintaining work/life balance
When you work as a digital nomad, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the excitement of traveling and forget about taking care of yourself. Your health matters. Make sure to eat right and exercise regularly. Sleep at least six hours a night so that your brain can keep working productively during the day.
If you find yourself feeling burned out from working and traveling too much, take a break. Consider returning home to your native country for an extended period. Use that time to enjoy some rest and relaxation in familiar surroundings before heading out on another adventure.
Challenge #6: Travel disruptions
Natural disasters or political unrest can sometimes disrupt your travel plans. The best way to avoid dealing with unnecessary worry is by keeping informed about potential problems before heading out on each trip.
Wrap up
The digital nomad life has never been closer within your reach. If you’ve researched the challenges and you’re not scared away from the high-flying travel life, then digital nomadism might be the work-life balance for you.