The internet is a great way to stay connected to family and friends, but it can also be a super lonely place. While there is a growing community of digital nomads, they mostly congregate in the same places: the coworking spaces of major cities.
This isn’t to say that there aren’t digital nomads who prefer to slow travel, but the trend is still relatively new, and it’s still hard to find digital nomads who live and work in different places in the world.
A digital nomad is a person who is employed remotely, working from a home office, while traveling for at least part of the year. Digital nomads can work from anywhere, and they tend to work from their home countries, which the rest of us usually know way too much about.
Slow travel is a term used to refer to traveling with the intention of enjoying the journey, seeing the sites, being more mindful, and meeting local people. As opposed to trying to see everything, in a short time frame, slow travel is all about experiencing the local scene, the people, their culture, their cuisine, and by doing so, learning more about yourself.
The hardest part about living and travelling abroad is keeping up with all that you need to do every day. I realised over time, the less time I spent commuting, the more time I spent exploring and getting things done. This led me to find a way where I could live off the grid and still have everything I needed around me.
More Affordable
Many digital nomads travel slowly because it’s cheaper, more flexible, and allows them to see more of the world. When you travel slowly, you will be able to experience more and reduce the cost of transportation.
More Relaxed
Slow Travel is taking a trip that usually takes longer than a week, but which is not considered a vacation. It usually involves a more intimate experience with the locals, a slower pace of life, and a less pre-planned structure. Slow travel is a great way to see a place on a more intimate scale with more relax and more flexible schedule.
Experience More
It is no secret that the nomadic lifestyle is all about finding balance and enjoying the beautiful things in life. Traveling through Europe and Asia has taught me that if you want to enjoy the cultures, the food and overall experience, you need to slow down and go with the flow.
There are several advantages to traveling slowly, but the biggest one is that it allows you to really get to know a destination. One of the great joys of traveling slowly is that you get to know the place you’re visiting better than if you were staying there for a week or two. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with staying in one place for a while either.
Better Productivity
When you’re traveling, it’s difficult to stay focused on one task at hand. You’re constantly adjusting your focus to check your email or send that text to your boss.
It’s not unusual for digital nomads to travel with the aim of improving their productivity. However, many of them find slow travel can improve their productivity to help them stay focused on work rather than travel.
Expands Your Network
Digital nomads and slow travelers alike like to enjoy slower and more authentic travel experiences. A digital nomad likes to discover and interact with people and cultures, while a slow traveler enjoys slow travel and lifestyle.
Environmentally Friendly
Some like to complain about slow travel. It’s too expensive because it’s too slow. It’s out of fashion, it’s not sexy enough. They call slow travel boring. And while slow travel might be less exciting than other travel methods, there’s no doubt about it. But, travel slow is better for the environment.
Avoid Burnout
While most people believe that slow travel is synonymous with traditional travel, the truth is that most digital nomads prefer to stay in one place for a longer period of time. Many simply don’t have the budget for the most exotic travel experiences, while others simply prefer to stay in one place for a longer period of time to avoid burnout.
Reduce Travel Stress
There are a lot of misconceptions about the digital nomad lifestyle. What many people don’t realize is that the way we travel is quite different from how traditional travelers experience it. The life of a digital nomad is more laid back, less structured, and focuses more on the journey than the destination. It allows us to travel more comfortably and usually with less pressure.
Simplify The Itinerary
Slow travel is the term that has come to define a lifestyle that involves minimal planning, minimal expenses, and minimal hassles! It’s the kind of travel that involves packing light, staying in hostels, eating at local restaurants, taking short multi-day trips instead of long multi-month trips, and so on. So you can have a more simple and flexible itinerary.
Working Hours Have Been Set
While we all know that we’re supposed to embrace the digital nomad lifestyle and work way less than we’re used to, we’re not quite sure how we should go about this. Some people like to work small jobs and take up jobs abroad, others like to commit fully to their digital nomadic lifestyle and work long hours while traveling. The main reason for the slow travel of digital nomads is that working hours have been determined for their remote job.