What No One Tells You About Being a Digital Nomad

The digital nomad lifestyle is something many individuals dream about, and rightfully so. This lifestyle allows you to work remotely from anywhere in the world. If you scroll on Instagram, you’ll see digital nomads working on their laptops, sipping coconuts by the pool, working at cute cafes, going surfing mid-day, hiking to waterfalls, and bouncing from country to country. While all of that is possible, people often have an overly glorified image of what being a digital nomad actually entails.

After being a digital nomad myself for over three years, I wanted to dive into the things most people don’t talk about when it comes to this lifestyle. If this is the path you want to pursue, it’s essential to understand the difficulties, challenges, and sacrifices that can come along with it.

Bureaucracy: The Hidden Hurdles

Being a digital nomad isn’t as easy-breezy as it seems. There’s a lot of misinformation online about which countries you can be a digital nomad in, how long you can stay, what work you can legally do, tax rules, and more. For instance, during the pandemic, visa rules in Indonesia changed constantly. Countries closed their borders in the blink of an eye—I barely made it out of Malaysia before they closed theirs. Depending on your passport, you might need to apply for certain visas ahead of time. You can’t always just show up and expect to be let in or allowed to work.

You must do your research to ensure you can enter the country, aren’t overstaying your visa, and aren’t taking jobs away from locals. I’ve known people who accidentally overstayed their visas and had to pay huge fines. Others have been misled by visa agencies or deported for working without proper documentation. My advice is to make connections with other nomads in the country before you move or as soon as you get there. Join niche Facebook groups like “Canggu Girls Community” or “Digital Nomad Girls Community” to stay in the loop and get reliable information.

Your Problems Will Follow You

No matter what country you go to, your problems will follow you. My friends and I joke about this because many of us started traveling to escape personal issues. I got cheated on and fled the country, a friend broke off her engagement, others hated their jobs or endured traumatic experiences. But these problems don’t just disappear when you travel. Even if you pack light, you still carry that heavy baggage around and will have to deal with it eventually.

When I got to Indonesia, I was severely depressed. I pretended to be okay on camera, but behind the scenes, I had meltdowns, sobbed in the shower, and ate my feelings in cinnamon rolls. Moving to a tropical paradise doesn’t fix these problems. I finally hired a therapist, which I wish I had done years earlier.

If you’re considering this lifestyle, I highly recommend seeing a licensed therapist. Don’t rely on unqualified “healing coaches” who prey on vulnerable people. Do your research and seek help from professionals who are legally qualified to assist you.

Starting Over Repeatedly

As a digital nomad, you must be okay with starting over repeatedly, both personally and professionally. When I arrived in Indonesia, I knew no one and had never been there before. It was all foreign to me. Stepping off the plane, navigating insane traffic, and adjusting to a different culture was overwhelming. I had to learn to drive a scooter, find places to eat, and make new friends from scratch.

Most nomads don’t just skyrocket their businesses right off the bat. There are tons of bumps and setbacks along the way. Many entrepreneurs have had to start over or pivot several times. Failing is just feedback, and you have to learn from it and adapt.

Misunderstanding from Friends and Family

Most people won’t understand what you do as a digital nomad, making it difficult to relate to friends and family back home. I’ve gotten comments like, “So you just scroll on social media all day?” or “When are you going back to reality and getting a real job?” People assume digital nomads have it easy and don’t work hard. However, most digital nomads work long hours, especially in the beginning, to establish their businesses.

When you completely change your lifestyle, conversations with friends and family also change. My best friend back in the States and I have vastly different lives now, and it can be challenging to relate. Even when my family members visited Bali, they thought I could drop everything to be their tour guide, not realizing I still had work commitments.

Challenging Relationships

Relationships, both romantic and platonic, are hard as a digital nomad. It’s challenging to form deep, long-term relationships when you’re constantly moving. In Bali, I’ve encountered many people looking for short-term flings, those with unresolved past traumas, and individuals with no intention of committing long-term.

Dating as a nomad is especially difficult because people are always coming and going. Your lifestyle and vision need to align with your partner’s, and visa regulations can complicate things further.

Emotional Rollercoaster

Being a digital nomad is an emotional rollercoaster. Every nomad I know has experienced extreme highs and lows. I’ve felt incredibly lonely, isolated, and anxious. I’ve had meltdowns upon arriving in new places, dealt with difficult men, faced visa issues, endured long bus rides with minimal breaks, and started my business from scratch multiple times. I’ve also never truly had a home, which brings both excitement and a lack of stability.

Despite the challenges, being a digital nomad can change your life. You’ll grow as a person, view the world differently, and get outside your comfort zone. You’ll meet amazing people, appreciate different cultures, and gain a unique perspective on life and what’s “normal.”

If you’d like me to dive deeper into this topic or if you have questions about being a nomad or running a social media management business, let me know by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts and sharing your thoughts.

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