Is Being a Digital Nomad Sustainable Long-Term?
An illustrated elder digital nomad enjoys the tranquility of remote work amidst nature. This image evokes a reflective mood on the evolving concept of work and lifestyle freedom.
Remote work and nomadism are a young people’s sport nowadays. I still remember the early 2010s when I first decided to take the plunge, swearing to myself, “I’ll never have to work from an office.” Here we are, fully adapted to this lifestyle, and watching as the world has embraced it when a few short years ago, it would’ve been the target of mockery for most people out there.
But as we all mature, and some of the more experienced of us reach the settling-down years, I’m left to wonder: Is being a nomad something that we can sustain long-term? Would you really want to be an elderly person living out your days in a remote location?
That doesn’t sound too bad, to be honest, but it’s worth really digging into it.
The Way People Work has Already Changed.
It’s a known fact that Millennials and Gen Z prefer to spend their income on experiences rather than products. The rise of affordable travel, as well as some very beneficial income arbitrage situations, have made it easier than ever to pack up and look for greener pastures on the go.
In the past 10 years alone, companies like AirBnb and economy airlines have transformed what used to be a luxury into a smart financial decision for people of all incomes.
The world has opened up as well; it’s a lot easier to get a residency visa or plan for long-term travel. I still remember the days when I had to fill out paperwork for an entire year before setting out on a 2-week vacation. Stuff like nomad visas and globalization have come with some bad but also a lot of good.
Most importantly, remote work has been a game changer, to no one’s surprise. We’ve already broken down how this trend is here to stay, but there’s no understating just how structural a change being able to pick your own working space has been to most people’s lifestyle.
So overall, on the pros side, it’s pretty obvious that living abroad at your whim has never been easier. But how does that translate into actually living a fulfilling life? Who’s gonna be there to take care of you when the margaritas at the beach come with a side of blood pressure pills?
The Challenges We Often Overlook.
We all see this from a mile coming. Everyone I talk to about me being a nomad usually has the same question: “Won’t you eventually find a place to settle down? You can’t keep this up forever”. And true as that may be, I feel they’re not looking at the whole picture.
Being a nomad is mostly an exercise in being free and looking for a fulfilling life. I realized early on that if I wanted to live up to my expectations for life, I had to let go of my own geographical constraints. There’s something about learning from new perspectives, meeting interesting people, trying out languages even for a few months, and seeking out to spread the love worldwide that I could never have achieved had I stayed back home.
Still, there are some fair points that I do think about on restless nights when all I want is to pack up and sprout roots somewhere:
The Wear and Tear of Perpetual Movement: Hopping from one place to another is as mentally draining as it gets. Imagine your life becoming like a constant move, hauling your stuff and finding accommodations anywhere you step foot on. The novelty of new environments wears off, and the reality of constant packing, adjusting to different time zones, and setting up a new life every few months starts to weigh heavily.
Your Personal Relationships Take a Big Hit: Building and maintaining lasting relationships is one of the more subtle yet profound challenges faced by digital nomads. The transient nature of their lifestyle can lead to a pattern of fleeting connections. I once had an old friend from my hometown ask me, “Weren’t you off somewhere living the nomad life?”, “No,” - I replied - “I’ve been here for more than a year getting some family business sorted”. You can’t imagine what it feels like to watch former close friends become strangers.
The Burnout Balancing Act: The blurred lines between work and leisure mean you often work odd hours to match time zones or squeeze in a project before your next flight. It's a balancing act that requires constant vigilance to avoid tipping over. I’ve literally published articles from moving buses and hidden in hotel corners to push past that last deadline during Christmas.
The Quest for a Sense of Belonging: The absence of a fixed community or a sense of 'home' can lead to feelings of rootlessness. The joy of discovering new places is often counterbalanced by the longing for familiar faces and places. As years pass, you start to crave a home base, a community where you can belong and recharge.
Yes, these all sound pretty dire. But truth be told, they mostly reflected the growing pains of a niche lifestyle. Things have gotten better since the world got hurled into the post-pandemic remote age, I have since reconnected with old friends (sometimes as nomads themselves!), and my days of sacrificing my comfort and intimate moments for work are long past me.
Really, when I say being a nomad is easier than ever, I really do mean it beyond the logistics. As the world and culture have adapted, it’s become much less straining on your more human side. And that’s mostly because being a nomad is no longer a full-time commitment like it used to be.
We’re All Nomads in some way.
No matter where you’re from or whether you’re a nomad already. You can probably relate to some, if not all, of these feelings, and that’s because a lot of what makes a nomad challenging are some of the innermost things driving us humans.
Factory workers deal with the same, as do white-collar workers and farmers. The longing for connection and stability are parts of what makes us human, and they’re being reinvented and transformed thanks to new technologies. We’re able to talk daily with our friends worldwide; we’re able to pivot and find creativity with minimal risk (in comparison to the olden times).
So coming back to the big question of whether nomadism is sustainable long-term. Well, of course, it is! It just takes a little finagling of what you mean by being a nomad. The dream we’re living isn’t really about Chiang Mai or Medellín in themselves; it’s about setting up a life that doesn’t tie you down to any place in particular so that when the time comes to settle down, you can do so in your own terms, hopefully alongside some nice views and company.
