This week on The Local Take, we’re talking about the new work environment many people find for themselves. With a laptop and a secure internet connection, many people can and do work from anywhere in the world. The beach, mountains, small towns, and cities are seeing an influx of digital nomads. Some move from one place to another. Others put down in one place for a season and head to another when the weather changes. Dave Williams, a serial entrepreneur and founder of NomadX, assists people looking to live as digital nomads.
Williams shares that he began NomadX after he and his wife decided to relocate to Portugal. He had always had a digital career and worked remotely. NomadX was launched in 2017 to assist others who wanted to travel but found loneliness. It could mean providing a yoga class or working space with high-speed internet. NomadX helped to provide the resources that provided a community for fellow travelers.
I ask Williams if the digital nomad life is for anybody. He says anyone working as an entrepreneur, freelancer, or remotely can work from anywhere. Most digital nomads stay in a place for three-six months. Since the Pandemic, the number of people working remotely increased.
Williams explains that staying somewhere for four weeks is cheaper than two weeks. The average stay for nomads is three months. After three months, you may need to apply for a work visa.
The country of Portugal, which has experienced a population loss, worked with NomadX to provide resources for a digital nomad community on Madeira Island. I ask Williams, for anyone considering this lifestyle, how should they start? With a place in the US or go for an exotic locale. Williams explains that people should pick a location and secure housing for a month a go for it.
There are various resources available to research information about becoming digital nomads. A few bloggers cover the topic from a Black single perspective and a Black family perspective.
For more information on the NomadX communities
For more information on the Trimble Family Bucket List