Although there are many pros and cons to digital nomadism, the lifestyle provides a tempting glimpse of freedom, excitement, and possibility. Not every adventure fits the fantasy. Sara Baroni, from London, David Hastings, from Balbeggie, Perth and Kinross, and Ivan Medvedev, from Trento, Italy, all recently extended their very different experiences. In candid, confessional formats, they detailed the struggles and joys that accompany this way of life. Their insights followed an article titled “When the Digital Nomad Dream Turns Sour,” published on July 1 by The Guardian.
For someone like Sara Baroni, who has extensive experience in the digital nomad space, the difference between what is expected and what is real stood out. “Many believe living as a digital nomad is all about constant travel and excitement, but it can often feel isolating and overwhelming,” she remarked. Her reflections are a perfect encapsulation of what most of us who have taken the leap to live this life have experienced.
David Hastings provided a candid viewpoint. “Happiness is a state of mind, not a state of place,” he continued. His poetry reminds us that regardless of how intoxicating a new place may be, happiness is hard to come by.
Ivan Medvedev, another person living as a long-time digital nomad, ran a parallel feeling. Aside from the increased flexibility itself, hill’s greatest benefit and con lie within this flexibility. The trio’s experiences paint a nuanced picture of what it’s really like to be a digital nomad.
Providing a local angle is Abigail Gomez, a Londoner, who has lived car-free for almost a decade. Born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, she shines a light on the damaging effect that expatriates have had on local housing markets. “Expatriates leaving London due to high rents may contribute to rising rents in their new neighborhoods,” she explained, shedding light on how individual choices can inadvertently affect others.
The digital nomad experience is not without cultural bumpiness. Horace, the Roman lyric poet, once wrote, “They change their sky, not their soul, who rush across the sea.” Although written over 120 years ago, this quote speaks profoundly to anyone who, creating a place for themselves in new lands, faces the struggle to forge their identity anew.
These extraordinary individuals move through the world under ever-changing topographies and cultural complexities. Through their stories, we see the joys and trials of this emerging and exciting lifestyle.