09 Dec A Guide on how to become a Digital Nomad – without the bullsh*t

Since the start of 2015 it feels I’ve been spending more time outside of the Netherlands (my home country) than within. I’m not the type of person that enjoys a lot of holidays, meaning I’m basically always working. Does this make me a Digital Nomad? Or what is a Digital Nomad exactly? I’m happily sharing my take on this in this Guide on How to become a Digital Nomad. As a side note: I believe I can tell you the real story, so I’m skipping the nonsense.

In case there’s any topic in particular you’d like to be reading about, feel free to jump right away to:

• What is a Digital Nomad?
• How can you become a Digital Nomad (+ types of jobs)?
• Would the Digital Nomad lifestyle fit you?
• What triggers me to get involved into this?
• My tips & tricks for Digital Nomads

To give you a quick run down of the places where I’ve been staying while working:

• Jan. 2015 – Jul. 2015: Córdoba, Spain
• 2016 + 2017: 3 trips of up to a month in México
• Sep. 2018 – Dec. 2018: Spain, Portugal & Morocco
• Feb. 2020 – Mar. 2020: Central America
• Nov. 2021 – Mar. 2022: Medellín, Colombia

Due to the work trips for SurfaWhile I have been doing 4-6 yearly trips to places such as Germany, France, Spain and Portugal (up to a month per trip) in order to visit partners. Even during these busy trips, the regular work always kept going on, making it challenging from time to time to find a suitable work spot. However, all these experiences combined allow me to provide you with information which I believe could help you in your journey of becoming a digital nomad.

What is a Digital Nomad?

Most website would probably start off with a Wikipedia quote. If that’s what you’re after, feel free to check the Wikipedia page on Digital Nomads. I would prefer to put it into my own words (which, let’s be honest, won’t be too different from the Wikipedia info though): ”you combine traveling with your online work”. As easy as that. Just to mention, the traveling can be moving from place to place or staying in one spot for some time, something I like myself much more than the continuous traveling.

The most common type of Digital Nomads (DN’s) I met are people that work online, either as an IT consultant, Digital Media marketeer or some sort of entrepreneur. To give you an idea: these people do all of their work online so basically the only thing you are going to be needing is some proper Internet connection. Nowadays – Covid has even reinforced this process – more people than ever work remotely (from home or ‘abroad’).

How can you become a Digital Nomad?

Before diving into this, I first would like to get rid of some prejudices. The statements below are untrue:

• You need to have a lot of money to travel and live the DN lifestyle
• I will never be able to find a boss who will allow me to be working from abroad
• As a DN I will work but be alone for the rest of the time
• I can only do my work well if I’m in my home country

I would like to mention that the above can differ from person to person and from job to job. The DN lifestyle won’t suit everyone in the end and that’s perfectly fine. A lot of people however will have the change to go out and explore, while working and those are the people I’m addressing.

And in the end it’s up to you to embrace the DN lifestyle and take on the adventure. If you would like to keep believing the statements as stated above, I would well invite you to get in touch with me. Let’s have a talk, because I’m sure there’s a lot (more) you can achieve in your life. This world has so many opportunities, to all of us, but we are the ones eventually who have to take risks, go out there, explore, show vulnerability and make most of it.

What do you need to become a Digital Nomad?

Well there are two essential things you would need to become a DN. First of all, it’s easiest if you already have a job, preferably online. As soon that criteria has been met, it’s all about coming up with a plan.

Types of jobs you could take on for the DN lifestyle

Below I’ve listed a number of jobs you could take on, allowing you a lifestyle as a Digital Nomad

1. Depending on your skills, you could become a freelancer that can do all work online
2. If your skill allows you to give trainings and presentations on the locations you would like to travel to (and support your living) you can live the DN lifestyle
3. Many IT jobs will only require you to work online
4. Perhaps you could get your hands (acquiring e.g.) on an existing online business
5. Start your own online business (there are many ways of doing this)
6. Become a language teacher online

What is the most important when becoming a DN?

I would say, your ultimate goal is to live this lifestyle in order to make you happy. Happiness should be the one thing you are striving for in life anyway – in my opinion at least. You can live this lifestyle in many ways, while working a little less or more than others, earning more or less than others, having a rather local community or other foreigners you spend your time off with and there are many other variables that will differ from nomad to nomad. However, in the end it is all about becoming and being happy.

