export_ofoct.com

[00:00.39] If you could work from any location in the world, where would you go? Picture filling in a spreadsheet on a sandy Caribbean island, or maybe a little rooftop cafe in Rome where you can sip an espresso while editing a social media video.

[00:17.66] More and more countries are offering digital nomad visas and therefore the chance to work remotely, from wherever you'd like to.

[00:26.96] This way of working is on the rise.

[00:29.35] A 2023 report found that 11% of US workers now consider themselves a digital nomad, and this type of worker is expected to increase in number by more than 20 million in the next five years. Traditionally, digital nomads have worked freelance.

[00:48.47] They might be social media managers, software developers or copywriters, but now even traditional professions like accountants and lawyers are taking the leap.

[00:59.63] But what is the life of a digital nomad really like?

[01:03.61] Rowena Hennigan, who writes for Harvard Business Review, is a digital nomad along with her family.

[01:10.52] They have a 'home base' in Spain but frequently go away for workcations that can last from weeks to months.

[01:18.49] She says that compared to a 'traditional' model of raising children, "remote working has allowed my family to move away from that kind of intensity, and this way, we all get to move at a more sustainable and healthy pace."

[01:32.03] Plus, her family are regularly exposed to new cultures, languages and natural beauty.

[01:38.15] Though it doesn't work for everyone.

[01:40.53] Francesca Specter, a writer for The Guardian, decided to country-hop where her 'office' included beaches, cafes and coworking spaces.

[01:50.36] But along with struggling to find reliable wi-fi and fighting bouts of loneliness, she wrote that she felt envious as she cooled her overheating laptop in the shade while holidaymakers relaxed by the pool.

[02:03.64] She said, "I was chronically firefighting unglamorous concerns such as missing luggage or sleep deprivation after an overnight flight delay."

[02:13.47] So, it's not for everyone, but if you ever feel like escaping the rat-race, why not give it a go?