An adventurer is one who seeks adventure and is eager to test themselves against unknown circumstances and situations, boldly jumping in and relying on their skills, talents, and instincts. It’s not surprising that digital nomads are often called, or can relate to the term adventurer. Living in different countries and running a company at the same time IS an adventure. On this blog, we don’t sugarcoat the fact that being a digital nomad takes a lot of hard work and dedication. What we haven’t discussed as much are the multitude of benefits one can enjoy as a digital nomad adventurer.
So what are those advantages? As a digital nomad adventurer, your lifestyle gives you the freedom to:
• Run your own business
• Choose which days and hours you work
• Travel and see places most people only dream of
• Engage in sports and play when the mood suits you
• Discover and refine your tastes
• Do things your way, discovering your self-confidence and growing along the way
• For every ounce of blood, sweat, and tears you put into the lifestyle, it does eventually pay back dividends
In this article, we’ll elaborate on exactly how, diving deep into the benefits and perks of your job, which we think are some of the best in the world.
What Are the Top Advantages of Being a Digital Nomad Adventurer?
For beginner digital nomads or those who want to maximize their lifestyle, we think this list of the best advantages of digital nomadism will come quite in handy.
Without further ado then, here are the perks most digital nomad adventurers get to experience firsthand.
Owning Your Own Business
Most people today take a deep sense of pride in the work they do. They aspire to higher and higher rungs on the totem pole, wishing to jump to the top of the corporate structure.
Rather than play the corporate game, you’ve decided to do things on your own terms, opening a business that you own and run. Perhaps you’re the CEO or maybe not, but at the end of the day, you have your own business, and that’s no small feat.
Besides the immense feelings of achievement and satisfaction, one gets from being a successful business owner, and there’s other advantages to this career path as well. For one, your job gives you the freedom to live as a digital nomad adventurer. Since you’re the boss, there’s no one breathing down your neck telling you to be at the office at a particular time. You don’t ever have to go in to work if you don’t want to. You can take care of your assignments at the airport, in hotel rooms, in coworking spaces, and even on the beach if you can swing it.
If you’ve ever had a coworker you don’t quite mesh with, then you know how that makes going to work day in and day out uncomfortable. You don’t have to deal with that anymore, either. You choose the staff you surround yourself with, hiring trusted employees to keep the office running while you’re away. Overall, it’s a better working environment for all.
Also, as a business owner, you’re not capped in terms of income. If you want to chase more projects and ventures to expand your ROI, you have that opportunity. That’s not the case as an office employee. Your income is set at a specific limit, and that’s it. Unless you earn yourself a raise, then that’s not changing.
Another cool part about owning your own business?
The Freedom to Set Your Own Hours
Lots of offices have moved away from the standard, tired nine-to-five system, allowing their employees to work from home a few times a week or even every day. You’re a bit ahead of the curve, as you can’t recall the last time you put in a nine-to-five day. As a digital nomad adventurer, you choose when you work and for how long, as we mentioned.
Now, that’s not to say you won’t put the hours in, because you certainly will. If you’re a regular reader of this blog, then surely you already know that. Also, it’s not always sunshine and rainbows, as sometimes you must work on nights or weekends. Still, while most people sit and toil away at offices all day, you can explore new parts of the world or jetset to your next destination. That kind of freedom means working as a digital nomad doesn’t get old. If you’re tired of your current backdrop, you can always change it at the drop of a hat.
Discovering New Places Around the World
Most people have a list of places they’d like to travel to at some point. Some refer to this as a bucket list because it could take their whole lives before they get to see these destinations.
Not you. Any part of the world you’ve dreamed of traveling to, you could make it a reality. Maybe there are a few more destinations you have yet to visit, but you have the means, so it’s only a matter of time before you get there.
Where does that leave your travel bug once you see all the places you want to? The bug bites again, inspiring you to get out and explore and discover further. You end up finding hidden gems that weren’t even on your radar because you’ve opened yourself up to these new adventures. The people you meet, the sense of culture you discover, and the memories you cultivate all make traveling incredibly worthwhile. You get to remember that all the time. In that and many other regards, you’re incredibly fortunate.
