Currently, I am a digital nomad and I am loving it, in the short term at least.

Today I am working from a café in my home village by the seaside.

Yesterday I based myself in a dear friend’s garden flat. I worked to a backdrop of the sounds of the sea and birds chirruping.

When I started writing this post, I was in a beautiful café in a neighbouring village. It was set under enormous old oak trees and surrounded by wet woods. The coffee and internet connection was good and strong.

A month ago we packed up everything we own and moved back in with my parents. We have undertaken fairly major renovations so will be semi-nomadic for most of the rest of this year.

In this temporarily nomadic period, we are all having to step outside of our comfort zones. We are getting comfortable with living with less, sharing space, and being on the move.

A digital nomad describes those whose work is independent of their location as they use technology to perform their job. Like me. I can do all my work with a laptop and a phone, from various coffee shops, or at friends’ houses.

So far it is suiting me very well.

I am an Enneagram 7 so admittedly life experience is my biggest life driver; I love freedom and finding myself in new spaces surrounded by fresh things and unknown people.

The digital nomad experience can provide a feeling of lightness, independence and a reminder of youthful adventure. Especially for those of us, who, like me, have a partner, and/or children, living busy, scheduled lives.

Why Is Being A Digital Nomad Exciting?

Expansive

Since we packed up our home and watched it temporarily destroyed, my life has expanded, which is exciting.

• Simply because I now leave home every day and every day is a little unknown.
• Also because things have been topsy-turvy and everything has changed which can be uncomfortable. We have all been forced out of our little comfortable schedule.
• We all have to be more considerate of others and more flexible in our plans.
• Looking after myself has become an even greater priority, for myself, and for my family older and younger.
• I am having to be extremely organised to ensure our days progress as smoothly as possible.

The past month has not been easy for any of us, and therein lies the opportunity for growth. Expansiveness is a result of personal growth through self-knowledge, considered action and always kindness and courage.

Nomadic days are a lighter way to live as we have only that which we need.

Inspiring

I find it inspiring to spend the day in a variety of locations. I feel more excited about my days.

Some days trying out new cafés and coffee shops in different areas feels like travelling.

Different environments and people enrich my days, and with a little imagination, I could be in different parts of the world!

I feel larger, simply because all my senses have new experiences every day.

The other day I worked from this cafe.

• I include these pics I snapped as I loved the beams of lights in this space.
• I found myself appreciating the patterns of wallpaper as I wrote.
• I eavesdropped on foreign tourists who came in and left, and celebrated the return of tourists to Cape Town!
• A friend of mine happened to be working there too so we chatted a while. It was like being at the watercooler when I used to work in an office long ago.

I delivered my weekly meditation from a new and beautiful field surrounded by early morning misty woodland. We can find beauty and inspiration all around us.

Change is good if sometimes challenging. We grow in ourselves from coming through challenging times.

Nomadic days are an inspiring way to live.

Why Mention Middle-Aged Digital Nomad?

If you work online, you too can be a digital nomad. No matter your stage of life; it is not only for 20-somethings with a natural lifestyle-freedom, nor those based in Bali.

Even with a family home and high-speed internet, you can step outside and choose to work from different spaces and places.

Even when our build is complete and I have a corner to work from at home, I will be choosing some digital nomad days to keep my eyes fresh and keep inspiring experiences coming.

Van lifers and digital nomads can be any age, and I like that freedom. I like freedom, full stop. I travelled in my youth and being able to move venues with only a few tools feels good for me.

Those of us who have worked from home (almost the whole world!) know that it can get lonely and repetitive. I think most of us benefit from shaking things up and keeping inspiration around.

So middle-aged, like me, or any age – if your work can support it, give digital nomadism a go.

What Can Being a Digital Nomad Teach Us?

Enough

Being mobile teaches us about enough. I leave home with my laptop, phone, charging cable, a couple of pens and a notebook. Coffee and water are fortunately available everywhere I go. If I forget something, I spend the day without it. I drag no excess around with me.

We always have the choice to enjoy enough, rather than desire more. The concept of enough is one of the fundamental principles of Minimalism. It challenges us to feel abundant not because we have more but because we desire less. We appreciate all that we have, rather than chase fulfilment through acquiring more.

Enough is a powerful concept that most of us would do well to embrace a little better.

Flexibility

Flexibility includes accepting what is. At times when I have not been able to connect, I can choose flexibility. Instead of reacting with anger and frustration, I can choose to respond with patience. We can always find time to catch up if necessary.

We always have these choices when things go askew in life. As we age it can be harder to stay as flexible as we were before adult responsibility overtook our days and dreams.

If we remember to look at the bigger picture, we are more able to embrace flexibility and return to the simple truth that often things don’t need to be as heavy as the weight we give them.

Flexibility is a lifestyle that most of us would do well to practise a little more.

Light

Being a digital nomad can help us to remember that lightness is available to us in our days. No matter our responsibilities, we can embrace a lighter lifestyle if we know our priorities and if we get organised.

We get to understand our priorities through self-knowledge.

Once we know our priorities, we simply need to organise our lives around them.

Once we have organised our days around what matters most, we can enjoy spaciousness.

We can do more of what we enjoy, and remember to rest. Because without some form of self-care, life can fast become heavy.

Staying light is a simple idea that most of us would do well to remember to incorporate into our days.

Simple Joy of Being a Digital Nomad

The simple joys of temporarily spending days as a digital nomad are proving valuable for many life-enhancing reasons. If your kind of work can support this way of working, I would urge you to try it out for a day, a week, or more.

It can teach us about enough, flexibility, keeping it light, and more. It can be an easy way of feeling that life is more expansive, a little exciting and inspiring, and spending days like this is available to many of us.

For More

Always remember – you can also create a lighter life, simply.

If you enjoy: 

• images and others’ wisdom and think you might like to follow my experience as I learn and share – please follow me at my Simple Beautiful Life Instagram page. It’s about the things I believe in – simplicity and self-focus, and our stories.
• reading – please browse my Simple Beautiful Life blog where I write about simplifying life and challenging ourselves to get better at living a good life.
• simple systems – please grab my Scattered to Serene where I offer some simple ways to manage your days and improve your life.
• simple calm – Simply Serene Breaths where I have created a printable of 4 handy breathing techniques to serve as a reminder to return to the present.
• weekly emails about living a lighter life with a focus on simplicity, yourself and stories – our own and others – sign up here.
• accountability and would like some help with building your own habits – please let me know in the comments.

Thank you for reading