Nomads once roamed desserts with caravans and crossed mountains on horseback, carrying spices, silks, and stories across continents. Today, they carry laptops, cameras, and a Wi-Fi hotspot, chasing inspiration instead of hunting grounds.
In a world where freedom must be searched for, the new nomadic lifestyle allows for an escape from typical 9-5, montage, quote-on-quote rat race life. The growing community of digital nomads allows for following wanderlust. So, what exactly does this lifestyle entail?
The jobs that allow for remote production are as different as the countries they explore. Work includes everything from writing, marketing, graphic design, photography to data analytics, ethical hacking, and e-commerce. Wherever your niche lies, there’s an online forum for it.
Packing Up
For those on the move like backpackers and solo travelers, the minimalist, flexible lifestyle is a wildly popular way to embrace nomadic freedom. Apps like Hostelworld, FlixBus, Trainline, and Ryanair are staples in every backpacker’s search history, helping keep costs down and itineraries spontaneous. With a packing list like a 35L backpack, extra socks, a passport, and first-aid kit, a solo traveler’s “office” could be poolside in Bali one week and an alpine hiking lodge the next.
Many choose to volunteer at hostels in exchange for free accommodation and meals, stretching their funds while meeting new people. Creators like @laylaloutfi have shared how they combine hostel gigs with social media marketing income to keep their travels going long term.
Community is a vital part of backpacking culture when loneliness can feel heavier than a 40-pound pack. Social platforms like TikTok and Instagram have become invaluable for advice and support, while Hostelworld encourages interaction not only through their shared dorms, communal cafés, and bars but even an in-app chat where travelers can link up to explore or grab a drink. Another creator, @bayydeann, organizes group trips specifically for women in their twenties, building safe, empowering spaces for those with wanderlust. Thanks to communities like these, solo travel doesn’t have to mean being alone.
A Journalist’s Journey: Gary Nunn
Gary Nunn, a journalist for The Guardian, exemplifies this lifestyle. Originally from Britain, he spent 12 years in Sydney before embracing a nomadic life spurred by the COVID-19 lockdown.
“I realized I hadn’t seen as much of the world as I would have liked,” Nunn says. “Like everyone else, I was shut in my bedroom with lots of time to think about what I had and hadn’t done with my life. I decided I wanted to travel.” Now, his office shifts from public libraries to coworking spaces across the globe. “Good Wi-Fi and good coffee” are his two essentials to working remotely.
His schedule revolves around UK and Australian working hours, meaning early morning interviews or late-night deadlines. The upside? Midday flexibility to explore his city of the month or hit the gym. Travel has significantly influenced his work as a journalist.
“Living in places like Argentina and Colombia has expanded my perspective. I’ve been able to specialize in topics and regions that other freelance journalists may not know well. It gives me an edge when pitching stories to editors.”
On The Road
Van life is another traveling buzzword we see from tiktok to instagram hashtags. Creatives like @courtandnate, @antoniocncastro, and @natliexlynnn invest time and money into shelling out and renovating rv’s school buses and construction vans to perfectly accommodate their life on the road.
Vanlife influencers often use gym passes such as Planet Fitness not only to stay fit but in replacement of their water bill, using it for its showers. This lifestyle saw a huge rise after Covid-19, with many people utilizing their cabin fever in renovations and research.
Looking Forward
As housing prices soar and remote work becomes the norm, the new nomads are showing the world that life doesn’t have to fit inside four walls. Whether from a hostel bar or a converted van with a new skyline each month, a cubicle has vanished from the picture of career life.