The decision to become a Nomad and roam the earth for an extended amount of time (or even for life) can be made for a variety of reasons. A Nomadic Lifestyle does have some substantial disadvantages, but fortunately there are some key advantages to making the world your home.
Advantages of being a Nomad:
- Is fun. Social media sites such as Facebook are a prime example of how the average person narrows down their public posts to the elite experience of their life – the fun moments, the times where unique experiences were had. But how many of those moments do most of us have? The lifestyle of a Nomad is generally an endless stream of constant change that bring you from one experience to the next, enriching your life, making you feel alive..
- Awakens you. This is not in reference to a religious awakening, but related to breaking free of the every day mundane. There was a time when I had a life with a job where I took the same bus every day at the same time with the same people on that bus. Each day looked exactly as the one before and at no point was my life enriched by the people that I saw on that bus to and from work every day. Being a nomad changed that. The lifestyle of a Nomad is one of a constant spark, freeing you from the confines of regularity.
- Gains you knowledge. The knowledge you gain from being a Nomad isn’t the same as sitting in a University class and learning from a textbook. You get to see first hand how the history of a country shaped the culture of the people that live there. You have the opportunity to experience a variety of beliefs (religious or not) from all corners of the globe. You have the ability to pick up foreign languages and learn from people what they do and how they think.
- Builds you. By gaining knowledge through your experiences as a Nomad, this allows you to take the best of the people, cultures and countries around you in order to build yourself. However, being a Nomad isn’t always easy. There are many challenges and problems you will face. Living in an environment of constant change where situations can be quite hectic at times can be tiring, but all of this also pushes you towards personal freedom. The very challenges that will try and bring you down are also the thing that will give you the opportunity to truly be free in who you are and the life you live. By not having a home in the traditional sense (more often than not, your bag becomes your home) and the basic understanding that nothing is yours and everything is temporary – you will reach freedom and learn to accept the hardships of life with ease. The notion of being a Nomad is the very definition of freedom in many cultures.
- Gives you the freedom to redefine yourself. The brilliant part of breaking from free from the constraints of a “normal life” is that it gives you that freedom to become who you want to be. No longer do you have expectations of people, society or even yourself limiting what you are able to be, achieve or choose to do in your life. As a Nomad you have the ability to travel the world and with each new location you get to, you are able to redefine yourself and start from scratch. Try something new. Take a risk. Do something you never thought you would do – be you.
- Creates a story. Being a Nomad is a journey through life that can take you around the world and back again. With so many experiences jam packed into your every day, it’s only natural that such a life would create an interesting story to share with others. Your entire life and every waking (and sometimes sleeping moment) has added value. People become attracted to that, whether in your business or personal life and as a result, the story of your life as a Nomad is definitely an advantage in itself, as it creates contacts and benefits.
- Develops your connections. Naturally, a life as a Nomad will bring you many encounters with people from all walks of life. These encounters will develop you relationships that will build your network of contacts without even trying. Whether you are keen to start your own business, aim to work on your career in different countries or otherwise, being a Nomad is a great way to fast-track your networks to a global scale. Sometimes it truly is more important who you know rather than what you know.
- Allows you to “hack life.” In this modern day, life is no longer restricted to the classic story of living your entire life in one place and taking over the family business. Internet has been one of the great tools to help the world connect on an international level, but also expand our idea of what a “normal life” looks like. The choice to be a Nomad allows you the opportunity to potentially find your own home somewhere around the world, but it doesn’t restrict you to working from there as well. Part of the total freedom of being a Nomad is that you could take advantage of the powerful cost arbitrage while living in a low cost country and working for clients from developed countries that pay well.
Overall, there will always be different perspectives on what it means to be a Nomad and how that is good or bad. Your choice to live this lifestyle will be made for a multitude of different reasons, but know that the benefits of that choice are not as simple as just getting the opportunity to see a different country. It’s so much more than that. The benefits of being a Nomad may change the course of your life forever.
I like the topic very much….it is refreshing to see others feel like me in regards to constant change….for years I’ve been having this thought, and as relationships ended and new jobs were taken…I finally realized my reality must always been in motion and filled with new experiences….I’ve always pondered what it would be like to be in never the same place for too long…….leads me to ask what problems do you face….I want to know before I make my own life altering decision
Hi Anthony,
Good question about the disadvantages. Please refer in the site to the article “the disadvantages of nomadic lifestyle” that describes all the potential problems relevant to becoming a nomad.
I’ve been wanting to become a nomad for a long time. I’m still in high school, and I’m wondering if I should go to college first.
Dear Emma,
The answer is very clear for me, and it is yes.
I think the real benefits of a nomadic lifestyle come after you have tasted the “normal” lifestyle, have the right tools to create abundance as a nomad which you learn in places like colleges and work, and then decide if you would like to switch and go nomad.
All the best!
No, you do not need to go to college. If you want to live a nomadic lifestyle then you most likely wouldn’t mind being an entrepreneur either. When you are traveling you can blog about it and build a social media following and there are many ways you can make money with that. Do not be brainwashed into thinking college is your only option. College is there if you want a stable life so that you can get a decent paying 9-5 job. There is no fun in that.
Randal,
I agree that College is definitely not a must. However, for some of us a period dedicated to learning only is actually quite remarkable and even if not useful, it is still a period of life that brings job for some.
