Download directly, on iTunes, or Stitcher.

When talking to people who aren’t familiar with a nomadic lifestyle, it can sometimes be tricky to convey the Digital Nomadism as a career path where you can work as many hours (if not more!) than the average 9 to 5er based out of a single place. Sometimes family and friends expect you to settle down eventually, and can react a little strangely to the news that you plan to continue traveling long-term as a lifestyle choice. They may also get envious fantasizing about the “glamorous” life you’re leading traveling the world, and it’s important to stay honest and positive when conveying the pros and cons of your lifestyle along with what you do.

On this episode we talk about our experience being without a single home base for the past 14 months, some of the pros and cons of the Digital Nomad lifestyle, how it’s taught us to value some stability, and our tips on navigating conversations with family and friends who may not be familiar with the lifestyle.

Enjoy!

What we talk about:

• The background behind the conversations that inspired us to talk about this topic and how we deal with the question “Where do you live?”
• How we feel about not being based out of a single place for more than a month for the past 14 months
• The pros of not being based out of one place, like not being tied to a mortgage and having the freedom to travel
• The cons of not being based out of one place, like not feeling like any specific place is home
• How our family members react when they are expecting us to settle down in one place and we tell them that’s not our plan, and that sometimes it’s easier for us to relate to snowbirds who travel south for the winter!
• How people traditionally think of travel as something you do when you don’t have a job or are on vacation, how the Digital Nomad lifestyle is changing this but is still a relatively new concept
• How you can’t assume that someone else will think the thing you’re doing is cool just because you think it’s cool, and how you sometimes have to convey why what you’re pursuing is valuable to you
• The weird concept of not having a “home” to be homesick for
• Our advice to our younger selves on how to communicate what we do and our lifestyle to other people
• The importance of staying open and positive in sharing what you’re doing when living a lifestyle or having a career path most people may not be familiar with
• Amanda’s goal to share more of the lesser known and negative aspects of travel on social media along with beautiful travel photos to try and more realistically convey the full story of the Digital Nomad lifestyle
• How the world is becoming more and more Nomad/remote work friendly, but the images of people working on beautiful beaches with their laptops are definitely NOT the reality of Digital Nomad life
• How the Digital Nomad lifestyle and not having a home has taught us the value of having a stable lifestyle and workplace, and how our wanderlust ebbs and flows with our desire for stability
• How we can sometimes feel bad about living a life we enjoy when people express envy for our lifestyle
• Our tips on how to navigate conversation with people unfamiliar with the Digital Nomadism and conveying the reality of the lifestyle, like communicating your excitement and the pride you take in your work
• Our final thoughts including staying open and honest when having conversations with people who aren’t familiar with the Digital Nomad lifestyle, being proud of the life you’ve created for yourself, and keeping in mind that the lifestyle is still relatively new and more people will become familiar with it as time goes on

If you enjoy the podcast, join the community on Facebook, Instagram + sign up for the monthly newsletter.

You can also check out our new travel community on Facebook where you can ask questions, get travel recommendations, and find community members in your area!

Music Credits:

www.bensound.com