In this digital age par excellence;
You might consider joining the global movement that has been taking shape over the past few years, the Digital Nomads (Digital Nomads), and becoming part of this "tribe" that crosses borders, races, and continents.
Digital nomads are people who work remotely over the Internet, are not tied to a specific place of work, and many of them have the luxury of working without a fixed time commitment.
They live in a state of semi-permanent travel from place to place due to the nature of their remote work.
Digital nomads have the freedom and flexibility to travel anywhere while they work, as long as there is a Wi-Fi connection, according to the Thrive my way platform recently.
The latest news of this new global movement or tribe is that it held a festival-like global meeting of more than 550 digital nomads in a conference theater in Bansko ski resort 150 kilometers southwest of the Bulgarian capital Sofia, according to the Daily Telegraph. British" in a report a few days ago.
This meeting was not a meeting for representatives and managers of human resources in the largest international companies, but rather a busy festival and gathering of digital nomads from all over the world with the aim of acquaintance and solidarity among themselves, exchanging experiences, and refining and developing talents.
The newspaper reported that these digital nomads came from 41 different countries, after they succeeded in avoiding the restrictions of working in the office, breaking free from the sway of companies, and going after the dreams that technology made possible.
But instead of meeting on digital platforms like Zoom, they decided to meet here in this beautiful resort in Bulgaria to discuss and discuss how to develop their business and how to become a better nomad.
And "It's like a high-level professional meeting for HR experts to discuss the best ways to develop employees' work in their companies, isn't it?"
says the newspaper.
There are 35 million such digital nomads worldwide, a number that is expected to reach more than one billion people by 2035.
In the United States alone, there are more than 15 million digital nomads, and the average age of this group is about 32 years, and shockingly, 70 percent of these Bedouins are women, as Project Untethered recently reported.
The two-year closure of borders - due to the Corona virus, and the increased reliance on remote work for many institutions and companies in the world due to the conditions that accompanied the pandemic - opened the eyes of many young people under the age of 45 to the great freedom possible by taking remote work Yet as a style and lifestyle for them.
The digital nomad doesn't need a place to settle (The New York Times)
And back to the Daily Telegraph report;
She mentioned that the organizer of this international meeting or festival in the Bulgarian city of Passo is Matthias Zeitler, who moved to this rural city in Bulgaria from the Austrian city of Salzburg 7 years ago.
When he first suggested to some of his remote working friends that they would move to work and live in the Bulgarian countryside, everyone told him "You're crazy", admits the 45-year-old who runs four co-working and living spaces across the city.
Zeitler said he is determined to make Bansko the "nomadic capital of the world", attracting digital nomads like himself with the promise of low monthly rent of £175, a low 10% tax rate and luscious countryside, with the chance to snowboard on his lunch break. He was relatively successful.
The number of digital nomads in the city has increased fivefold since 2020.
How do digital nomads live and how do you become a nomad like them?
We said it's a relative success because many digital nomads don't share Zeitler's vision, so why does a digital nomad need a place to settle?
They are nomads moving from one place to another as they please.
In fact, they resemble ordinary Bedouins in many things. In real life, the Bedouin is his home, his tent, and his homeland is a good place to graze his sheep and livestock, just as the digital Bedouin is;
His home is his laptop and his mobile phone, and his home is any beautiful place in the world that has a strong and free Wi-Fi.
In fact, the primary driver of digital nomads is “freedom” and their desire to travel and roam the world and experience new places, civilizations and cultures, as mentioned by the Project Unearthed platform in its aforementioned report.
This is a dream for many people in the world, however, becoming a digital nomad does not happen overnight, but rather requires saving money and creating working relationships and agreements with companies that provide remote jobs.
Working remotely from the comfort of your home or from a sandy beach while sipping on coconut juice sounds like a dream, right?
But before you become a digital nomad and adopt this lifestyle, you should know a few things about living abroad for the long haul.
Digital Nomads' primary drive is freedom and their desire to travel and roam the world and experience new places, civilizations and cultures (Getty Images)
Pros and cons of Bedouin life
The world wanderers have published an extensive report on digital nomads based on the experiences of a number of these energetic nomads who have lived this kind of life for 5 years now.
They say, "We have lived in many different countries and across 3 continents, worked in different countries with different languages and cultures, traveled alone, and witnessed the ups and downs of Bedouin life."
