So you are thinking about going for the digital nomad lifestyle, with the parties, the freedom, the careless life, well there are a few things that no one ever talks about when it comes to a digital nomad life. From the safety issues to the loneliness to so much more. The truth about Digital nomadism. Filmed in Lisbon, Portugal
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32 Comments
can we talk?
I’ve been a digital nomad for almost 6 years. I don’t mind being alone. I have always been an introvert and don’t agree with this list at all. Not all of us are all outgoing and want to be around people like you to. I don’t even want a family. Just happy being alone. Being alone 24/7 on a beach, in a forest and more cures my depression. Being around people sucks.
That's a great overview. As a Portuguese myself I can honestly say that even tho we are a friendly and welcoming people we are getting fed up of the digital nomads. Those buildings on Expo are really expensive and it's got even worse over the years, with everyone blaming the government for the lack of action on the speculative rent prices and stuff going on the brink of social unrest. It would be wiser for some digital nomads to pick up some small town in the countryside with good internet connection than to live in the middle of the capital of the country, where most of the people only go to work anyway.
Being a digital nomad is the precursor to dying alone. Digital nomad = no spouse, no children = no one to take care of you when you’re old
Thank you for this video. These are things I've thought about too. I was more interested in living overseas for a few weeks or a month at a time to experience a different culture and learn a new language. But there is always a downside. Weighing the pros and cons is important.
I agree. Seems everyone knows if asked that social media is a fantasy. But then people still consume and believe social media.
Loneliness can be a problem. I went into the Army out of highschool. I was homesick often. Holidays eating in a mess hall, friends transfer away. I was able to get my brain to deal with this and loneliness went away. It's a good skill to learn. So many people seem to think the only fix for loneliness is getting relationships. But imo loneliness is actually boredom. If you find things you enjoy more than say being with family at Christmas then it flips to being solo is what you crave.
Truths maybe – but not really problems… 🤗
Being homesick is real if you can't return to your home country, but digital nomads should never be lonely. Loneliness is more of a function of being a social media star. It's a full time job keeping hundreds of thousands of subscribers happy, without unintentionally alienating locals, while struggling to find extremely fast internet to upload and edit content.
You don't have to be a digital nomad in a fully nomadic way. You can do it together with fwmily and friends. You can do it for 4-5 months per location, there is no need to go for a short time.
What is a true issue is the safety, services and medicine available.
Even so, I've been a digital nomad for almost 15 years, some in-country and some internationally and love it. I've been able to be near friends and family for extended periods of time. I've toured magnificent places. Had awesome food (and stomach bugs).
or you can be a Digital Nomad with your partener and just travel and work together
Gotta love the goaste-sandwitch
1:45 tbh if you are not married you will more than likely die alone!
I get to be lonely? Where do I sign up?
I've never been a digital nomad, but I've done two trips of seven and fourteen months solo living from savings and the reason why I don't want to be a digital nomad is because the whole reason of me traveling is to escape the life of work, I didn't quit my 40 hour job at home to do 40 hours somewhere else abroad.
Number #1 Should be; You still have to do work.
To me, being alone and being lonely are two distinctly different things, some people thrive when they're on their own. That said? You're right; if you have a family and the holidays are important to you, that would be REALLY hard. It would be a great lifestyle as long as you can stay healthy and have no attachments. Another thing I think is that after a couple months, when it becomes less vacation/adventure and crosses over into 'lifestyle'; the novelty can wear off pretty fast. Thanks for the video, this is excellent info for people.
I don't get it. You talk about digital nomad lifestyle, like you have to travel and be in all these different places. Like it is physically not possible for you to stay in your old town you grew up and have your friends and family around and do the work from there. They have internet. Probably. So why travel if you hate it?
Some nomads aren't lonely, because they are active people and do things like going to the gym, Mark. Keeping healthy and meeting people that way helps maintain balance.
The reason why there are these are 'places' we want to live in, is because of the community of generations of families who invested their entire lives there and fought hard to conserve them. Long time Locals don't trust renters, nomads aka the ''live anywhere's'' because they are not invested. At some level the 'live some where’s' do not respect drifters for fighting for their own people or place, they think these people lack responsibility and are just on the run from it, coming in to sponge off their hard work and leave. They also distrust these people thinking ''maybe they'll bring in the same ideology that destroyed the very places they're running away from?''
Great content
Nice list! Everything you said rang true to me. I have a few challenges to add:
1. Grocery shopping. In addition to being unfamiliar with the brands, store norms aren’t always easy to know. In Porto, at a number of the grocery stores we’ve been to, we have to weigh and tag our produce with the proper price before heading to the checkout. Then, sometimes there’s someone there to help with it. Sometimes the person helping has to weigh certain items, but you can weigh others. Thankfully the people working have always been patient and kind to me. On a busy day, if I don’t readily get the system, I just skip anything that might need to be weighed.
2. Finding a hair stylist that you can communicate with and trust.
3. Knowing the norms. It can sometimes feel harder to read a situation that I’d easily know back home.
That said, there have been way more positives than negatives about our move to Porto. We’ve had so many kind exchanges with people, and that makes a HUGE difference.
Wolter, could you speed up your speech a bit? Your delivery and pace is on the sleepy side. 🙂 Just kidding. What I really mean is why the breathless rush?
Another consideration is the immigration regulations. Most countries in Europe don't let you work while you're on a visitor visa… which is what most people travel on. Not every country is as strict or enforces the law, but keep that in mind. Lots of countries now have a digital nomad visa, each with varying minimums that must be met. And don't forget that if you're American, Uncle Sam still wants his cut of taxes, even if you made money elsewhere. If you're the type to be fine flying under the radar, this might not even be a consideration.
🙌
Excellent Video!
Love the blunt truth and having the whole picture. The good and the bad.
Keep the good work!
Digital nomad = Full-time travel adventure! Like a relationship, you have to put in the effort to see the results!
Respect for being so honest
I live in the US as an expat (my family is all in Australia) and it definitely gets lonely. Especially when always working from home. I travel to Europe extensively though, as my partner now lives there, so my strangely, I only experience the loneliness when I am at home on my own.
Well said, finally someone tells the whole picture. Most people learn these lessons by suffering a lot, you can just learn them by watching this YouTube video
Once you master not giving a F about being with other people, your life will become so much better.
Depending on people will give you more disappointment than anything else. I am alone but I'm not lonely .
Manage yourself from within and see that being alone is not a bad thing.
3:28 Milan
I've met some LONGTIME friends on meetup. Don't knock it.