The drama of no longer having a fixed address
I don't have a zip code anymore. How to shop online?
One of the most common feedback you've given me is to tell stories of digital nomads. Thanks a lot. Soon I will have a section with profiles of these people and what motivates them.
We don't reflect on certain things in our lives. Having an address to call your own is one of them. Since we were kids, it's natural to use our address frequently (I still remember the zip code of my parent's house).
Suddenly, I realized I don't have a fixed address as a digital nomad. And now? I'm still learning how to deal with it, but I already have some comments.
I usually put my last address if I log in for something online. Actually, who does this service for me is Google’s autocomplete.
The problem is when I order some product. If it will be delivered in a few days, and I will be at the current location until a few days after the initial delivery date, I ask to arrive there.
I divide it into two scenarios if it is a more extended delivery period. The first is to ask to friends if I can use their address. But be careful: try to alternate the friend to avoid disturbing anyone (they have nothing to do with you not having a home).
If I'm buying something less urgent, I use my parent's address in the countryside and pick up the item when I go there.
What I still have to test is the post office box. It is a service that makes it possible to rent a space in an agency to receive orders and correspondence.
It is also important that you have proof of address in your name. It will be necessary to register or accept a job (even remote). Use your parents' or a close friend's address. I have a dream that one day there will be an option: "I don't have an address/I'm a digital nomad."
So far, I haven't had any problems. Deliveries from companies like Amazon or Mercado Livre are increasingly efficient. Good for me, I won't need to buy things that usually take longer, like furniture.
Thanks for reading. See you on Friday.
Photo: Carlos J. Cuadros/Pexels