Enjoying Sports and Play
As adults, we have a lot of responsibilities. We have to go to work all five days of the week, which sucks up a lot of our energy. The remaining time in the day we do have is often devoted to household stuff, such as cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the children. The only time to look forward to for fun is the weekend.
Getting outside and playing, whether that’s engaging in sports or doing things another way, should be a semi-regular part of your life.
According to an article on HelpGuide.org, a resource for physical and mental health, playing as an adult can:
• Boost your energy, thus making you feel like you’re younger (after all, getting old is just a mindset)
• Help you feel closer to others
• Increase your creativity through mental stimulation
• Lessen your depression and stress
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Luckily, as a digital nomad adventurer, you have lots of ways to play. You also have anywhere in the world in which to do it. That kind of freedom is something to cherish and make the most of whenever you have the time.
Knowing and Refining Your Tastes
What do you like and dislike?
It may seem like a silly question to ask, but it’s essential to address nevertheless. As kids, we could rattle off our favorite foods, bands, movies, colors, TV shows, animals, and anything else off the top of our heads. Growing up, those things become a little less critical. Sure, you can still bond with people over shared interests, but we no longer take the time to think about what we like as consciously.
That’s a mistake. Without knowing your tastes, it’s hard to surround yourself with the things that make you happy. Worse yet, sometimes we adults give in to peer pressure, engaging in things we don’t enjoy just because our friends do so, or it seems like everyone else does.
Traveling as a digital nomad lets you strip back some of these pretenses. You’re either seeing the world alone or with another companion, so already there’s less of that peer pressure to worry about. You can explore the places you want to explore, see what you want to see, eat what you want to eat, and do what you want to do. The world is your oyster.
Having that kind of unbridled freedom lets you discover yourself all over again. Experiencing other cultures also allows you to refine what you like and don’t like in this life. Throughout your travels, you’ll get to know yourself all over again.
Harnessing Your Self-Confidence and Sense of Personal Growth
When you genuinely know who you are, you experience significant bouts of personal growth. You’ll also find your self-confidence blossoms consequently. Once you get back home, you can make amendments to your life. Perhaps your travels made you realize that you outgrew certain friendships or relationships, so you decide to mutually part ways with these people. You may see you were filling your time with activities and hobbies that didn’t fulfill you. By chasing what matters to you, you find you’ll lead a happier, more rewarding life.
Self-confidence can also further your business. As a company owner, you need a backbone of steel. You can’t afford to waver on important decisions. There’s no room to doubt or second-guess yourself, either. By doing so, you’ll see opportunities pass you by. You also gradually lose the respect of your coworkers, which could create internal conflict in your office.
As a self-confident business owner, you’ll make smart, efficient choices that benefit your company with a clear, level head. Even if you’re not there in the office to take care of business matters, you’re sure you’re moving your company in the right direction.
What Kinds of Activities and Sports Can You Enjoy While Traveling?
Perhaps your idea of getting exercise while traveling is hitting up the hotel gym or joining a yoga class you heard about through the grapevine. While there’s nothing wrong with those means of physical activity, there’s so much more you can do.
Remember, the world is your oyster! You have the liberty to engage in all sorts of activities; anything that catches your eye, or choose to do nothing at all. If you’re not quite sure where to start, try any of these fun picks. They’ll get your blood pumping, your heart racing, and help you make more incredible memories on your travels.
Camping
Ah, the great outdoors! There’s something so simple yet rewarding about rolling out a sleeping bag and slumbering beneath a vast canopy of stars. You get to return to nature, something we as people don’t do enough of these days. Instead of mindlessly scrolling through your social media feed, you use your phone selectively to conserve battery. After all, it’s not like you can plug it in and charge it just anywhere.
