Today, I’m responding to the WordPress DailyPrompt: “If you could live a nomadic life, would you? Where would you go? How would you decide? What would life be like without a ‘home base?’”
My answer? YES, absolutely!
I would love to live the life of a full-time “digital nomad.” In fact, I’ve done it before (even if only for just a few weeks) and I plan on doing it again over a longer period of time. It’s not a question of “if“, but “when.”
I would like some stability while traveling, so I want to first save up a lot of money. $1,000 per every month of travel seems like a safe bet.
Where would I go?
Central America, South America, Africa and Southeast Asia seem like great choices because the cost of living is cheap. If $1,000 a month is my budget, I’ll need to stick to “developing countries.” Europe is beautiful and I would love to visit it again, but it will have to wait until I’m a little older (and wealthier).
As a surfer, I’ll make sure that every country I visit has decent waves. Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Indonesia and Brazil are all countries that fit my affordable with good waves criteria.
What would life be like without a home base?
Life without a permanent home would undoubtedly be tough. I will miss holidays with my family and friends. I will miss the high quality of life in the United States. I will playing basketball at my local gym. But the world is a big place and there are so many places I would like to visit. After all, the world is a book and those who do not travel only read one page.
Where would you visit if you were a digital nomad? Leave your answer in the comments below!
Great post! $1000/month for South America seems practical. I would be a nomad in Europe. It’s so cheap to get around!
thanks for stopping by, I had a look at your blog, I loved your post on passion and finding a job! “Work damn hard and live well.”
I have no regrets about becoming a nomad in SE Asia. I’d say it may cost you a little bit more if you also consider flights and visas, insurance, etc., but 1k per month is a great benchmark.
This is an interesting question that I have thought about a lot. I like the concept of being a serial nomad. A series of short (1-3 month) trips instead of one long one. Sometimes it seems like the longer you travel the less you appreciate it – it just becomes your life. By breaking up the travel with visits “home”, you get more perspective on the places you see and the people your meet. The travels are still long enough to not just be vacations. What do you mean by “digital” nomad, as opposed to just nomad?
Hey John,
A Digital Nomad is someone that uses the internet for work while traveling the world. They can work remotely for a corporation, or do freelance design work, blog etc. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_nomad
thanks for stopping by!
“If you are lonely when you’re alone, you are in bad company.”
Sartre
I have lived 13 years in Germany and then 6 years in Fiji. I often feel like a hermit crab, not having a geographically home but carrying one around with me. I´m planning on spending the next 4 years in the US. I have learned to love myself and be alone. I have found out so many things about life and myself that way. I love NZ too!
thanks for sharing,sounds like an amazing adventure. Just curious, how did you find my site?
I recently lived the nomad lifestyle in the South Island of New Zealand. I got a holiday work visa and spent 9 months living out of a tent or van and worked about half the time I was there. New Zealand is an expensive country but there is so much beautiful scenery to see you can live on the cheap. I loved every minute of it but even though I was traveling with my boyfriend the nomad lifestyle can get lonely and exhausting but something everyone should do sometime in there life! I think the definition of freedom and spontaneity is a lifestyle where everything you own fits into a backpack.
Just found your blog today researching beaches in Bali (I’m in Lombok now) and loved your post on Bailan. Wow, SO HELPFUL I’ll definitely be using your tips. This post really spoke to me as I’ve been living nomadically for 2 years. It’s an amazing life, but a challenging one. I hope you actualize this dream and please let me know if you end up in Costa Rica, I will give you all the best tips and hook you up with my friends who live down there 🙂
Hi Camille, great to hear from you! I just checked out your blog, love the design and all of your vivid images. The tilt-shift images are awesome.
I plan on making my trip a reality in June of this year, but I can’t decide on how much $ I need to save. I have a question for you, how much money did you need to save to travel continuously for 2 years? Do you have an income while traveling?
Thanks again for stopping by!