As for blogging, very few bloggers actually make a living out of blogging, so it is not as easy as it sounds. This blog has cost a lot of money to produce and maintain, and has yet to generate any revenue to cover the costs. Blogging is a hobby, for fun as far as I am concerned.
I’ve begun the process of getting rid of all my material things. I will soon be renting or selling my house, selling my car, and retiring from my current career. I’m 26 years old and people are calling me crazy but in the end I know its what I need to do. Safe and happy travels to you all 🙂
you too Ryan, enjoy the journey!
Ryan, is there anyway we can chat maybe via email? We are similar ages and that has been one of the biggest hurdles for me to conquer, at least mentally! Safe travels!
Nice website really helped me
I’ve worked in corporate, i have the degree and have the home/car…yep the American dream. Since i was 15 i knew i wanted to be a nomad it’s in my blood…so i say to the young man…travel and see the world then if you decide it’s not for u then you still have time to become a settler…good luck. I am on path to live as a nomad. It’s scary but I’m up for the adventure.
Nubian,
good tips there! I think that if you build your nomadic life with stable routines, and you truly enjoy it, it is not so scary. As you said, you can always start, and then get back to the regular life the minute you feel it isnt for you.
all the best!
Ryan do it man.
Thank you for crating this website because it is helping me my homework Social Studies assignment.
I meant creating.
Thanks Cyan, great to hear that.
Never thought the blog will ever make it into someone’s homework..
It’s so true, once you get a taste of the nomadic lifestyle, it can be quite hard to go back to the never-ending cycle of routine. My name is Keith, I’m 31 years old, and I’ve done the nomadic life on more the one occasion. There are certain stigmas that go along with it. Society’s perception of the so-called fine line between “bum” and nomad. Ultimately, you are the only who has to live your own life. If your heart is telling you to go out and see the world, then you should. Especially when your so young! The older you get, the harder it is to make life changing decisions. The way I look at it, you only have one life to live….want not go out and experience everything you possibly can! As the saying goes “Nothing ventured, nothing gained”. Cheers to everyone and good luck on your journey, wherever it may take you!
Thanks for the wise words Keith. And yes, too much to see, and too less of a time. Hopefully, we get more than one life, who knows 🙂
People would be better advised to just sample this lifestyle if they think they thirst for it. Everything is a compromise. I once thought I wanted to sail around the world, then i crewed on some yachts and discovered storms, sea sickness and endless work on boats.
I wanted endless white beaches and turqoise waters on a remote island in Noumea and was bored after 3 weeks. There was only so much snorkeling and fishing I could stand. I drove around remote Northern Australia for years for work and now couldn’t be bothered with another day of red dust.
Now I see these places whenever I want on my vacations, never worry about paying the bills, have a fantastic wife and great kids- the best thing I ever did. Like most people, nomads just emphasise the things they like and diminish the things they don’t. Freedom is great. Worrying about the next plate of rice is not. A kaleidoscope of culture is amazing but being in a third world hospital may not be.
My view is that nomads or extreme people in general are often quite self obsessed- even selfish. I know people who have flown themselves round the world or sailed it and all they talked about was THEM! They ditched careers, friends and spouses and were surprised when others just got on with their lives and weren’t really amazed at the apparently amazing stories they wanted to tell us when they occasionally returned.
We ALL have lives and its just that most of us like to have flexibility and choice supported by incomes, relationships and shared history. Extreme choices like extreme footlooseness almost always limits future options.
Anyway, I’m just glad I sampled this lifestyle first. It’s easy to romanticise and easy to lose so much of a great future because someone took to hitching rides rather than finishing the qualifications that make life so much easier and richer when you get tired of hitching.
Just my .02
Joseph, some great insights you have made here. Firstly, I agree that sampling instead of “declaring” is much better, and that’s what i always advise people. The only thing I would avoid is generalizing, both against the regular lifestyle which seems to work amazingly well for you, and the nomadic lifestyle which for some (myself included) is indeed a path to happiness even taking into account the disadvantages you have rightly mentioned. All the best, keep happy!
hello
i very like what you do
These are all very good points. I specifically like the creates a story point, I think having a story is one of the most fulfilling parts of life. Along with this when anybody tries to start the nomad lifestyle I think they should start a blog/website even if they never make any money just so they can have evidence of this story and at least share it with friends and family.
Andrew,
Agree about the story element, it is fun, and in a way gives a meaning at the low point. As for the blog, I am a living example of someone who started a blog with much more expenses than revenue, but in my case, it wasn’t to share with the friends and family (since my posts are quite general), but in order to help people make it happen using my knowledge, and also connect to the ever growing tribe of nomads around the world.
Hi – Great article.
We retired 9 months ago, sold up and are currently travelling around Asia. We intend to be nomadic for as long as we enjoy it or as long as we are capable of it. At the moment we are loving the life and can’t see ourselves settling down anytime in the near future.
Ref. Joseph James’s comment. Not every nomad is on the bread line?and I would agree – maybe we are selfish, but it’s our lives – we’re not trying to impress anyone, just living the way we want to live.
That’s incredibly inspiring. Some people view retirement as the period where you slow down, relax, and wait for a transition. Your view feels amazing, I wish you a prolonged and happy journey!