Why I’m No Longer a Digital Nomad (Pros and Cons of the DN Life)
After 2+ years living without a lease, traveling to 11 countries and dozens of cities, last year I decided to move back to New York.
As I reflect on my time as a “digital nomad” (I don’t love the term, but it’s what people will most likely understand), I wanted to share my thoughts on the pros and cons of the DN life. I think the generic advice leaves out a lot.
Most people can imagine the benefits: getting to travel, have incredible experiences, live in beautiful different places and often spend less money than if you stayed in your home region. Yet, I think there are other benefits too that people don’t talk enough about. The real stuff. Because the novelty of it will wear off.
On the other side of it, rarely do people talk about the very real negatives of being a digital nomad.
As I get into it, I’ll share why I signed a lease in New York City (I left the city in 2022.)
If you have the opportunity to work virtually from anywhere you want, I hope you find this article useful. (If you enjoy it, message me and let me know what resonated with you.)
The Pros of Being a Digital Nomad (That Everyone Talks About)
I’ll keep these short. And if you’re wondering how to become a digital nomad, you can check out this article.
Life Experiences
Travel has shaped the direction of my life several times over.
At the core, traveling allows you to see the world differently. It unmasks what is culture or custom.
Through travel, we learn that the way we see the world isn’t the only way to see it. We meet people who think differently, speak different languages, and challenge our perceptions of the world.
If it weren’t for my digital nomad experiences I wouldn’t be trilingual. It wouldn’t have opened my eyes to so many political challenges facing my home country and the world. I wouldn’t have gotten obsessed with public transit or rebuilding nature in cities.
Save Money
A common term for this is “geoarbitrage,” where you move somewhere that costs less. Especially for those from high-cost-of-living countries like the U.S. or U.K., digital nomading allows you to spend a fraction for the same (or higher) quality of life.
My rent for a piece of crap studio apartment on the Lower East Side in New York was $1775 per month when I left in 2022. In Barcelona, I paid $1100 for a bigger, nicer place.
When I was a digital nomad, I was able to save a lot of money despite a modest income. Most of the countries I visited had a much lower cost of living.
Especially given the housing crisis in the United States, I couldn’t afford to still live in New York, without putting myself in a financially precarious situation. Digital nomading gave me financial breathing room which I’m grateful for.
Chase Good Weather
I skipped two winters in a row. No 4 pm sunsets or negative temperature nights for me.
The Underrated Pros of Being a Digital Nomad
For me, these are the real benefits.
A Lifelong Connection to a Place
One of the most fulfilling parts of traveling for extended periods is developing a genuine bond with a place. It feels like being a child again, relearning how the world works.
This is different than just traveling somewhere for a week or two. For me, that’s Barcelona.
I speak Catalan now in addition to Spanish. Some of my best friends in the world live there. It feels like a second home. The city of Barcelona has forever changed me.
The memories and relationships you build while living abroad can last a lifetime.
Inspiration for Your “Home”
I’ve found myself drawn to observing how communities come together and solve problems.
For example, in Perpinyà, France, I went to El Casal, their Catalan-speaking community. They spoke about ways to support their art and culture, shared what food they grew locally, and discussed their local political challenges.
They were invested in the place, its people, and fighting for a brighter future.
Seeing this made me think that that’s what I want, wherever I choose to “build roots,” to be a part of improving this world, becoming an active participant, not just a guest/spectator.
(Since moving back to New York, I have done exactly this, volunteering in community gardens and with a local environmental justice nonprofit.)
In Medellín, where I spent much of one winter, I was inspired by how they’ve tackled the problems of air pollution and worsening heat by adding three million new plants to the city.
Barcelona’s walkable streets and extensive rail system changed how I view our built environment. I saw how lively walkable streets are and what a difference good transportation makes. I became transit-pilled by Europe’s beautiful cities.
When I settled, I knew these would be the things I wanted to fight for in my community.
The Ability to Take Short Trips
“Digital nomading” is often associated with long stints. But living without a lease I took many short trips in between longer stays. I did a week-long “Civil Rights trip” with my two best friends from college from Atlanta through Alabama and up Mississippi to Memphis and Little Rock. I did a tour of North American cities on my own. I stayed in Hostels from San Francisco to Montreal. I rarely stayed in a city for more than a week and just bounced around visiting all the people who had always invited me.
That flexibility to say “Yes!” to a quick adventure is an underrated perk most people don’t realize is possible.
The Mental Freedom of Owning Less
Even though I took more than two dozen flights, I never checked a bag. And I’ll never will again. I traveled with a backpack.
It made me realize how little I need to be happy. Even further, it taught me that I’m happier with less. I love the flexibility and freedom owning very little provides.
So much of what we buy — cars, clothes, big houses — we do because it’s what society says we should chase after, not what will make us happy.
I’ve written about this elsewhere, so I’ll leave this here.
Realizing Life Is in Your Own Hands
There’s something empowering about waking up in a foreign country on a random Tuesday knowing I made that choice. Of course, it’s a privilege of privileges to have the freedom and resources to travel. Most of humanity will never be able to.
Having this realization alone provides instant gratitude and happiness.
Traveling and digital nomading showed me over and over that I had full agency over my life. Because even those who do have the privilege I have don’t take the leap. They stay in self-imposed confines, complaining about circumstances they have the power to change.
Learning a Language
People rarely emphasize how learning the local language can transform your experience. Many nomads pass through places without truly integrating, but I prioritize language learning.
I can’t imagine a digital nomad experience in a foreign country without making a point to learn their language and culture.
