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The future of our work is no longer fixed. Every now and then someone, somewhere, publishes a list of professions that will probably disappear. And what may replace them. Our lives and work are changing rapidly, thanks to all the developments in communication technology that follow one another in rapid succession. The fact that we are no longer bound to a fixed place is something everyone now knows. This means that you can live and work just about anywhere. And especially the possibilities of how, where and when you carry out your work are unprecedented. You can really have maximum freedom of choice, if you want.

It still fascinates me that we can work anywhere in the world and only need a laptop and wifi to do so. For the Digital Nomad, this is the basis of their lifestyle. So by earning an income completely online, they are not tied to one place. What typifies the Digital Nomad is the conscious decision to travel and choose their workplace ‘on the go’. Dit kunnen dan (internet)cafe’s, bibliotheken, gehuurde kantoorruimtes of coworking plekken zijn.

Alex’s story

At one such place, the Ideeënfabriek in Uden, I meet Alex. We bump into each other at the reception’s counter. There she is, with a cup of steaming coffee, tapping away at an email. I don’t remember what prompted our conversation. But that Alex’s story is still on my mind, may be clear😉

“When I was little, my parents and I went on vacation once a year. Those two weeks were, every year, the happiest of my life. So I was always sad at the moment we had to go back home. When I was 16 this reached a peak: ‘Something’ in me experienced so much resistance at the thought that you can only go away once a year and must return to a fixed place, because that happens to be where your work is. Right then and there I decided: I’m going to do this differently.”

Right after her studies in communication & multimedia design, Alex begun working as a freelance content creator. She bought a 2nd hand campervan, completely refurbished it with friends and family and embarked on a journey through Europe. “I just went and did my job. That freedom of choice made – and still makes – me intensely happy! And because I get to see the most beautiful places I always have inspiration. There is always a beautiful background for that one photo, or that one video. I always have an inspiring story to tell, because there is so much to experience.”

Working Nomadically

It fascinates me immensely how ‘the Nomad’ embraces the freedom to fully merge work and private life. Really next level. You can, for instance, work hybrid from home, your headquarters or at coworking spaces. You combine places in order to harmonize work and personal circumstances. But at the end of the day you probably return to your own bed, a home, from where you also leave in the morning. But: Nomadic working is working literally everywhere, (for a longer period of time) without a fixed home; with only Wi-Fi and a laptop. Any time, any place, anywhere.

That the life of a Nomad really isn’t all about roses, perhaps needs to be said to nuance the dream image a little 😉. Among ‘fellow nomads’, Alex hears shared challenges recurring regularly. “Keeping the focus, staying dedicated behind your laptop ‘to finish the job’, it’s not always easy when you’re at the most beautiful places in the world. The key to success is to really have the discipline to work hard and especially to consciously align your work with your free time.”

From all her enthusiasm, I sense how important this freedom of choice is. That it is an essential part of her happiness. Then I can’t help doing a little dance from where I stand. Just because I can contribute a little to Alex’s story. And to be honest, I hope to learn a lot from this in the coming years, so that one day I too can travel around the world in my own campervan.

Greetings Lisa