Often millennials crave experiences. We scroll through our Instagram feeds and see all the cool places we want to go. We reject the idea that working a 9 to 5 is the only way to be successful. We have wanderlust so strong that sometimes we aspire to live the life of a nomad. But this life isn’t just visiting a monkey sanctuary in Bali or posing for photos in Rome. Choosing to not conform to the norm and live the life of a nomad may include these wonderful experiences but know that it’s not for everyone.
So What is Nomadic Living?
When you live as a nomad, you are frequently changing locations. You spend your time switching from one place to another, never staying for more than a couple of months. You may have a place you call home, where your friends and family are, but you never spend too much time there. You never settle down. You constantly seek change. Nomadic living requires you to have a very minimalist mindset and not have an attachment to your possessions.
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This sounds great, is there a catch?
Living as a nomad has many advantages and disadvantages. Nomads acquire many life experiences that would have been impossible without their nomadic lifestyle, and as a result, have fascinating lives full of beautiful moments. They usually experience more of the world than their non-nomadic counterparts and immerse themselves in the culture of the place they are staying.
But these experiences and this lifestyle comes at the cost of many other parts of your life. If you commit to living life as a nomad, it must take priority over everything else in your life, including your career aspirations, assets, and relationships. Your life lacks stability, and you have no real home. Life as a nomad can be lonely.
How Can I Live The Life Of A Nomad?
This life can be exhilarating, but also scary. It can feel fulfilling, but it is also not for everyone. But if you are one of the people that it is for, make sure you have prepared the important items below.
Finances: Many nomads are “digital nomads,” this means that they use technology to make money wherever they are. The world is their office. They don’t work remotely for a company but use technology to work for themselves. A lot of times a digital nomad runs his or her own business or creates a travel blog. But these are not the only options; the key is to be able to work when you want, how you want, and where you want.
Accommodations: When you first start as a nomad, you might be operating off of savings and the cost of temporary accommodations around the world can be a little scary. Make sure you prepare by figuring out the most economically feasible way to find places to stay. A great option is house sitting, where you take care of someones home and pets in exchange for accommodation.
Once you have a more stable life as a nomad, you end up looking for places to stay for a few months at a time.
Work-Life Balance: If you spend your time working eight hours a day, you aren’t a nomad, you just have a very mobile office. To live as a nomad, you should allocate a set amount of time each day to work productively and then put it away to go experience the place you are in. You may work for three to five hours and then spend your afternoon scuba diving. You may spend a morning hiking and your evening working. The key is to prioritize the balance between working to sustain your nomadic lifestyle, and actually going out and living the nomadic lifestyle.
It’s also important to meet people and form friendships while on the road. You get to feel connected to those around you and create a balance that is essential to negate the disadvantages of nomadic life.
Is your wanderlust so strong that the life of a nomad is for you?
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