During my Bachelor’s degree, the main source of anxiety for me was the thought that upon graduation I would have to spend the rest of my life stuck working in an office under iridescent lighting and, worst of all, forcing small talk by the coffee machine. I dreaded this thought with every cell in my body.
To find an escape route, I followed the journey of countless other content creators and how they’ve structured their life in a way that allows them to travel when they want, wherever they want, all while working from their laptop. In my gut, I knew this is how I want to structure my life too.
When I graduated, I had my eyes set on securing an internship that allowed me to work remotely. And I did. I worked at a digital marketing agency with colleagues all over the world, and we all came together to collaborate digitally over Zoom. Once the internship ended, the Covid-19 pandemic started which flipped the way we work totally on its head.
Practically overnight, companies that used to be strictly office-based now required employees to work from home. I would be lying if I denied that a little part of me was ecstatic at the timing of this.
Today, I am working as the Marketing Coordinator at a tech company whilst writing this article in the lounge of the Tivoli Resort in Carvoeiro, Portugal where the Atlantic ocean glistens right below the terrace.
Every time its blue colour catches my gaze, I sigh with awe, and all I can think of is how grateful I am to be able to be here and do this. It does feel like a big milestone of mine that I’ve reached. However, this is still just the very first taste of traveling and working abroad as a digital nomad.
What is a digital nomad?
A digital nomad is someone who works remotely whilst traveling around the world. Their occupation lives within their laptop and all they need is good wifi to do their work, whether that be in a resort by the pool, whilst living in a van, or in a co-working space in a bustling city.
Digital nomads are not constricted by any city, country or timezone to be able to do their work. Above all, they have structured their life, at least for the time being, in a way that frees them from anything that is tying them down to a specific location or other responsibilities.
The quest for freedom
The digital nomad lifestyle comes with sacrifices and opportunity costs, and it definitely isn’t everyone’s desired way of living. However, those with a restless soul or the heart of an explorer might be more curious about embarking on the digital nomad adventure.
Traveling not only expands our appreciation towards other people and cultures with whom we share this beautiful planet, but it also teaches us a lot about ourselves and the way we show up in this world.
The essence of the digital nomadic lifestyle really comes down to one word: freedom. I want to live a life where I am free to choose when, where and how I work. If it’s sunny, I want to have the freedom to choose to spend the day outside instead of being stuck inside sitting in an office. I also want to be free to decide how much I work during a certain week rather than try and force myself to keep up a steady level of productivity all year round.
Getting to this point in my journey has required some sacrifices, both big and small. But that’s with most things in life. It takes asking yourself some tough questions: admitting to yourself how you feel about certain things in your current lifestyle and whether they bring you closer to where you want to be.
Life is too short to sit around and wait for things to happen – or worse – to hope for things to change. Things won’t change within the next two, five, or even ten years unless you decide to take action, choose to turn another page, or completely throw out the old map you were handed and draw a new one.
A marketing professional in tech by day, Lilli finds a creative release in exploring and writing about her perfectly imperfect human experience on muija. With heart and soul, she is learning how to navigate this life, and in sharing her stories Lilli hopes to inspire others to follow their curiosity, too.