The Happiness Function

Many people dream about the idea of jet-setting around the world full-time. However, a digital nomad traveling the world nonstop has made a shocking revelation that might surprise travelers, or perhaps it is relatable. He’s happier than ever, thanks to his decision – to quit nomadic traveling.

For the sake of his story, we’ll call him Jack.

Here is His Story

After more than three years of being a nomad, constantly on the move, Jack recently returned to the U.S. full-time and notices that he is much happier.

He plans to travel in the future but has been reflecting on the concept of permanence versus nomadic travel and wanted to share his thoughts online.

1. Job Proficiency Improved

Jack found that he is now better at his job since he has returned to a more permanent home. He works from home, and his productivity has significantly increased since he has a dedicated workspace with a real desk, a giant external monitor, and an expensive office chair.

He discovered that having a chair that reclines slightly has made an enormous difference. Working from regular chairs with vertical backs made him more likely to work from the bed or couch, which could have been better for productivity (we can relate).

2. Feels Like Home

A permanent home filled with his items and collectibles makes the place feel more like “home.” He can finally possess physical books again, which he enjoys.

Jack is no longer limited to living with pots and pans and mix-matched items that looks like he is from a junkyard.

3. Establishing Meaningful Connections and Avoiding Social Isolation is Crucial

Additionally, Jack now has a list of people to call if he wants to go out and do something.

Although he made many friends while traveling, he realized his anxiety was probably higher when traveling alone.

Visiting locations with good meetup groups and other social options helped mitigate this. However, showing up in a new country where he didn’t know anyone or the language sometimes felt isolating.

4. The Task of Organizing Frequent Travels Can Be as Demanding as Work Itself

The logistics of constant travel can also feel like work. Jack shared that his job didn’t care about his travel, so trying to pack his life up every couple of months or weeks and settle into a new city or country while staying on top of his work was overwhelming.

He now enjoys waking up and walking into his home office daily.

5. The Feel of Being an Outsider

Lastly, Jack said he doesn’t have to worry about getting kicked out of a country or standing out for being a foreigner.

Although standing out can also be good, he found it harder to be assertive in another country as a tourist. He never knew if the legal system would be on his side if something happened, and he did not want to antagonize people’s way of life.

Finally, the author isn’t claiming that nomadic life is terrible or that you can’t be happy doing it. However, he hopes sharing his views after living this lifestyle may help someone else.

A handful of travelers responded.

Not Enough Nomads Discuss This

A fellow digital nomad explained that not enough people discussed this reality and elaborated that he felt the disconnection was challenging as well. He said, “A great way I found to mitigate this is (by) visiting paid conferences and events in the area.”

The fellow traveler suggested attending paid events because the “more time and money people invest in an event, the more likely they will invest in other areas of their life,” such as maintaining connections.

The Cognitive Work That Goes Into Logistics

Many travelers agree that people do not realize how much “cognitive work goes into logistics” while on the road. One elaborated how it is part of their reasoning behind temporarily settling for a while. They explained that half of their time involved researching and planning itineraries, booking flights, and making reservations.

While many nomads shared this traveler’s sentiment, they all agreed they wouldn’t trade their experiences.

A thread inspired this post.

This article was produced and syndicated by The Happiness Function.

Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock.