The pandemic that rattled the world in 2019 changed almost every individual’s life forever. Everyone was stuck in their homes, confined from any and all social contact. But have you wondered what happened to the people stuck overseas? The experience of traveling and working as a digital nomad would indeed be nothing less than a gut-wrenching rollercoaster of emotions.
Andrew Neel/Pexels | Travelling and working as a digital nomad during the pandemic was undoubtedly challenging for most such people
If you’re one of such digital nomads, looking around at everyone terrified, not knowing whether you would make it home or not, you must’ve thought of two different things — either to try getting back to your native country or maybe just painfully wait!
Life of digital nomads when the world fell apart
It’s pretty obvious that these people felt unwelcomed in other countries because that’s how this virus was spreading through people traveling. The pandemic not only shook the lives of foreigners as well as locals, it also tumbled the lives of digital nomads inside out.
The experience wasn’t the same for everyone though. While some had to spend their nights sleeping on the streets, some had fun fleeing to other expensive cities. But while the experiences might be different, one thing was quite common for every digital nomad – their ability to relocate quickly came handy!
What is it like to be a digital nomad?
Digital nomads typically are wandering spirits; you may see them posting pictures of breakfast and dinner in two completely different countries. That’s how they’ve chosen to live their lives. Being in the moment is what they like the most.
Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels | Digital nomads typically are wandering spirits. Being in the moment is what they like the most.
Consider Nuseir Yassin’s for instance. The guy wears a t-shirt with a battery icon symbolizing what percentage of his life is already over in all his videos! This Palestinian-Israeli video blogger creates 1,000 1-minute videos on Facebook every single day under the page Nas Daily. He was a Harvard engineering graduate who quit his job at Venmo in 2016 to follow his passion. He purchased a camera and a one-way plane ticket to an unknown destination, and started Nas Daily. That’s what these people are like – not ready to settle for a boring 9 to 5 job for the rest of their lives!
Rise of the “Slowmads”
Before the pandemic, digital nomads were seen as people who just roamed around the American countries. But the newer generation of nomads believes that the pandemic pushed them to take a more location-independent approach to their careers. The pandemic forced people to stop and reflect on their lives, but the travel restrictions halted the rapid pace of most nomads.
The economic crises and the pandemic must’ve changed the tone in many destinations, which is why a new category of “digital nomad visas” is emerging to make it easier for foreigners to legally stay in one place for longer periods of time. The visas also allow countries to target more mindful nomads in the process.
Ekrulila/Pexels | A new category of “digital nomad visas” is emerging to make it easier for foreigners to legally stay in one place for longer periods of time
Summing it up
No doubt the pandemic had an impact on almost every person, and every industry. But this has also given a chance to many digital nomads to live their life the way they wanted to. For many like Nuseir Yassin, Kesi Irvin, and Gabby Beckford, the pandemic has given them a golden opportunity to see the world.
