5 Scary Truths about The Digital Nomad Life

So you are thinking about going for the digital nomad lifestyle, with the parties, the freedom, the careless life, well there are a few things that no one ever talks about when it comes to a digital nomad life. From the safety issues to the loneliness to so much more. The truth about Digital nomadism. Filmed in Lisbon, Portugal

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Copyright Mark Wolters 2023

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[Originalman]

There is a misconception that everyone is lonely. Everyone doesn’t have the same personality type of needing to have a bunch of friends and family around all the time. For some us, we wanted to escape bad family and community situations. Solitude vs Loneliness is very different. Solitude and freedom is a beautiful thing for many. I’ve travelled solo for 10 years and lived abroad a few years and never felt loneliness but I did have a few friends here and there which does make life better.

[kens]

Long haul truck drivers have a saying: " When you're on the road you wish you were home, and when you're home you wish you were on the road". Even though I'm retired and not trucking anymore I STILL feel this way!!

[eudaimona]

One thing I love about your channel is that you keep it real. There's a grounded and pragmatic quality to your content.

[genericdeveloper]

Some of us were lonely already in the states. I found traveling was a great way to meet people (before covid)

[azaz]

I love how you mentioned that people move on. They truly do. You cant be gone for 10 years and expect nothing to change. When people ask me where I want to permanently settle, I always say wherever my family is.

[Sucharush]

I havent stayed in one place longer than 6-7 months since I turned 18 (not a trust fund kid, just getting by how I can). I'm 25 now and whenever people tell me they want to live on the move like I do I always tell them to try going somewhere alone for 2-3 weeks first and then see if they're up to it.

I'm extremely introverted, more than happy to spend weeks by myself and, if anything, I can thrive productively under those conditions, and even someone like me feels the weight of being surrounded by nothing you're familiar with and nobody you know sometimes. That lack of comfort can feel simultaneously exciting, horrifying, and beyond sad at times.

[matthaze]

I'm a hybrid nomad... I have a home base that is cheap and I spend part of the year at but travel from. When I was full on digital nomad, the loneliness and lack of real connection got to me, to the point I broke down once on a trip. Any underlying things you need to work through will be amplified when you're on the road. It's a great lesson, but can be scary if you don't have people to talk about it. Having a home base and the ability to still go on the road for weeks on end is such a great mix.

[white_clover]

1. It's lonely
2. You miss friends and family
3. Finding good places to live can be tough
4. Good internet hard to find
5. Locals resent you
6. No safety net
7. Not all digital nomads are your friends
8. Not a romantic lifestyle
9. Hard on relationships
10. Income unstable
11. Lifestyle is expensive

[patrickwilliam]

Also Mark, I wanted to add a major point, which is another dark one, and this could be a video in itself: most people including the people closest to you don't really want to hear about your travels. Doesn't matter how cool it was, how many places you went. A lot of people are self-centered/have limited scope and don't want to hear it. Maybe they're envious in some cases. Whatever the reason(s), that's the way it is. People tend to want to talk about shared experiences, not 'you had to be there.' That's why it's good for travelers to have a YT channel, blog, Instagram, etc. You can 'vent' and share your experiences and let people in your life look at it on their own time if they so choose.

[njkgdzd]

I’m an expat living in one country only (Denmark) and can say that loneliness and making few friends applies in the same way as being a digital nomad. Thank you for sharing your real experience of life overseas. It’s not easy but yet I would encourage everyone to try it at least once in their lives

[sebastianziernicki]

I've been nomading since 2020 and plan to stop next year. All of your points are beyond accurate. It's a way tougher lifestyle than I initially thought. Still worth it, but it is not rainbows and butterflies.

[hsager]

This is a super relevant video. I worked abroad for 10 years and came back home to be near family. Now we have adopted a "There and Back Again" lifestyle (Thank you, Tolkein!). We have a home base with long-term friends with whom we have deep connections, we participate in our local community, and we are near our families. That said, we take off on multi-month trips and get our fix for adventure. This out-and-back lifestyle seems to check a lot of boxes for both the need for community / depth / meaningful life as well as our itchy feet / need for adventure / novelty. Just an option to consider.

[thatjillgirl]

Another thing I think about is that having any kind of nomadic lifestyle like that makes it hard to pursue certain hobbies and things that you otherwise might have wanted to engage in. Although I love to travel, I know I could never be one of those people who is genuinely happy doing van life on a permanent basis. I like having a dog. I like having a vegetable garden. I like having a familiar place to go for a walk or a run. I like having a nice home library full of books. I like having houseplants. My husband likes having a board game collection and a space to dabble in woodworking. There are so many little fun things in life that almost require one to put down some kind of roots to really engage with them. And yes, human relationships are a big one!

[kimmontenegro]

I travel a lot for leisure so can come and go as I choose for the most part. As I've aged, now in my 40's, I realize how this lifestyle has made my friendships at home go cold. No regrets on my travels however being aware of the price we're paying in friendship is a very real thing. Thanks for covering this reality.

[Paul-dvdr]

Good video. I was never a digital nomad but travelled 40+ countries from the 80s to the 2000s, and it's hard. Especially on a minimal budget. I'd sleep under hedges, on beaches, even wrapped around a hot water pipe. Eat bread and nutella every day. Wash in public restrooms, hitch-hike, ride freight trains, work illegally (hard, dirty work often). All my family saw was that I was on a permanent vacation. In reality it was because I could not fit in with normal society. I still can't, really. I'm now a truck driver. 60 next year. It's been a strange life for sure, and I sometimes ask myself if I've learned much from it.

[stevo]

A lot of these issues apply back home as well. Cost of living, bureaucracy, difficulty finding true friends and making longterm relationships. These all apply to back home as well. What you do get from extended travelling is better self management skills, being more streetwise, being more confident and self reliant, improving your manners and communication skills among strangers, picking up a little foreign language skills, finding out how other countries do things differently, realising other people have different priorities, and just generally realising that the world you used to live in was just a bubble like the Truman show. And the real benefit comes from when you return home with a new perception of the world and fresh new ideas to implement.

[barbarawissinger]

Everything you mentioned is also true for expats. Living in Germany in my 20s was great, but now in my 50s, I miss having contact with people who knew me when I was young. My parents are gone now, but I’ll never forget asking my daughter where Grandma lived & being told “on the telephone”.

[DamienYuen]

My Father wanted me to go travel. He just passed away today. He kept telling me to get out and go live life. I am going to try my best.

[qwestpond]

"Digital nomad" used to be such a dream, but many companies now offer flexible work arrangement. I have "office work" but I can work anywhere (inc abroad), so I keep good benefits and work anywhere, occasionally go to local office. I love my life.

[sschwartz]

I'm in my 30s now and the loneliness is definitely starting to hit. I've met some wonderful people friends and dating abroad. The problem is you're always leaving or going to see another place. It's still an amazing lifestyle, but it has its consequences. I hear a lot about couples who do it together, and I really wish I had that.