Curious what your thoughts are on the “new” breed of digital nomads, e.g. normal, 9-5 office workers taking month-long trips. I don’t think this counts as nomadism, but it’s a significant blurring of the lines between travel and work.

E.g. my girlfriend and I spent 6 months in different cities around the US since our corporate jobs don’t allow us to work internationally.

Really interesting point of view, thanks a lot for your thoughtful comment. I 100% agree with the broadened perspectives point – especially if it’s the first time you’re abroad. That can be so beneficial for any individual. I still see a risk in going all the way to the other extreme, though. The sweet spot is probably somewhere in between.

I also wonder what my perspectives will be when I’m 6-12 months into this adventure. My guess is that I’ll become closer to your “inability to commit to a place” and “the negatives (…) don’t really factor in my opinions anymore” stance. How close – that I don’t know yet.

How so?

Have been doing the same for 4+ years now and most of the negatives you stated (particularly as they relate to SE Asia) don’t really factor in my opinions any more. They’re just part of what it’s like to live there, and by choosing to do so I am accepting both the good and the bad. As you say, there’s no better places, just different ones.

“ It can affect your judgement and effectively isolate you from the west by becoming increasingly more detached from reality.” – I feel as though having spent most of my life in Europe, spending some years away from it actually broadened perspectives considerably. For me, it’s less about being isolated from “the west” and more about being isolated from going back to single-location living anywhere in the world. I think successful nomads (who do it long term) end up with a total inability to commit to a place. I don’t know if that’s good or bad, but it’s what I’ve observed.

Just spent a year in Thailand on a long-term visa. Had more opportunities to integrate into the community, give something back, volunteer, etc. It was great. But guess what, I’m on the move again.

I’m not sure I understand you – the post is literally titled “What I learned in my first month as a digital nomad” and starts with the sentence “One month ago I arrived…”

I wished you had started the post by saying you are only a nomad for a month ‍♂️