Digital Nomads, Remote Workers, and Ex-pats
On a recent driving trip up and down the west coast from Los Angeles to Whistler, Canada, I traveled with a friend who could work anywhere he had a cellular signal and access to the internet. He's a digital nomad, and along the way, we met several others on the trip.
You may have heard the term digital nomad and wondered what it meant. A digital nomad takes their internet-based work with them and travels without a permanent home. Since cell connections include access to the internet, WiFi isn't necessary, but it helps speed up the network.
So imagine being able to work out of your car, a hotel, a short-term apartment, or even a campground, as long as you've got a connection to the internet. It's even possible to work as a digital nomad almost anywhere in the world with the new Starlink satellite system, which provides an internet connection on any continent. You can (and people have done it) equip a recreational vehicle with internet access or even take the satellite antenna wherever you travel.
So, while a digital nomad travels and can work anywhere, there are other ways to work outside of an office or a workplace. Some people are remote workers, some are ex-pats, and others are just nomads, so let's see if I can help clarify the differences.
Remote Worker
Covid-19 helped educate everyone about remote work. Jobs requiring only a phone or computer allowed many people to work at home. Office jobs moved to people's homes. Organizations that required workers to show up physically, like delivery drivers, food service, or medical care, had to be physically in the workplace. Information workers like technical support, programmers, graphic designers, data entry, or call-center staff are jobs that could and did move to people's homes. A computer and internet connection enabled many workers to continue working while they were located remotely from their office. Ok, so that's remote workers.
Nomads
A nomad has no permanent office or home and moves from place to place. You can be a nomad and not necessarily a digital nomad. The movie Nomadland is a good one to watch to get a sense of a community of people in the United States that live in their vehicles and migrate from job to job. Based on a true story, the main character chooses to live a nomadic lifestyle, migrating from one seasonal job to another while living out of her converted van.
Some people are nomads of necessity, living out of their cars or vehicles for financial reasons, while others do it by choice. Many retirees spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on recreational vehicles and live their retirement on the road.
Because the recreational vehicle lifestyle is popular, services exist to support this type of nomadic life. One example is the network of campgrounds, but there are others. Mail services exist that people can use as a mailing address, and the service scans the envelopes of all mail received. The nomad gets the scans of the envelopes in an email every day and then can choose which envelopes to have the mail service open and scan the documents, or to have the mail service forward the mail to any address, even internationally.
Campgrounds and truck stops have showers, laundry, and food, and there is no one type of nomadic lifestyle. Some people live year-round on cruise ships, others move from one hotel to another, and others migrate to and from AirBnBs.
For nomads, their financial capability determines the level of housing, food, and other amenities. One popular option in the United States is the volunteer.gov website which posts volunteer opportunities for people to work in National Parks and offers a free campsite or lodging in return for service.
Expat
An ex-pat is a person who lives in a country where they are not a citizen. It doesn't matter if it's for work or pleasure. Anyone residing outside their citizenship country is considered an ex-pat, short for expatriate. Some companies and organizations send workers to foreign countries for work. While I lived in Atlanta, I met some German citizens who worked for Mercedes-Benz at their U.S. headquarters. They are ex-pats of Germany.
The U.S. government doesn't keep track of the exact numbers of Americans living abroad. Still, ex-pat websites estimate that as many as eight million may be living outside of the United States.
Relocated workers in businesses, non-profits, and governments have arrangements made by their employers. The employer arranges housing, medical care, schooling for children, and local transportation. Since we live in a global economy, businesses and other organizations have a lot of experience supporting their employees while working abroad. Numerous services are available for this demand, such as international health care plans and relocation assistance. The availability of these services makes it easier for individuals to live as ex-pats.
An ex-pat may have a job that lets them work with a computer and internet connection but usually stays in one place. Some ex-pats frequently move from country to country so that they can be an ex-pat nomad. A chef that travels internationally would be an example of an ex-pat nomad. The hospitality and cruise industry has many ex-pats that move from country to country, and it's common to see people from foreign countries working in these occupations.
If you're interested in learning more about living abroad as an ex-pat, I teach a class through community colleges you can find on my class calendar.
Digital Nomads
Digital nomads combine a mix of the remote worker, nomad, and ex-pat. Being able to work remotely is usually necessary to be a digital nomad. Still, a fixed location isn't required since it's possible to work anywhere.
Since a digital nomad can work anywhere, including in foreign countries, sometimes an ex-pat is both an ex-pat and a digital nomad. But some digital nomads only travel in their home country since they can work anywhere. It's a matter of finances and preferences.
One company, remote year, offers digital nomads a turnkey experience with housing, office space, and recreational activities. Their full-year service includes living in one location for three months at a time, then relocating, with locations in South America, Europe, and Asia. For people who don't want to make housing, workplace, and other arrangements, remote year offers a unique experience. But many digital nomads make the arrangements themselves.
Airbnb has made it easier for digital nomads to find places to stay, and metropolitan areas worldwide have fitness centers and short-term office workspaces. Uber and Lyft have eliminated the need for a car in many international locations. In some cities, public transportation is abundant and inexpensive.
But then some digital nomads live in vehicles, from cars to fancy RVs, and choose to stay in campgrounds or parking lots where they are allowed to stay.
Is It for You?
Some people operate as digital nomads for part of the year, maintaining a home base but then traveling when it suits them or there's an opportunity. It's a flexible lifestyle that allows a great degree of freedom to live and work anywhere, so more people are taking advantage of it. But it's not for everyone.
Some people prefer staying in one place, while others like moving from place to place. With global internet access and remote jobs, the digital nomad is a new lifestyle that is here to stay.
Resources:
Find remote work on Jooble.