Knowing what you really want plays a vital role here. Would you already have an idea how your ideal destination would look like? What are the type of people that give you the energy and motivation to do well? What are people you’ve got something to offer to? Would this be a spot with a lot of the people living the surf lifestyle or do you rather mingle with yogi’s? Maybe you would actually prefer to interact with entrepreneurs or does

Would the Digital Nomad lifestyle fit you?

When seeing people I know posting about their DN lifestyle on their Social Media, I know they likely are not reflecting upon the entire experience. People prefer to share the good moments of their life (in the end, this normally gets more likes – something many people care about) but the life of a Digital Nomad is not always a bed of roses. Like traveling, being abroad as a Digital Nomad can be lonely, but it’s still different in my opion.

As a traveller or regular tourist, you will likely meet people whom are also on the go. As a DN you will aim for people that are also staying on the same location for some more time. Depending on the spot you’re at, this can sometimes be challenging. If you are like me, a bit picky in whom you would like to hang out, it’s not always as easy. Therefore it’s vital that you do your research very well before deciding upon a place to be staying.

Which people really live a happy DN life?

From my own experience and from what I’ve heard from others, mainly couples will succeed in living this lifestyle. I myself have experienced quite some moments where I felt rather empty emotionally as you are moving from one shallow conversation to another. It can make a huge different when having someone close (that can also be a friend) to fall back on at all times. You can surely become very happy as a DN being alone and meeting people from all over, but please bear in mind that it’s likely you might not get the same friendships as you are used to having at home.

How’s the DN lifestyle different from my life back home

As soon as you get the hang of it, you might be able to set up a lifestyle similar to what you are used to back home. There are a couple of differences which are important to be aware of.

• Party people: in any DN community, there are people with different lifestyles. You will always find people that like to party and get away with that due to the nature of their work (might be little hours or another reason why they can cope with the hangover). It takes discipline to turn down the offers on joining the parties in case your work would suffer from it.
• Several things to keep in mind: I myself find it very important that I can be productive (in several ways) while living elsewhere. This is different to everyone but it might be something that’s worth realising. You will encounter many things that might keep you from working in a productive way. Think of the partying, as mentioned before, a lot of sun (depending on where you are), fun activities people ask you to join and the freedom in general you will be experiencing. Key to me is the word discipline. On the other hand, that accounts for me but might be different for you.

What do I like about ‘traveling’ while working abroad?

To me it’s just a great way how I can enjoy some things I don’t have at home, meet a new crowd of people and focus on myself. The way I spent my first week in Medellín (the destination I’m currently situated) has been so eye-opening to me.

I have got quite an amazing base in Amsterdam where I can work together (physically) with my business partner, see all my friends and family and dance a bit of salsa. It’s for those reasons that I never fully embraced the Digital Nomad lifestyle but by being abroad for some months per year, I’ve tried to create best of both worlds for myself. So what are the things I like most about my experiences while working abroad:

1. The interaction with locals: I’m most happy when I’m spending my time in Spanish-speaking countries. As I know the language I’m much better able to connect with locals than I would be with people of whom I don’t speak their first language. Besides being able to connect, I’m really making the effort of doing so, as I love learning about new cultures and habits of people in different places.
2. The good life: I unlikely opt for a location where the weather would be worse than in my home country and I’m also trying to pick spots that are well-known for great food. To me these are those small things that can make any day amazing.
3. Inspirational people: Okay, this one might sound a bit cheesy but to me it’s very true. When being back home, or when doing the regular spots, it’s not that I necessarily meet less inspiring people. The difference is though, that during times I’m working from abroad, I’ve got much more mind space to be open for inspiration from others. So this one might have more to do with me than with other people, but it’s still something I very much value.

My tips & tricks for Digital Nomads

• I love to get involved in a local culture and community. As I do speak Spanish (I’ve got several tips for you to improve your language skills) I prefer to be in either Spain or Latin America, allowing me to really blend in with the locals
• Decide upon the type of community you would like to be in. Are this the yogi’s or would you prefer the people you likely meet in a Men or Women Circle?
• Do your research before leaving – know the place where you are going. Would you need (extra) insurance, what about your mobile phone contract, what type of place will you be staying at?
• A place to stay is very important to me. Unlike your regular holiday trip, having a proper night rest and potentially having a solid place to be working from at home are essential. Depending on your budget, but accommodation shouldn’t be something you would want to safe money on, something you also don’t do back home.