Well, that is, if you even have an Internet connection. Otherwise, you’re using your data. That might prohibit you from checking your emails, but is that such a bad thing? Truly disconnecting like this will eliminate your stress and let you remember what life was like before we were all attached at the hip to our phones.
During your camping trip, you can enjoy many enriching activities. Perhaps you opt to go canoeing or kayaking, take a swim, hike or bike through trails, or stroll through the woods and see if you can spot some birds or animals. Camping somewhere new adds to the excitement and exploration of the experience. Make the most of it!
Backpacking
If backpacking through Europe has been a dream of yours for as long as you can remember, don’t you think it’s high time to make that dream a reality finally? Now that you’re a digital nomad adventurer, you might as well.
Why stop there? Travel sites like Hostelworld recommend backpacking through these places as well:
• Fiji
• Belize
• Indonesia
• The Philippines
• Jordan
• Sri Lanka
• Turkey
• Malta
• Georgia (no, not the one in the United States)
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Even if you don’t want to drop a lot of money on backpacking, you can still explore some incredible places on a budget. Here’s a list courtesy of StudentUniverse:
• Morocco
• Costa Rica
• Peru
• Croatia
• Indonesia
• Thailand
• Nepal
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Have you seen these places before? You might go back for a return trip and this time focus on backpacking more than sightseeing. Even if you have by chance backpacked in the locales we shared, then you can feel free to make your own ultimate backpacking destination list. Those are just some places to get you started. Tweak as necessary.
Kitesurfing
If you’re more into jaw-dropping thrills, don’t worry. We’ve got something for you, too. Have you ever heard of kitesurfing before?
With kitesurfing, you take all the best elements of sailing, skateboarding, paragliding, surfing, windsurfing, snowboarding, and wakeboarding and mash them together. What you get is an activity where you ride with a power kite pulling you along.
Kitesurfing has many advantages. For one, compared to the other sports that it borrows from, it costs a lot less money. You need a power kite and some gear, and then you’re good to go. Another perk? If you’re the type who likes traveling alone, you can still kitesurf. The power kite and the wind propel you. There’s no second person required.
You do need a windy day to kitesurf, obviously, but that’s about the only must. If you happen to stay near a beach on your travels, you can kitesurf on the water. That’s a typical pick, but far from your only choice. You can also go kitesurfing on snow and even smooth land surfaces. Overall, that makes kitesurfing a very versatile activity that will let you see the places you travel to in a brand-new way!
Biking
Another great activity that almost anyone can do is go for a bike ride. We’re not talking endurance riding, here, just leisurely trips around town on your bike. You’ll find biking gets you places faster than walking, but it is better for the environment than driving. It’s also far cheaper to procure a bike than rent a car.
Speaking of getting your bike, you have two options: rent or buy your bike. If you rent it, you can keep the bike for a time, get your use out of it, and then return it before you continue with your travels. If you buy a bike, you never have to worry about seeking out rental options with each new locale you visit. However, you will have to figure out a means of transporting your bike from place to place. You can’t exactly bring it on a plane either, at least not in most instances, so this is a bit challenging.
From Italian countrysides to Spanish beaches and everything in between, there’s something unique and different about drinking it all in from behind your bike. Why not try it the next time you travel?
Conclusion
As a digital nomad, sometimes it seems like your life is all about work, work, work. While that’s a big part of it, this lifestyle also allows you to play as hard as you work. Doing so will enable you to learn more about yourself, including what you like and dislike. The more you get to know yourself through your travels, the more you’re filled with self-confidence. That lends you a greater ability to excel in your role as a business owner.
Leading a life of digital nomadism is a gift. By treating each day that way, you can find the fun and the good in what you have and incorporate play more often. You’ll feel less stress, more fulfilled, and happier overall. Good luck!
I’m the owner of Digital Nomad Explorer. I’ve traveled to over 50 countries and been an expat in Scotland, Finland, and China. I was a digital nomad while having my own robotics company and traveled throughout Europe and China working remotely. Currently, I’m location independent with a home base in Kirkkonummi, Finland.
