Why I Wouldn’t Want To Live The Digital Nomad Lifestyle (5-minute read)

First of all, I enjoy travelling

From Japan, Egypt, Mexico to Italy, I’ve stepped foot in more countries than I can count on my fingers. Each of these trips created memories that are ingrained in my mind and retrieved whenever I’m feeling nostalgic.

Experiencing new cultures and immersing myself in the day-to-day life of people who grew up in a different environment than me is one of my favourite ways to learn and grow. Travelling helps boost my creativity, practice empathy and broadens my horizons. 

And when I return home, finishing the adventure allows me to truly appreciate where I live and practice gratitude for the simplest things I have. 

But would I do it as a way of life? Like the growing number of digital nomads who work and live remotely in faraway lands? 

Nope. Why?

1. The travel part would kill me

Here’s the thing, I enjoy travelling but in moderation. The actual travel part before arriving at the destination is incredibly stressful for me. Going on airplanes, taxis, Ubers, buses, trains, ferries and subways all stress me out. 

Even when everything goes smoothly, no luggage lost, no flights cancelled, no getting ripped off by an auto-rickshaw driver, my anxiety levels are through the roof. 

I value certainty and routine. And that probably sounds like I’m not willing to venture into the unknown but I am. It’s just that the pains of the travel part outweigh the freedom to change where I’m living whenever I want. That’s why I prefer to travel in doses and have a home to return to.

2. The stress of adjusting multiplies with young kids

Yes, I know there are parents who travel the world and their children get to experience a cross-cultural upbringing. Kudos to those families! I enjoy living vicariously through them by watching their videos and seeing their amazing pictures on social media. 

But I just can’t imagine lugging my kids around, constantly packing and unpacking, making plans on top of plans for myself and the kids, changing routines depending on the new environment with a flick of a switch and living in adjusting mode all the time. 

I’m sure if we tried it, we would eventually adapt to the lifestyle; however, knowing myself, it would completely drain me. And that would make me a very cranky, stressed out and even more tired wife and mother.

3. I want to be around my ageing parents

Home is where the heart is and I want to physically be where my heart is. This means living near my family. 

My husband and my parents live in the same city. We value the time that our kids have with their grandparents. We want them to have a strong relationship with them so they feel connected to their roots.

As a Chinese Canadian, I want to preserve and maintain my cultural practices, beliefs and traditions. A huge part of this comes from the relationship I have with my parents. And as they’re ageing, I want to make the most out of the time they have left, getting to know them for real, hearing their stories and ultimately, have a deeper understanding of who I am.

4. Staying put makes me face who I am and my problems

Not all digital nomads travel because they’re on a spiritual quest, trying to find themselves and meaning in life. But I do know travelling is one of the ways to increase self-awareness. It puts you outside your comfort zone, allowing you to face your fears, discover your likes and dislikes and how you adapt to change. It forces someone to explore different cultures and gain the flexibility they need to deal with uncertainty.

However, I’ve been coming to terms with who I am for a long time. I’m not done learning about myself and the world but I don’t need to be constantly on the go in order to make that happen. 

In some ways, I believe that uncomfortably staying put actually makes us face the truth of who we are more profoundly because we’re not contemplating our escape plans. Staying in one place allows me to mindfully appreciate the mundane parts of my life and thoughtfully reflect on my strengths, limitations, securities and insecurities, hopes and dreams, mistakes and regrets. 

It becomes more difficult to run away from my problems; I have to struggle through the complicated process of finding and achieving a resolution. Like a tree that gets stronger when it’s not constantly being uprooted and replanted, I become more resilient when I’m not thinking of leaving the moment I arrive.

5. I don’t want travel to be a source of happiness

How do I feel the moment I enter a new city I’ve never been to?

Excited, happy, adventurous, thrilled…everything that screams joy.

Then usually, at the 2-week mark, I start to miss home. The allure is lost on me and the novelty of the new experience wears off. I need the comforts of my normal life.

But what I find happens to some of those consumed by wanderlust is that they become addicted to that initial high of entering a new country. Without a real home to return to, they’re caught in a neverending chase for happiness in the next destination. 

And with the advent of influencer culture and social media, travel photos have become magnets for likes. The photo or video become their purpose to travel; their followers’ attention has become a game of whack-a-mole, tapping on whatever is shiniest. After the content is created, it’s about “what’s next?”.

What’s going to make me happy?

Eating pho in Hanoi?

Scuba diving on the Gold Coast?

Trekking in the Amazon jungle?

(Or rather, having people look at photos of myself doing such things…)

At the end of the day, does the number of countries a person has visited matter when they die? 

Or is it more about the influence and impact they had on others that make a life well-lived? 

Travelling shouldn’t be a form of escapism or a source of happiness; it’s a form of connection and growth, exploring cultures and expanding views of the world. I don’t think you need to be a digital nomad to experience this. 

Ultimately, I love where I live. A destination isn’t a checkbox; it’s an opportunity to nourish our hearts, minds and souls. I don’t want my life to be about “What’s next?”. I’d rather have it be about “What now?”

So Readers, have you considered the digital nomad lifestyle?