Digital Nomads: The Great World-Wide Wandering

Digital Nomads (O The Great World-Wide Wandering: Bitten by the travel bug? Dreamed about integrating travel with a location-independent career? Today's Digital Nomads rely on a laptop or mobile device and an Internet connection for work, living pretty much wherever they want. Some Stats on U.S & World Travel 12 29 Million Million Outgoing trips (by air and/or road) by Åmerican residents in 2013, for either leisure and/or business purposes 202 Million 61/½ Million Total Trips While these numbers were not a significant increase over 2012 numbers, they show that people are comfortable traveling again – in fact, there were over... One Billion tourist arrivals all over the world in 2013! Remote Working and Working from Home 17.2 The work-from-home trend is increasing and the IDC estimates that by the year 2015, as much as 40% of the American workforce will telecommute at least 1 day/week. Million Worked from home at least one day per week (2011) And in 2011, 40% of surveyed workers said that they could do their jobs from home. 3.3 Nearly Now work 80% primarily from home Million Americans in 8 years Increase in Teleworking 2005-20 Most likely to work from home [U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2010] 25.8% 38.9% 64.2% Part-Time Jobholders Multiple Jobholders Self-Employed Workers 35 30% As of 2011 Million Hours of work by oDesk.com's online 2.7+ million strong freelance force. of Workers in the U.S.a ndependents 37.2% of the Total Global Workforce, or 1.3 Billion Mobile Workers by 2015 Many of them are potential Digital Nomads! Benefits of Being a Nomadic Worker Here's a short list of some of the quality-of-life benefits that may be yours as a Nomadic Worker: • Being location-independent - living where you want • Getting the chance to live in and explore other countries • Integrating mini-vacations with work at a potentially lowered cost • Experiencing a different climate • Enjoying a reduced cost of living • Potentially reducing your work week • Learning other cultures first hand • Picking up other languages • Finding personal fulfillment Preparation is the Key to Success for Nomads Obviously choosing a Nomadic Lifestyle is a huge decision, so being prepared makes the difference in whether you enjoy the experience or not. 8. Learn a new language 1. Have a plan 2. Do thorough research 9. Seek out a 3. Sell/get rid of your stuff or store it CO-working office space 10. Get your shots and Rx's 4. Write a Will 14. Do a Trial Run 5. Clarify your 11. Load up on mobile apps a in your own country. Citizenship status/visas 12. Diversify your skill set/work abilities 15. Find/Write a 6. Plan for web access/WiFi comprehensive packing list & include everything you'll need 7. Investigate tax laws 13. Establish online accounts 16. Have a solid Backup Plan! Tips for Traveling and Living Abroad Here are some tips on integrating travel with remote work (although some of this applies to being nomadic right in your own country): ng abroad doing Choose a large city to put down "mild" roots. This is not always a necessity, but it is often your best bet for getting reliable Internet service, a nearby airport, rail lines public transportation, access to physical banking and a post-office box. Leverage your air miles/reward points as much as possible • Consider house-sitting as an option for temporary lodging • Follow the laws of the countries where you're working & visiting • Use Web sites such as couchsurfing.org, to help find international hosts • Use online services such as Airbnb.com to find short-term (paid) lodgings • Leverage time zones in every positive way relevant to you and your clients • Keep multiple options for your accounts payable & receivable, digital funds, etc. • Manage your work week to allow 3- or 4-day weekends so that you can visit other places/countries from your current base of operations DO Some Tools and Necessities for Besides what has been listed above, here are some other items. What you take really depends on where you're going, so this is a very general list. Today's Nomad $S • Copies of ID & docs Airline apps Sunglasses Skype account Banking/payment apps • Financial mgmt apps Spare eyeglasses • Post office box • Google Docs • Google Translate app • Google Maps • Journalling app • Weather app • Battery extender • Quality audio recorder • Bill paying apps • Extra memory cards • Extra batteries • Quality video camera • Variety of footwear • Medical/first aid kit • DSLR camera + lenses • Dropbox or