- Quick facts
- Total days on the road: 586
- Currently in: USA
- Miles Driven: 36821
- Countries Visited: 17
- Days Camping: 389
- Days Indoors: 202
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Transition Your 9 to 5 Job to a Work Anytime & Anywhere Job
{jcomments lock}The hardest part of becoming a location independent professional is finding or establishing a source of income that can be earned remotely. For those with day jobs, the best path may be to transition your existing job to a telecommuting position.
Transitioning to a remote workplace can be done with varying degrees of success, depending on the specifics of your situation and what you wish to achieve. There is no magic solution. And it can be a lot of work.
9 to 5 Jobs That Can Be Done Remotely
{jcomments lock}Jobs in technical fields, especially internet-based, are most common location independent professions. Lately careers that are traditionally office-based are also being transitioned to telecommuting positions.
The list below covers common technical, creative, office and other jobs. It is far from complete, and we encourage you to find online resources specific to your skills for more information.
Managing Incoming Postal Mail While Traveling
{jcomments lock}Dealing with postal mail can be a big logistical headache of a nomadic lifestyle. How much of a headache depends on how long you’ll be gone. For short-term travel it may be as simple as visiting your post office and requesting they hold your mail until you return.
For long-term travel you don’t have many options. You can either pay for a monthly mailbox service or find someone you trust to manage your mail. In either case you’ll probably need to forward (redirect) your mail to a new address. This is a common service that people use when moving to a new home and typically lasts for up to a year, giving you time to notify everyone of your new address.
Wireless Data Access via a Phone, Dongle or Mobile Hotspot
{jcomments lock}If you’re working while traveling you may need a reliable Internet connection. It’s hard to bank on the single Internet cafe that may or may not be open when you arrive in the middle of nowhere. Or you may just want the convenience of being able to check emails without having to spend half a day waiting for a free computer terminal at your hostel. Even worse, some countries have been know to lose Internet access completely when fiber optic cables under the ocean are severed.
Fortunately, there are a lot of options for mobile data access. First, you have three decisions to make: What type of device do you need? Subscription plan or pay-as-you-go? And international subscription plan or a new SIM in every country you visit? Here are some pointers to help you decide.
How to Find Internet Access Anywhere in the World
{jcomments lock}One of the most difficult parts of being a digital nomad is the constant need for an internet connection, especially in places where wifi isn’t common.
Research Tips
An hour or two Googling at home, reading the first chapter in a few library guide books and calling up some old travel friends for tips can provide a wealth of general information. Knowing what you’re getting into will help make good decisions on the road. Online forums -- like Lonely Planet’s Thorn Tree -- is a good place to start.
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Subcategories
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Online Tools
Online Tools
As internet services continue to grow, online tools are becoming a great asset for location independent professionals. Here you'll find information about the various software tools we use while working and traveling. From managing documents and sharing files to ensuring your precious work stays safe while you're far from home.
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Managing a Business
Managing a Business
The life of a digital nomad presents unique challenges. Whether you are a freelancer, telecommuter, or an entrepreneur, working and traveling forces you to change how your business is managed. You have to maintain the books, pay taxes, write checks, pay bills, collect money and find customers, all without a permanent address. Below you’ll find our advice for dealing with these issues, and articles about how to balance work and a location independent lifestyle.
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Freelancing
Freelancing
This section addresses how to transform an existing freelance business into one that can be done remotely from around the world. How do you manage clients, get paid, work with time zone differences and not get fired when you are potentially thousands of miles away?
The Life Remotely team consists of a graphic designer, web developer and a software developer. We have such a huge variety of clients that we’re confident this advice will apply most all freelancers.
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Getting Started
Getting Started
Becoming a full-time digital nomad is a daunting task, there is much to consider and plenty of mistakes to be made. You should be willing to accept a few risks and plan for flexibility. Getting started as a location independent professional is not much different than starting a long-term travel adventure. Your goal is to combine and simplify many aspects of your life and to plan for the additional burden of working remotely while you travel.
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Cruise Ships
Cruise Ships
What is it like to live and work aboard a cruise ship? This question we have heard over and over again. In this category we hope to demystify some of these questions.
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The Lifestyle
The Lifestyle
Want to know what being a digital nomad is really like? In this section we delve into the nitty-gritty details of day-to-day life. Learn how both your work and travel habits will change. As well as logistical details like how to schedule work, maintain a work/life balance and what challenges to expect.
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Telecommuting
Telecommuting
The rise of the internet age has allowed many professionals to work remotely. Telecommuting continues to be a growing trend for a variety of careers. If you spend your day on the phone and behind a monitor, chances are your job can just as easily be done from home, or while traveling.
The articles in this section outline the types of jobs that can be done remotely, and provide helpful resources for professionals who wish to transition their jobs to telecommuting positions. We’ll also give you some advice for being a successful telecommuter and what you can do to keep your boss happy with your new lifestyle.
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Staying Connected
Staying Connected
Staying connected with your clients, friends and family is one of the most logistically challenging aspects of becoming a digital nomad. At the same time, you don’t want to be tethered to technology, whether you need to check emails, manage a project, upload files or just make a phone call. Here is some advice for maintaining your availability while keeping cost and stress to a minimum.