These nomads state the pros and cons of their chosen lifestyle based on their own experiences that they have already lived.
Positives
Being able to live in a place of your choice, in an area with a low cost of living to save money, and to get rid of the “toxic environment” of office politics.
Explore new cultures and make friends from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
Gain different skills and learn new languages.
Gain a broad perspective on life by traveling with a flexible and adjustable schedule.
enjoying nature;
You can live on warm beaches in the cold winter, or enjoy the mountain breeze during the summer.
Negatives
For many people, working from anywhere is a dream.
However, there are also drawbacks to the digital nomadic lifestyle, and so like everything else in life.
Some of the disadvantages mentioned by these Bedouins are:
lack of stability.
This follows the inability to create a family, as psychological and social stability is the backbone of families' lives in any place and time.
Continuous travel may affect productivity, and at a certain stage it will become psychologically and physically exhausted with the inability to establish real, lasting connections with people or places.
How do you become a digital nomad?
After you know the pros and cons of the life that digital nomads live, and if you still want to join them, we offer you 7 tips and steps that you must follow to become a member of this new tribe of people, according to what the “nerd wallet” platform recently mentioned. .
1. Choose a city with a digital Bedouin community
Having a community of digital nomads to connect with is crucial, as they will help you fit in, integrate you into their community, and help you on more than one level.
Digital nomads are known to stand in solidarity with each other, and there are many cities and countries with nomadic communities such as Medellin in Colombia, Playa del Carmen in Mexico, and Bali (in Indonesia), which are 3 popular destinations for digital nomads.
There are also other cities such as Tbilisi in Georgia, Bangkok in Thailand, Lisbon in Portugal, Sofia in Bulgaria, and many other cities.
We recommend that you search Google and Reddit as well as the Facebook groups of these travelers to choose the city that is right for you.
2. Choose the correct bank account and credit card
Some banks charge a fee when you use another bank's ATM.
In turn, other banks or ATMs may charge their own fees.
And if you don't select your bank wisely, you may be stuck paying two sets of ATM fees every time you withdraw cash.
You can save yourself from all this by choosing a bank that does not charge such fees.
Charles Schwab Bank is a popular choice for digital banking for Bedouins because it offers unlimited discounts on ATM fees worldwide.
You will also need to have a "travel credit card" that does not charge foreign transaction fees, which can be as high as 3%.
There's no reason to pay these if you don't have to, as premium travel credit cards waive foreign transaction fees and also offer bonus points on certain categories (for example, travel, dining, groceries) and many other perks for travelers.
3. Decide what to do with your things before you travel
If you want to be a digital nomad, the easiest scenario is to terminate your apartment lease and store your things with family or in a storage facility.
If you own your home or apartment, consider renting it to a long-term tenant, or if your city allows home sharing, such as Airbnb, consider hiring someone to manage this process for you, as this can be a way Great for reducing your overhead costs and making some money.
4. Choose a country that matches your working hours
If you have a remote job in the US, you will have the easiest time working from locations where time zones overlap with the US.
And you should avoid destinations like Asia, where the time difference can easily be 10 to 12 hours, making it very difficult to have any kind of social life or healthy routine in addition to work.
If you are in the Middle East, a country like Georgia or Bulgaria would be a great choice.
5. Consider your technology requirements
Avoid diverting your line and phone from international roaming mode, as it is very expensive.
One common travel hack is to purchase a prepaid "phone card" (SIM) with a data plan at your international destination.
This is a much better option than keeping your phone constantly in international roaming mode.
This is not a sustainable solution when you live abroad as a digital nomad.
You can also buy a local card in the country you decide to live in, which is also a good option.
Also, make sure that your mobile device (laptop) is up-to-date and equipped with the best software that you need in your work, with strong protection on it, and remember that your computer and mobile phone are the lung that you breathe and live on and from.
6. Get international health insurance
Depending on where you're traveling to, local health care may be relatively inexpensive compared to coverage in the United States or some Western countries, though be sure to purchase international emergency health insurance.
7. Join co-living communities
If you've done all the research, but are still nervous about making the move on your own, consider joining a "co-living/co-working community" (a co-living/co-working community). She runs coordinated gatherings of month to year duration in different parts of the world.
In this case you will need to submit an application, and your application based on your qualifications and requirements will usually be met by them quickly and will help you to live, adapt and work as well.
And welcome to the global digital nomad community.