After living nomadically for ten years across 35 cities, I’ve met countless capable professionals who say they want to do it but don’t. Something stops them from accessing this kind of freedom. They know they can earn well, work independently, and manage a team remotely. Yet for some reason they can’t define, they don’t take action.
According to research by MBO Partners, there were approximately 16.9 million American digital nomads in 2022, increasing 9% from 2021 and a huge 131% from the pre-pandemic year 2019. While traditional job holders make up 66% of digital nomads, the trend continues to grow across all worker types.
Working from home does not mean remote work. If you can get summoned into a physical location at any given moment, you’re not a digital nomad. But if you want complete freedom of where and how you operate, becoming one could transform your entire life experience.
If being a digital nomad is so good, why aren’t more people doing it?
Being a digital nomad might be the route for you. It might not. The following are the main reasons people don’t do it, followed by practical considerations if you want to take the next step.
See which of the common excuses you want to break free from, and make the plan for doing so.
The invisible chains
Financial fear dominates everything. “I can’t afford to be in two places” becomes the default excuse. Yet the math of not doing it doesn’t always add up. Run the numbers. Living in London (or another major city) and holidaying on top of that costs far more than living somewhere else month to month. But when you’re nomadic, one bill replaces multiple. The freedom number sits much lower than you imagine.
Location dependency feels real until tested. When my agency first served international clients, panic hit. How would we deliver without being physically present? Turns out clients care about results, not your zip code. Work quality doesn’t drop because palm trees exist outside.
Family ties bind many. “I can’t leave my mom” translates to “I haven’t asked if mom wants to visit Japan.” One of my best friends spent 15 years giving this excuse. Her parents now join her in Portugal twice yearly. People are portable.
The gap year trap
Many founders write off nomading because “I already traveled.” They backpacked Europe at 21, lived in hostels, and rationed food money. That’s survival travel, not living abroad. Working from a beachfront apartment in Cape Town differs entirely from sleeping in a 12-bed dorm in Vietnam.
The digital nomad stereotype persists: feral twenty-somethings earning $2,000 monthly in Thailand. But the reality looks different. Established professionals work normal hours, maintain routines, join local gyms. Entrepreneurs are building huge businesses as nomads. Location changes, but everything else stays consistent.
The comfort delusion
“I need my stuff” ranks among top excuses. People convince themselves they require specific shampoo brands, certain pillows, familiar routines. I’ve traveled three years with one suitcase. Freedom expands as your number of possessions shrink.
Disruption anxiety strikes everyone initially. New cities create low-level stress. Finding where to buy your groceries, testing internet speeds, locating gyms and coworking spaces. These resolve within days. Systems eliminate uncertainty. Pack the same plane outfit. Book Airbnbs after asking hosts the same five questions. Routine travels with you.
The permission problem
Job restrictions block many paths. Yet remote work has exploded since 2020, when the pandemic triggered unprecedented growth, with the number of digital nomads with traditional jobs doubling in 2020 and increasing another 42% in 2021. Companies had no choice, they adapted or lost talent. The barrier shifted from “they won’t let me” to the self-imposed, “I haven’t asked.”
Self-employment fears appear next. Business owners worry their company needs them present. I felt this deeply running an agency, believing my team would think I’d deserted them. In fact, teams perform better with clear boundaries. Time zone differences create focus windows. Absence builds systems and self-reliance.
The family logistics
Families with school-age children can absolutely join the movement. I’ve met dozens of nomad families during my travels. The Bucket List Family, Garrett and Jessica Gee with their three children, have visited over 85 countries while working remotely. They homeschool their children using global experiences as teaching tools.
24% of American digital nomads travel with their children. Parents can progress their careers while seeing the world with their family. Organizations like World Schoolers connect nomadic families for shared resources and community. Online platforms make curriculum compliance straightforward while providing location flexibility.
Practical considerations most people miss
If you want to do this, don’t let unsurmountable practicalities hold you back. Other people have figured it out, and you can too.
Visa requirements are first to tackle. These vary widely but have become more accessible as digital nomadism increases. Currently, over 50 countries offer specific digital nomad visas, including popular destinations like Portugal, Croatia, and Costa Rica. These programs typically allow stays of 6-12 months with proof of income (usually $2,000-$3,000 monthly).
Always check entry requirements before booking flights, as some countries require visa applications weeks in advance.
Health concerns shouldn’t stop you. I’ve met numerous nomads managing chronic conditions while traveling. Research local healthcare systems and pharmacies in advance to make sure you’ll be fine. Many medications available in your home country exist elsewhere, sometimes without prescriptions.
Travel insurance covering existing conditions is essential. Services like SafetyWing offer nomad-specific health coverage starting at $57 monthly.
Could you become a digital nomad? Questions to ask.
To escape these chains, start with questions. What if I calculated exact travel costs? Could my parents visit me at my next destination? Would clients leave if I worked from Spain? What systems would I need to work anywhere?
The digital nomad lifestyle exists despite the barriers. Every excuse holds partial truth. Moving creates friction. Change triggers anxiety. But they disappear through action.
Your hometown didn’t choose you randomly among approximately 200 countries. You simply never left. The comfort of staying masks the cost of missing out on everything else the world offers.
When the question shifts from “why not more digital nomads” to “why stay put when the world opens up?”, you’ll see there’s no reason to not consider this lifestyle. Your professional skills translate globally. Your work exists online already. The infrastructure supports you.
Everyone has reasons to stay. Digital nomads have reasons to explore. Which list grows longer depends on what you’re willing to question.
