There are so many people in the world who have deprived themselves of a life of travel. They say they wish they could see the world, but there’s typically one thing getting in the way of that.

If you guessed their job, then you guessed correct.

If you’re like most people, you haven’t collected an inheritance or won the lottery, so that means you have to go to work every day to earn a living. Going to work each day leaves you very little time to go on vacation until you have enough vacation hours saved for it. Even then, it might not be enough time to enjoy the destination fully you’re visiting.

Many people want to live a life of travel but feel like its a far fetched reality. Well, the existence of living a life of travel is that it’s not far fetched at all. In fact, more and more people are ditching their full-time jobs to travel full-time. For some, this can be a terrifying thought, but for others, they wish they would’ve known about it sooner!

The scariest part people fear about living a life of travel is that they’ll have to leave their steady and reliable source of income. If that’s the scariest part you were thinking of, you can now breathe a little easier because you indeed can travel the world and still make money doing it.

This lifestyle is called the digital nomad lifestyle.

What is a Digital Nomad?

As a digital nomad, you’ll be traveling the world and working. The work you do is entirely internet-based. That’s what gives you the freedom to travel all over the world. So as long as you have internet access, you can have just as much of a steady income as you did at your full-time job. If that sounds appealing to you, then it might be time for a career change.

What You Need to Know About the Digital Nomad Lifestyle

Living a digital nomad lifestyle isn’t always going to be something you’re going to love. It’s quite an adjustment to get used to. As a digital nomad, it has its perks.

Still, it also requires an extreme amount of discipline and dedication to your work. You’re going to be working on your own time and remotely, a gift and a curse.

It’s a gift in the sense that you have complete freedom to work whenever you want and as often as you wish. It’s a curse because you have that freedom and if you don’t put in the time and the effort to do the work, you won’t make any money. It speaks to the saying that you only get out what you put in. That’s not to scare you or persuade you not to adopt the digital nomad lifestyle, but you must know some truths about it before you jump in.

If you’re a true wanderlust at heart and want to make traveling your new way of life, you need to consider adopting the digital nomad lifestyle. But before you take on this lifestyle, there are some essential truths you should know about first.

Truth It Gets Lonely

If you’re embarking on the digital nomad lifestyle as a solo traveler, you must know that it will get lonely at times. Before you start the journey, you probably see people on social media posting all these beautiful pictures of their adventures traveling alone. They’re sitting on mountain tops or laying on the beach with inspiring hashtags, and in your mind, you want that!

Well, the only thing missing from those hashtags is them talking about how lonely they get on their journeys. That’s not saying that they are feeling alone all the time or that they’re not enjoying their travels because a lot of the times they are. But it’s important to know and understand that they do have lonely moments as well.

During those lonely moments, it’s best to call your close friends and family or send emails, letting them know you miss them. But you also need to remember that you don’t have to feel confined to your specific location either. You’re a digital nomad and work based on the internet, so you can always go home if you miss your family and friends, and then go to your next destination!

Truth You Can Make As Much Money As You Want But You Have to Work For It

One of the biggest fears of digital nomads is running out of money. It’s an understandable fear simply because you don’t want to be in a foreign land and not have any money to your name. But that’s all the more reason why you have to make sure you’re working

Sure, you can enjoy the beauty of the rainforests you’re visiting. Still, you also have to make sure you’re keeping enough income coming in while you’re in these places, or else you will get stuck in a foreign country.

Most digital nomads earn a living by starting an online business. You would simply purchase a domain name and build your website online to get started. In becoming the owner of an e-commerce store, it’s mainly going to become your primary source of income. To have a successful online business, that’s going to mean that you’re going to have to run it just like you would a physical store.

You’re going to have to promote your business, make sure you’re keeping customers happy, and respond to customer inquiries. This somewhat refers back to earlier in getting what you put in it.

If you’re not tending to your business, no one else is. Ideally, you would want to be working to not only make money but also work towards saving your money while you travel.

Truth It Has Risks

You’re probably looking at this thinking, of course, it has risks, doesn’t everything! Yes, but when you’re in a foreign country, there are mistakes you want to avoid, according to smarttraveler.com. You want to be able to enjoy yourself, but it’s essential to keep your eyes open.

Some people look for solo travelers to rob them of their money and personal belongings. Because you’d be in a foreign country, you just want to take extra precautions to make sure you’re safe.

Bottom Line

Nothing is without risks, and if you are looking for a career change, a digital nomad lifestyle might just be the right choice for you. And if you are ready to make the change, check out the best cities in Africa for digital nomads.

Are you ready to book your next adventure? Check out the best travels deals here:

• Book your accommodation through Booking.com.
• Search for cheap flights using TravelGooru.
• Rent an affordable car using DiscoverCars.
• Buy travel accessories and bags from our Travel Shop.
• Sign up for day trips and food tours at GetYourGuide.