I’m writing this post on the back of meeting yet more travellers who are under the impression they can just pack up their lives, catch a flight and magically become a digital nomad. They can. I did (eventually). But I’ll be honest, I’m getting pretty bored of hearing so many travellers say, “Well, it can’t be that hard because I’ve been following a ‘travel couple’ on Instagram for the past year who get paid to travel and take photos”.
Let’s get one thing straight: it’s not all Instagram-able açaí bowls and working from beachfront cafes in Bali. Being a digital nomad also doesn’t equal free hotel stays and floating around in infinity pools overlooking the Masai Mara, or being caressed by a well-placed giraffe at breakfast.
For some it is, but for most, it’s dealing with the everyday stresses that come with a) working remotely, and b) working for yourself (more than likely).
“But I wanna be a travelling content creator…”
Being a ‘content creator’ is just one of the many jobs you can do as a digital nomad, which makes me wonder how many wannabe wanderers actually take the time to research the lifestyle of a digital nomad beyond the #plandid Insta photos and filtered YouTube videos.
Don’t get me wrong, I think it is bloody great that times are changing and opportunities like that exist. Long gone are the days of being chained to a desk running the same ol’ rat race and getting nowhere fast. It’s equally as great that we have such grand dreams and are actually flying after them (see what I did there?!)
As someone who has spent just as much time behind a desk making money for someone else as she has spent seeing the world ‘full-time’, I’m definitely pro digital nomadism and self-employment.
But just a little word of advice dear future digital nomad, you should be ready to run a different kind of rat race – the every day, 24/7 hustle of being freelance in one of the world’s largest and most competitive industries.
It’s pretty damn close to being the best job in the world, but don’t let incredible #homeonwheels transformations and high-flying drone footage warp your vision of reality.
This is the real world, and the real world can’t be filtered.
