The Pandemic's Effects

THE PANDEMIC’S EFFECT ON A DIGITAL NOMAD

A digital nomad is someone who earns a living whilst working online from different locations of their choosing. This is any job that can be combined with travelling, such as a blogger, programmer or copyrighter. According to MBO Partners, there are approximately 4.8 million people who are digital nomads. For people with a passion for travelling, it is a great way to see the world and still make money. Which consequently, funds their travelling and lifestyle. Travelling and making money; what’s not to like?

You wake up to the high-pitched buzz of your alarm clock. Half asleep and pining to press snooze and re-enter dream state. Forcing yourself out of bed, you hop in the shower to gain consciousness. You slump downstairs to eat. What you eat depends on whether you pressed that snooze button (like we all know you did). All before getting dressed, packing your bag and getting into your car to leave for work. Sound familiar? For most people, this is the reality of working life. But for a digital nomad, their routine is quite different. They are not confined to the same routine or the same four walls every day. Their office is the world. The life of a digital nomad is often unpredictable; no day is ever the same. Their work may be, but the scenery often changes. The pandemic, however, has left digital nomads guessing when they will be able to travel next.

Dan Lawrence, 49, works in digital marketing and has been a digital nomad for 23 years. He was in the first wave of digital nomads, which began when the World Wide Web was launched in the public domain in 1993. Speaking passionately about his lifestyle, Dan said: “When I started digital nomadism, everyone said I was dreaming. But being a student and loving to travel, I thought the idea was brilliant. So, I did it. Since then, I’ve always stayed freelance and independent. For me, it’s about waking up every day and living how you make it. It’s your adventure and you’re not tied down to some boss or somebody else’s idea of how you should live.” Dan has followed his dream and has successfully been able to combine his love for travelling with his job. He boasts his highlights as working from a tent on a beach in Ibiza, to living and working in his favourite destination Lisbon, Portugal. Being a digital nomad means you can be away for weeks, months or even years experiencing different parts of the world. This time spent abroad is appealing to digital nomads, whose careers revolve around their desire to travel. Agreeing with this, Dan said: “I hate the idea of a holiday where you're limited to two weeks. If I'm going somewhere I want to properly go there and be there for a significant amount of time. As long as I’ve got a backpack and my laptop then I can literally take myself away.” For those not tied down to traditional job requirements, it’s as easy as that. You can choose where you go and for how long. Some hop from country to country and others enjoy spending extended time somewhere they really love. Either way, digital nomads pilot their lifestyles.

THE PANDEMIC’S EFFECT ON A DIGITAL NOMAD As COVID-19 tightened its grip on the world, like many industries, the travel sector was hit badly. One by one, countries began to impose travel bans and ‘lockdown’ restrictions made travel near-impossible. Figures got lucky and they were already somewhere really nice and other people probably got stuck somewhere they might not want to spend so long.” For those in the UK, this lockdown has meant no travel to exotic locations. from GOV.UK show that arrivals Dan glanced out of his window, By Sophie Smith in the UK by plane, dropped describing his coastal view. He significantly from 87% in March acknowledged that that there are 2020 to 37% in May 2020. worse places to spend lockdown. Shockingly, the number of air However, reflecting on the travel arrivals into the UK in July 2020 ban, he said: “It’s horrible. It’s a was 90% fewer than that during fundamental human right. I find it July the previous year. For those troublesome that we have been whose lifestyles center around prevented from travel. Although travel, it caused uncertainty. I understand why. So, long as it is The normality of working and only temporary then that is fine. travelling with ease was ripped I’m just so used to the freedom away. Their passion was put on to travel and work wherever I hold. please but now that freedom has For many digital nomads like been restricted.” Dan, COVID-19 has severely It has been many months and a restricted their freedom to travel couple of lockdowns since the when they please. Dan has pandemic began. Travelling is been living at his base in the still restricted. Staycations have Isle of Wight for the duration of become in demand. But for COVID-19. Though still working those wishing to venture further, remotely, travel has been out jetting off to a new country is the window. He said: “With still not easy or completely safe. COVID-19 it’s been very different. Whilst normality is still waiting to It’s just slowed everyone down. board the plane, many of us are It means people have had to dreaming of our next holiday. For stay in one place. Some people digital nomads, they just want to resume their lifestyle - a lifestyle choice that could see a surge after COVID-19. Many people have been working remotely from home during the pandemic. Employers have realised that people can be as productive whilst working from home as they can be in an office. Compared to Dan’s first experiences in the 90’s, the opportunity to adopt the digital nomad lifestyle is so much easier now. Technology allows us to easily communicate, no matter where in the world we are. More people may now decide to take the leap into digital nomadism. Will you?

Whilst normality is still waiting to board the plane, many of us are dreaming of our next holiday. For digital nomads, they just want to resume their lifestyle - a lifestyle choice that could see a surge after COVID-19.