Box cloud storage Photography apps Videography appS Water-purifying kit • WordPress app • Mini flashlights • Portable hard drive • WhatsApp/GroupMe • Small solar panels • Basic remote work kit: - Laptop - Mobile phone - Tablet Swiss-style compact multi-tool (Checked baggage only) • Power strip with travel adapters • Bluetooth mouse • Survival kit For a more thorough list of necessary and optional items, check out FindingtheUniverse.com's "Ultimate Digital Nomad Packing List for Travel" article (see References section for link). Being a digital nomad is not all work, fun and travel. There are the downsides and situations to deal with but planning ahead means you can get past these. Some Hurdles & Situations You May Face • Passport/Visa problems • Paying U.S. taxes while abroad • Illness - look into traveler's insurance Not being able to use a Web service, such as Amazon, due to billing address constraints • Dealing with unfamiliar cultural issues • Power outages on weak electric grids • Credit cards issues if you no longer have a permanent residence at home. Finding that a Web site you need for work (or just enjoyment) is not available • No air conditioning or heating system • Persistent jet lag, if you fly a lot • Being isolated and not knowing anyone • Trying to find WiFi/internet connections Managing your received snail mail at home • Fluttery foreign exchange rates on your money • Bug bites, snake bites, lizard bites and more Crowded/dangerous public transportation vehicles • Being scammed, mugged, or robbed or worse Being kidnapped – although this is rare in most countries • Finding you don't know enough of the local language • Low water pressure or no automatic hot water • Living out of a backpack or two for extended periods • Having to leave stuff behind because it makes no sense to carry • Unethical practices including animal abuse, sex trade, etc. • Issues with citizenship status for being away for too long • Not having planned for all contingencies, including accounting for your return home, especially in a financial sense Is Being a Digital Nomad Right for You? Being "nomadic" is obviously not a new concept. Of course, it's not for everyone. So, how do you decide whether or not you're cut out for it? Ask yourself if the following describes you: I can give up some of life's luxuries for a time I njoy traveling as well as living elsewhere I don't mind learning another language I have few obligations at present I am interested in other cultures I don't mind planning in general I'm okay with taking some employment risks in being either a freelancer or an online entrepreneur I have the ability to save money and do financial planning I'm fortunate enough to have a job that has few if any location-based requirements I could leverage a location-based gig such as teaching a language I'm smart enough not to over-rely on credit cards if income gets lean, and have a fallback plan to return temporarily if necessary If these points describe you and your situation, chances are good that you might enjoy the digital nomad experience. Bon Voyage! References Information for this article was collected from the following pages and web sites: 1. http://becomenomad.com/digital-nomad-lifestyle/ 2. http://www.bankerinthesun.com/2013/11/5-ways-to-monetize-skills-and-enjoy-adventure/ 3. http://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2011/ted_20110624_data.htm 4. https://www.currencyfair.com/blog/rise-digital-nomad-international-lifestyle/ 5. http://www.digitalnomadjobs.com/pros-and-cons-of-being-a-digital-nomad/ 6. http://www.findingtheuniverse.com/2014/03/the-ultimate-digital-nomad-packing-list.html 7. http://flagtheory.com/boi/ 8. http://www.forbes.com/sites/tanyamohn/2014/03/19/top-10-lifehacker-tips-for-digital-nomads/ 9. http://www.globalworkplaceanalytics.com/telecommuting-statistics 10. http://www.greenbacktaxservices.com/blog/expat-taxes-explained-foreign-earned-income-exclusion/ 11. http://fu-res.org/pdfs/advocacy/2011 Counting the_Independent_Workforce%20Policy_Brief.pdf 12. http://www.slideshare.net/oDesk/millennials-and-the-future-of-work-survey-results 13. http://travel.trade.gov/view/m-2013-0-001/index.html 14. http://media.unwto.org/press-release/2014-01-20/international-tourism-exceeds-expectations-arrivals-52-million-2013 Infographic created by: Research and infographic commissioned College Rank and published by CollegeRank.net- visit us at: www.collegerank.net Dubs&Dash Strategy Creativity Results www.d2-group.com Photos & llustrations/Shutterstock.com