The Other Kind of Digital Nomad (And Why You Shouldn’t Rely on Instagram for Your Definition)

The term “digital nomad” might be a new concept, but it already brings a pretty specific image to most people’s minds.

They see young, tech-savvy people who travel the world, staying in trendy hotels or questionable hostels, jetting from one country to the next and staying just long enough to sample (and Instagram, of course) the local fare and see some sights before they’re on to the next place. They work a few hours a day and spend the rest of their time lounging on a beach. They’re often single or at least unmarried, and rather than a home or car, they own brightly colored backpacks and the latest laptop.

If you landed on my blog expecting to find that, you’re in the wrong place.

I fall under a different, often overlooked category of digital nomads.

The Other Side of the Digital Nomad Lifestyle

I am a digital nomad. I do freelance work from my laptop that I can bring with me anywhere. And I travel A LOT.

But I have a car and a home that I spend most of my time in. I have a husband who goes to an office each day. I have a dog who I love staying home with.

Technically, I could travel full-time. My career doesn’t lock me into a single location, or even a single time zone.

But it’d mean giving up all of those things. Instead, I choose to travel a week or two at a time, or several weeks in a row in the summer. I squeeze in trips with the hubby on long weekends. I take vacations with my parents when they’re off work for the holidays. I even go on a few solo adventures.

My chosen career allows me to do all of that, while still maintaining my little slice of the American Dream just outside of Nashville, Tennessee.

I know that a lot of people look at the Instagram shots of young, beautiful people traveling the world without a care. And I know that they get envious. Trust me, I do too.

I choose to live a different life because I love my family and don’t want to live with continents in between us. But maybe you can’t live that life because you have bills to pay, kids to take care, or medical restraints holding you back.

Whatever the reason, I’m here to show the world that there’s a whole other side to the digital nomad life.

It’s all of the freedom, without leaving your family or your responsibilities behind.

The Downside to the Otherside

There is one downside to this other version of the digital nomad lifestyle.

One of the reasons those Instagram nomads are able to travel the world is that many of the countries they’re traveling to are inexpensive to live in or explore. They can chase cheap flights and go further to get to more affordable hotels.

When your loved ones are locked into a schedule and you don’t have months to get to your destination, you don’t have those luxuries.

That’s what drove me to become a budget-travel expert.

Now, I’m on a journey to help other’s realize that being a digital nomad doesn’t have to mean giving up a family, a home, or your pets. It just requires a bit of smart travel planning!

Check out the rest of my blog to learn how to find the cheapest flights, the best low-cost activities, and other smart travel hacks for the rest of us! And click here to learn the full story of how I became a digital nomad in the first place.