Digital Nomads

Sigiriya; Sri Lanka

I first got introduced to the concept of “digital nomads” when I was still in university. Sat in my seven-bedroom student apartment, curtesy of LSE, I scrolled past countless posts on a newly-discovered Facebook page. The now banal photos of open laptops with a gorgeous beach in the background were a glimpse into an alternative universe at the time. Back then, the notion was still quite fresh, and nobody I knew had a remote job or the luxury to work from anywhere while travelling. 

The hypothetical opportunity drew me in instantly.

If you grew up in a country that was a member state of the USSR in the 90s, there are a couple of things your parents almost certainly told you - to study foreign languages, to eat cabbage in winter and to travel as much as you can. I profusely avoided the second and wasn’t very good at the first, but travelling… that’s where I shine. 

How do you start?

Up until late 2023, I was still a part of a few Facebook groups that mentioned the words “digital nomads” in the title. Without exception, almost daily, there would be a comment in at least one of them asking “How do I do what you guys do - what job do I find?”.  The answers were almost always patronising and unhelpful, but in their defence, the reality is just as unhelpful. 

I’m pretty sure there is no manual. A few things might help, like not having close family you need to care for and acquiring a higher education that affords you a computer-based job. From then on, it’s a wild, wild West. 

Probably 70% of the people I met in coworking spaces were in tech - developers, QA, marketing, HR, account/sales - you name it, people do it.

About 10% were just kind of lost. Not in a bad way, but they either do little jobs here and there or are changing careers or are taking a longer sabbatical to travel and pursue a hobby.

The rest are fortunate, talented and self-driven enough to make money from something creative - designers, artists, writers, editors and other people who make magic. 

I didn’t meet any OnlyFans stars, feet-selling entrepreneurs or virtual financial dominatrixes, which is, honestly, quite disappointing. But I did meet a girl who makes a living reviewing niche porn. 

Is it difficult to work while travelling?

Short answer - it’s not necessarily easy or difficult. A few things I wasn’t anticipating were the inevitable decision fatigue and the impact of the climate on my overall motivation and performance. 

Decision fatigue is pretty self-explanatory, but I truly hadn’t realised how many things I take for granted when I’m at a familiar place. When you relocate somewhere for slightly longer, you need to build your entire routine from the start - the gym, the grocery store, the route to the coworking - everything needs to be re-discovered. It’s a bit draining and very time-consuming. 

Performance in different climates is another aspect I never considered. Growing up with four seasons made me think I could operate in any weather. I was very, very wrong. 

The people you meet.

You meet a plethora of novel-worthy characters. It’s like Tolstoy, Marquez, and Hemingway had a field day. If I did have to generalise tho, most are in their mid-thirties, white and regularly participate in either yoga classes or some kind of adrenaline-inducing sport that takes place in nature.

Yes, there are a lot of tech bros and “eat pray love” girlies, but some of them are cool and genuine people, too. 

Who you run into is largely dependent on the location you’ve chosen. Here are some completely biased observations (that are mostly my own):

Bansko

Visit enough co-working spaces around the world, and you’ll inevitably hear the name of the mountainous Bulgarian resort town. I’ve lived two hours away from it for the majority of my life and never knew just how popular it was among the slow travellers who are cringe enough to snowboard or posh enough to ski. 

Expect heartwarming yet slightly weird board game nights in the co-working, partying in a Berlin-style basement club, cheap apres-ski and gorgeous views. It attracts a very diverse range of people, so whatever your age, interests and intentions - you’ll find a tribe.

7/10

Madeira 

A magnet for the surf bros who need to stay in European time zones and those that were based in Africa and are only now starting to travel. People are there for the waves and the hikes and because they left it too late and couldn’t book anything in Lisbon (🙋‍♀️).

The overall vibe is slightly introverted. Funchal’s coworking, for example, had amazing views, great air-con and virtually no aspirations to form a community. There are semi-regular events that fill that gap, organised by a local nomad community group.  If you go, expect roof-top pool parties with a DJ, an open-air tattoo corner and a capoeira class. 

6/10

HoiAn

This one is a soft spot for me. I had the best time in this little digital nomad paradise. Genuine people, intelligent conversations, plenty of social activities and many things to do solo if that’s what you are in the mood for.

10/10

Bali

The first-stop destination for the ones coming from Australia and New Zealand. An Instagram-infused spot for wanna-be influencers and various forms of “entrepreneurs”. Expect guys with funny accents and big arms, women with disproportionate lips and geeky men behind laptop screens.

5/10

Is it a sustainable lifestyle?

That really depends on your own definition of sustainable. For me, it is not. I give a lot of care and attention to the personal relationships in my life - both romantic and platonic. It’s important for me to be a part of a community, and the older I get, the more important I envision this to become. 

You get soaked into different communities when you travel and they all give you something new, but then they are gone. Building lasting relationships is difficult but worthwhile, and it doesn’t bode well with a life of constant uprooting. 

That said, it is a ton of fun while you are at it.

Please forgive the typos.

Yours & delightfully dyslexic,

Dimana ✌️