Digital nomad lifestyle: The art of work and travel

Picture this: you’re happily working on your laptop with an awesome view of the sea. How about jet setting to the next country in search for a new adventure while being your own boss? These are just some examples of how digital nomads live. Thanks to the power of the internet, working anytime, anywhere is now possible. That is the foundation of the digital nomad lifestyle.

Web Work Travel notes that while it’s hard to describe what a digital nomad is, it isn’t hard to depict the digital nomad lifestyle. “They spend at least a few months of the year abroad, change their locations frequently (usually every few weeks or can stay up to six months), and earn a living while working online,” the travel community website said.

Digital nomad lifestyle

The digital nomad lifestyle is slowly catching up. A BBC article said that in the U.K. alone, there are about four million people working from home. A majority of that number work in virtual offices and there’s plenty of upside to it for both the company and the employee. For companies, they get to save on costly overheads such as rent and office space. Digital nomads, on the other hand, reap the benefits of being freer and more flexible. They get to see the world, have an increase in physical activity, and are generally less stressed out.

A working laptop, fast internet, and your personal skills are enough if you want to jump into the digital nomad bandwagon.

Thanks to technology, connecting to work and coordinating with colleagues have never been easier. Here is a quick list of tools that would be of great use to up productivity and much more for digital nomads:

Various apps 

The use of apps can immensely increase productivity even if you are working remotely. Apps such as Trello can help you with organizing tasks. Those who prefer to hop on their laptops late into the night to get to work can download f.lux, a Mac OS app which adjusts the screen’s temperature so work isn’t too burdensome to look at. If you need to have an early morning meeting with someone from India but you’re all the way in Alaska, figuring out the time and date of your meeting can become a hassle. For this, BuzzFeed recommends the use of virtual time zone converter apps.

A reliable internet connection

One of the major drawbacks of working remotely is how unreliable internet services can become. For this, a good investment to add to your digital nomad arsenal is a network extender such as the network extender from 5BARz International (OTC: BARZ), a 635-gram, plug and play device that’s compatible with 2G, 3G, 4G and LTE networks. This portable device not only strengthens cellular signals for clearer voice calls and faster reception of text messages. It also enhances your mobile data and you can even make this a 4G/LTE hotspot. It supports up to 10 mobile devices within 4,000 square meters. Its antenna is fully integrated allowing for a clutter-free mobile experience—just plug it in and turn it on!

A stable internet connection is crucial for the digital nomad lifestyle. (Source)

Open-line smartphone and local SIM cards

As mentioned earlier, your smartphone can serve as a hotspot for your other devices. Tether your laptop to your smartphone for instant Wi-Fi access anywhere. Open-line phones, particularly, with GSM and CDMA. According to the Forbes article quoted here, CDMA network will allow your phone to connect to Verizon and Sprint, while some European countries use GSM. Of course, you can’t use this without SIM cards. The use of local SIM cards, by far, is still the most cost-effective means to stay connected. Having your phone on international roaming will cost you a heftier bill.

VPN Services

VPN services allow you to connect online without adhering to censorship used by other countries. These let you connect to social media, live streaming, and payment platforms which are sometimes blocked by some countries. Moreover, VPN also safeguards your system against hackers.

Not everyone is comfortable working in a cubicle from 9 AM to 5 PM. The good news is that an increasing number of companies are opening up to remote work options. These take the whole concept of mixing work and leisure to the next level. With some of these useful digital nomad tools in place, working remotely can become a breeze.

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