[txcwpalpha]

I don't think they are outliers. I know quite a few people who have attempted the "covid digital nomad" lifestyle (and I myself have some experience as a nomad pre-covid), and although they haven't reported something as entertainingly cringey as posting up on a McDonald's sidewalk for conference calls, they're not too far off.

The logistical problems (working wifi, etc) are expected and avoidable to anyone with half a brain, but the bigger problem is the social divide. The story about the guy in Costa Rica seems to be the most accurate. There is a good amount of disdain for this type of lifestyle, especially during the pandemic. Among my "nomad" friends, the only ones that haven't come limping back home were the ones who successfully walled themselves off from external judgement and formed a "bubble" where they only associate with other nomads. Fun if that's what you want to do, but probably not what most people expect when they embark on this escapade.

[pmoriarty]

Expats have always had it tough, and it takes a special kind of person to continue at it long-term unless they have to.

Most people just want to settle down somewhere they feel comfortable, and not always be a stranger in a strange land, unless they feel exceptionally drawn to that place, in which case they might stay.

[hypervisorxxx]

I've been remote since mid 2017 and spent a year on the west coast before going to Hawaii and then short term leases before choosing to stay in one place.

Granted pro covid staying in one place was still littered with work paid for travel which I was planning to piggy back off of to stay an extra week in europe or what have you wherever it was while still having my own place. With airbnb and company paying for flights it becomes doable if you live a modest disciplines lifestyle at home to have a couple or a few more long intermittent stints elsewhere.

For me the year I spent on Airbnb for a month and then short term leases before finally getting a new one is the little things that add up. Maybe it's not as sound proof as you thought, getting lost finding the grocery store because you never thought you'd actually be tired of eating out. Or wishing you could always have a tea kettle at home to just have one thing consistent about your morning routine. The biggest one was not having a gym anywhere and needing to constantly innovate to get exercise because it's much harder to come across the good cookware and everything you need to cook a nice home meal.

The fees are higher for shorter term stays and if you only stay somewhere a month you find a great deal of your time sat 25% of the weekends is spent navigating airports recovering from jet lag and trying to understand where the basic neccisities are around you when you imagined the weekend exploring a cute city.

Finally forget social media. People just need to understand you can live a good life workout having to brag about or share where you are all of the time. That is the easiest problem to solve. Noone has to know where you are save your manager for time zone work hr expectations.

The real social drag is real life not the digital one. You'll find the off beaten path interesting but ultimately full of locals places even in cities you imagined to be more international or urban, and it's not easy to strike up a conversation at a bar and eating dinner alone every night can become dull even with the best menus. Traveling with an SO could be more fun but I imagine there's tension there about getting alignment on the constant myriad of small decisions that need to be made. Agreeing on the next airbnb, the other one misnavigated google maps...again. The restaurant the other one chose over your preference was underwhelming. You forgot the laptop charger at the airport and need to trade off with the other one. No alone time or time with other friends to balance eachother out.

The small things add up. Now when I travel I know the essentials to have. I don't stress about the small things. I know when its worth buying the flight that's $200 more and the $40 uber is worth avoiding the foreign subway system for the late night flight in. Etc. Kind bars and some basic sleeping pills make the worst of days ten times easier when you can't find a place to eat that isn't fattening.

Imho after a while I learned to stay in one place for a month atleast. No airbnb roommates. You deserve peace and quiet. Get on a schedule and try to live like a local. I did this in hawaii surfing. I didn't pressure myself to explore everything. I had a schedule I worked early morning to early afternoon surfed mis afternoon to sunset. Ate affordable seafood on the shore. Some shopping but mostly surfing and sleep on the weekends. I found my local spots lay low and stuck to them. It allowed me to stay productive but outside of having a schedule the main benefit was having a purpose of being there. Surfing. I was motivated and focused to get my work done got a good workout and slept well and made good ties with the surfer community by being there everyday enough to get invited to taco Tuesday trucks and enjoy some live music at it once a week. It was good and now if I travel I go to surf. It helps me focus on work feel a purpose for being there sleep better meet people quicker and still feel like I'm developing myself and a hobby while staying in shape instead of just wandering aimlessly.

[em-bee]

The real social drag is real life not the digital one. You'll find the off beaten path interesting but ultimately full of locals places even in cities you imagined to be more international or urban, and it's not easy to strike up a conversation at a bar and eating dinner alone every night can become dull even with the best menus.

it seems that being more introverted makes this experience easier to handle. but i also never cared for meeting other expats, but i relished being among locals only. but i did hate eating out by myself so i preferred to cook myself and watch a movie or something while eating.

Traveling with an SO could be more fun but I imagine there's tension there about getting alignment on the constant myriad of small decisions that need to be made. Agreeing on the next airbnb, the other one misnavigated google maps...again. The restaurant the other one chose over your preference was underwhelming. You forgot the laptop charger at the airport and need to trade off with the other one. No alone time or time with other friends to balance eachother out.

uhm, i somehow get the impression that here you missed the point of having a partner. at least for me, my partner meant that all these issues became irrelevant because the experience of sharing a life together is more important than whether i like the food, or whose fault it is that we got lost. if my partner was happy, then i was happy, and if there was a problem with the accomodation, then we'd discuss it and find a solution. part of having a partner is learning each others likes and dislikes, and find common ground, but not fret over how having a partner interferes with you getting your preffered choices.

Imho after a while I learned to stay in one place for a month atleast. No airbnb roommates. You deserve peace and quiet. Get on a schedule and try to live like a local. [...] It allowed me to stay productive but outside of having a schedule the main benefit was having a purpose of being there.

now you got it.

everywhere i went i became active in the local FOSS and tech communities, even when i didn't speak the language, where possible i found local musicians to play together with or connected with other communities that i had an afiliation to or interest in.