Digital Nomadism

From a young age, I was completely enamoured by the world. I used to memorize maps, pour over atlases, study geopolitical history, and seek out obscure foods. Books and video games felt like an opportunity to leave my suburban Canadian upbringing and adventure to far away lands. The endless expanse of the world always gave me great optimism and excitement.

I travelled extensively in my early 20’s after university, through the beaches and jungles of Southeast Asia, to the cobblestoned alleyways of Europe. I caught the proverbial travel bug. Always planning my next escape, my next opportunity to expand my worldview. Then COVID hit. What seemed like a devastating obstacle to my travels, actually turned into being the biggest blessing. And for one reason: remote work.

The last time I stepped foot in an office was the day before COVID-19 thrusted our world into uncertainty. I spent the better part of the next 2 years stuck in my Toronto apartment. My home began to feel like a prison, and not a place to relax and unwind. I began to become dissatisfied. My world had become small.

It thrust me into a situation where I co-founded my own startup with a couple partners in London. This created the opportunity to work and travel. I loved it. However, each time upon returning to Toronto, I’d settle back into the mind-numbing routine of day-to-day life.

I’ve heard about ‘digital nomads’ and the counter-culture of working a 9-5 and commuting, but it largely felt out of reach. Out-of-reach only due to the limitations set in my mind.

Enter 2023. A year of opportunity. I’m writing this as I sit outside a Buenos Aires cafe, sipping on a cafe con leche frio. The world feels big again. And this bigness makes all the difference to me.

I feel like that kid again. The one who poured over maps and plotted his next adventure. Except now, I can do it in the real world.