How I became a digital nomad

Digital nomadism is not something that comes out unexpectedly

First of all, I would like to thank the readers. We are almost 50 in this community about digital nomadism in just over a week. At this first moment, I will write on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Remember to give me feedback. I want to improve the product constantly. If anyone can contribute financially, I will be grateful. Writing is the only thing I know how to do in life. Good week to all of us.

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Digital nomadism has been a dream of mine since 2015, when I interviewed a nomadic couple who worked wearing pajamas. At that moment, I didn't have a regular job and worked from home and in cafes. I realized I could be a journalist anywhere in Brazil or in the world.

I felt fulfilled. I worked when I wanted and where I wanted, with all organization and concentration that are required. However, in 2016 I had to return to a regular job for a practical reason: life as a freelancer was financially uncertain. And the dream of digital nomadism fell asleep.

In my first years at the newsroom, I forgot that there was another model of work and life. After all, going to the company every day was the only one we knew. Remote work during the pandemic has changed everything. It was no longer necessary to wake up early, change clothes, move around and face traffic. And I performed my tasks in the same way as before. One of the reasons is simple: I just need a notebook and internet.

And then the face-to-face return became a burden in my life. I didn't see the meaning in going to work for four days to do what could be done remotely. Then, digital nomadism reawakened in me, I quit my job and here I am.

I narrated my story to say that it was not something that came out of nowhere. There was a process of finding, fascination, maturation, freezing and rebirth. If you want to be a digital nomad one day, you may need to go through these process. As I wrote here, some personal characteristics make life easier for a digital nomad. 

Not everyone is a potential digital nomad. There are the digital sedentary, people who prefer a routine life. Maybe it's your case. You will need to find out. I will talk about this in the future.

Photo from Jeswin Thomas