Becoming a digital nomad

One of the things I love about having a freelance editing career is that I can do it from anywhere. Sometimes this is not a very fun place, like my daughter’s hospital room. Other times, it’s Paris.

The Flexibility of Remote Work

Recently, out of a burning desire to escape the circus that is my homeland, I moved to Spain on a digital nomad visa. Generally speaking, a digital nomad is someone whose work is remote and allows them to travel around the world and still make a living.

Not every digital nomad gets a residency and work permit to stay in one place for a long period – part of the appeal of being a digital nomad is the “nomad” half of the equation – but this approach suited me and my daughter. (Because of her medical issues, tramping around the jungles of Borneo is not in the cards.)

Where Can You Find Remote Work?

In the groups I joined while I was preparing to move, there were always a lot of questions along the lines of “How can I get a remote job?” and “Where do you find remote work?” And while it’s possible to find a staff job that allows you to work from anywhere, these are highly coveted and can be hard to find. With so many corporations now focused on making employees return to the office, the rare remote staff job that does turn up is likely to be inundated with hundreds (if not thousands) of applicants.

One way around this problem is to freelance. You’re your own boss, so you decide what the parameters of your work are. You want to work from your living room? Sure thing. You want to do it from Paris? That’s also possible. As are a lot of place in between.

If you’re interested in working remotely (whether because you like to travel or you want to move to a more tranquil location), freelancing as an editor just might be the ticket.