How to become a digital nomad?

Many of us have seen those digital nomad images of a laptop next to a coconut, a gorgeous ocean in the background and the hashtag #officeoftheday.

The thought of working from the beach or a hammock in a tropical location can easily induce envy, especially if you’re sitting in a cubicle or working from home in your sweatpants.

Here are some of the most important things to think about when you’re considering how to become a digital nomad, especially if you’re hoping to travel the world.

What are your skills

The first thing you need to do is figure out what skills you possess that you can monetize online. You’ll obviously need to be able to type and use a computer as well as the Internet. The good news is that in today’s day and age, that’s a skill most people already have. You can increase the chances of landing higher-paying remote work by building on knowledge and skills from things you’ve studied or worked on in the past.

Build your business

Once you’ve been a freelancer for a bit, you can start building out your business. If you do a good job, it’ll be easy to get referrals for new clients and your income streams will grow. You can also consider creating your own website and business cards to market your business and increase your reach and reputation.

Digital nomad community

Having a community of nomads to connect with is crucial. Do your research on Google and Reddit, and check which Facebook groups are available for your chosen city. You can get a lot of your destination-related questions answered before you commit to going there.

Bank account and credit cards

Some banks charge a fee when you use another bank's ATM. In turn, the other banks or ATMs may charge fees of their own. If you don’t select your bank wisely, you may be stuck paying two sets of ATM fees every time you withdraw cash.

And you’ll also want to get a travel credit card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, which can be as high as 3%. There’s no reason to pay these if you don’t have to.

The minimalists

The easiest scenario is to finish your apartment lease and store your stuff with family or at a storage facility. If your situation is more complicated, that doesn’t mean you’re out of luck.

Working hours and locations

Avoid destinations where the time difference can easily be 10 to 12 hours, making it very difficult to have any sort of social life or a healthy routine in addition to work.

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