THE DARK SIDE . OF THE ROAD . The life of a digital nomad can be ripe with wonderful experiences, memorable encounters and wild adventures. Working at the beach, sipping on mojitos ’til dawn? Sure, you can do that. (Although you’ll quickly find that beaches and computers don’t always play together well). The nomadic existence is often touted as the ultimate dream; however, in reality, the nomadic life isn’t always Easy Street. We asked 15 nomads for the truth about their setbacks, disappointments and struggles. LONELINESS . Fabrice (instinct-voyageur.fr) “The biggest difficulty is the solitude. Your community is far away and even if it is easy to meet new people, building long-term relationships remains hard.” Kévin (kjourdan.com) “Without hesitation, the greatest disappointments in a nomad’s life are related to the human. The abundance of people passing through our lives does not necessarily compensate for the absence of others.” Jessica (wijdoenhetanders.com) “Another challenge is your own mentality. If you travel around and are free, you still have to deal with the prison in your own mind. A round trip is also a journey inside yourself.” Jazzie (blackdigitalnomad.com) “It comes with the territory that you might lose some important friends you make. That’s the price you have to pay for living this amazing life of exploration. So I focus on being grateful, cherishing what I have, not making concrete obligations and going with the flow.” HOW TO HANDLE THE LONELINESS Find your community : When you’re starting out, choose cities like Budapest or Las Palmas, where the nomad community is already substantial. Tap into the online digital community, too, through forums and social media. Go to meetups : Once you’ve arrived, check out local Meetups and Facebook groups. Become a regular at a coworking space to find other people passing through. Use apps to connect : Nowadays there are many apps for making new friends. Think of Backpackr, Eatwith and, yes, even Tinder. Don’t fear home sweet home : Yes, you are a digital nomad. But this doesn’t mean you have to be on the road all the time. Don’t hesitate to go home for longer periods to recharge your batteries and catch up with old friends over a beer. 28
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