Stability and Stress Management Come from Within
I’ve always been disciplined, and living in different places only sharpened that skill. Whether I was in Barcelona or bouncing through small American cities, I kept a routine: exercise 3-4x per week, eat healthy 80% of the time, and block out 3-4 hours in the morning for focused work. With longer stints, compared to the typical vacation, it’s easier to live healthy and find your routines.
Digital nomading taught me that I can create my own stability and discipline, wherever I need it.
The Cons of Being a Digital Nomad (That Everyone Talks About)
Again I’ll keep this one short.
Missing Your Friends and Family
This might be the hardest part. Of course, it depends on how close you are to your friends and family. But being away from the people who had been pillars of your life will have its drawbacks.
Never “Fitting In” Culturally
I get this, but I don’t relate to it. I think it is possible to make local friends as a nomad, but you have to accept that you’re not in your culture: you’re in theirs.
There’s a scene in the book Don’t Sleep, There Are Snakes by the linguist Daniel Everett. (I got the book from the library, so I can’t give the exact quote.) In the book, he details his journey living in the Amazon among an indigenous tribe, seeking to be the first Westerner to learn their language.
One day, Daniel was craving a salad and had the opportunity for someone to bring him one from outside the Amazon. One of his Pirahã friends asked him why he was eating salad because Pirahãs don’t eat salad. Daniel, he told him, that’s why you don’t speak good Pirahã.
To integrate socially, to understand a culture and the way they think, you have to live like a local. Embrace their pace of life. Eat their food. Live in their worldview.
This has always excited me about traveling. I will try to learn a few words of the language wherever I go. If I’m in a Spanish-speaking country, I’ll try to learn a few slang terms unique to the area.
I feel like I fit in just as well in Barcelona now as I do in New York. (Frankly, the Barcelonés are nicer to me than native New Yorkers.)
Not having a “home base”
During my time as a digital nomad, I was lucky that I could return to my parent’s house when I wanted a break.
I didn’t have to get rid of all my things either. I could keep them at my parents’ house (although I did declutter about 90% of my stuff on a pit stop at home.)
I didn’t mind not having a home base otherwise. And I loved not paying rent, or at least not being locked into paying rent.
Hit-or-Miss Work Conditions
I’ve worked in coffee shops, co-working spaces, and Airbnbs. Sometimes, no matter how “nice” a place seems, the wifi speed won’t quite be as fast as you want. (That happened to me in El Salvador.)
Figure out the right work setup. Get that co-working space or find the right coffee shop.
Decision Fatigue
When you’re traveling so much, you spend a lot of time making decisions: where to go, when to go, how to get there, what to do. It’s a lot more input than you’re used to.
I accepted this and limited it by being organized. I had a spreadsheet with all the dates, locations, lodging, and transportation. This way I didn’t lose track of what I had planned and what I needed to book.
I also overcame this by knowing that no decision was really that important. I could always not get on the flight if life presented something else.
Legal Stuff and Taxes
As long as you stay on tourist visas (usually less than 90 days) this is no problem. Keep your U.S. address and pay taxes there.
Deal with this challenge if you fall in love with one particular place and want to stay long-term. At that point, you’re no longer a “digital nomad.” You’re a resident in a foreign country.
The Real Reasons I’m No Longer a Digital Nomad
Family and friends were the number one factor for me and my girlfriend. Aside from that, none of these common objections are why I “settled down” from the digital nomad life.
I Wanted to Go From Passive Observer to Active Participant
As I mentioned, I had seen so much inspiration from the world. I was living as a guest everywhere. I wanted to take what I’d learned and apply it. I wanted to be a part of a community fighting for change, to take action on ideas related to everything from growing more plants in cities to expanding the options for Americans to live car-free.
My travel experiences have provided the intellectual fuel for my activism.
I Was Excited by a Year in New York, a New Phase in Life
When I left New York in 2022, a part of me didn’t want to. A part of me wanted to stay in my studio apartment on the Lower East Side, whatever the rent cost. But I remember a friend told me, “New York will always be there for you.” And that’s true. Whatever phase of life I’m in and whatever phase of its ever-changing existence New York is in, I had a feeling our paths would cross again.
My girlfriend proposed the idea when we came home from Barcelona. At first, I rejected it. I wanted to keep traveling. But then the excitement came. I imagined the possibilities and positives. I was ready for the next phase of life.
Through the years as a digital nomad, I learned how no decision was permanent. I could always go back somewhere. I could always leave earlier than planned. After all, I only signed a one-year lease. After the lease is up, I can grab my bag and get back on the road, I can stay where I’m at and keep building roots, or I can go somewhere else.
New York brought possibilities for a new phase in life.
Ultimately, I think this is why many people stop living the DN life. They get a job offer they’re excited by and it’s in person. They want to prioritize a relationship. They fall in love with a city and want to stay. We change and life changes. I don’t think any digital nomad should wish to stay frozen in a place or moment.
I Wanted to Go Where The Action Is
As a writer, what better place than New York? This city means there are always stories to tell, battles to fight, challenges to work through, people to meet.
If You Have the Chance, Do it
If you’re on the fence about traveling long-term, do it. If you can work virtually, you’re one of the very lucky few. You can always go home if you hate it.
I think we are paralyzed by thinking our decisions are forever. Everything in life, ultimately, is like a fine glass of wine. It’s temporary and meant to be enjoyed.
My time on the road taught me a lot. I outline some of these lessons in this article.
See My Nomad Destination Guides + Other DN Artilcles
I’ve also written about places I stayed for at least a month. I’ll share those here. If you have any questions about my digital nomad experiences, my email inbox and TikTok DMs are open.
Summary: Girlfriend said we are going home haha
Hahahaha happy wife happy life