Becoming a digital nomad and buying a one-way ticket to Thailand sounds awesome. 

You see them spending their summers in Bali or Lisbon and ask yourself, “why don’t I give it a try?” 

I don’t blame you at all. I used to watch tons of vlogs and reels of people traveling all over and making every single moment seem like a dream. 

But once I started doing it myself, reality hit me like a pile of rocks. 

Most digital nomads aren’t living perfect lives.

Work, running an online business, and paying your bills doesn’t stop just because you’re on the other side of the world. 

If anything, it’s harder. 

You’re living in a bunch of foreign countries with no real support system. Most of these places also have a new way of doing things that may or may not be your thing. 

While some nomads adapt, others leave the minute the “dream” they saw on YouTube doesn’t match reality. They realize it’s not for them, wrap things up, and head back home. 

I used to think anyone could make it work if they tried. Get the skills, have a steady income, and book the next flight out of town. 

But the truth is, not everyone’s cut out to be a digital nomad. And that’s okay. 

Here are five main reasons why full-time nomading might not work for you: 

#1 You Think It’ll Solve All Your Issues

Anyone has the power to change their lives. 

If working remotely and traveling the world is part of that new life, go for it and don’t look back. ‘

But if you’re doing it to “escape” your problems, don’t waste your time. Paying thousands on a two-week meditation retreat in Bali to “find yourself” or simply moving somewhere won’t fix what’s going on inside. 

Building a healthy relationship with yourself takes deep inner work you can start doing anywhere. 

I’ve seen so many fellow nomads do the opposite and travel to fill a void in their lives and avoid reflecting on themselves. Once they realize they can’t put a bandaid over their issues, they double down on their approach with even more “experiences,” expecting a different result.

Remember, there’s no escaping yourself — no matter where you are.

#2 You Hate Change 

Part of why we travel is to explore new things, places, cultures, and so on. 

And to be honest, some countries are harder for some travelers than others. But that’s part of the fun. Nothing beats the thrill of going to a new place, learning new words on the fly, and dealing with a few bus breakdowns here and there. 

But not everyone’s chill with that. 

Some digital nomads and expats want a spitting image of what life was like back home. And when shit doesn’t go their way, all hell breaks loose. You’ll see them ranting on your city’s expat group about how terrible the country is and trying to ruin it for everyone else. 

If you’ve been a digital nomad for a while, you know exactly who I’m talking about. They’ll say things like: 

“In x, the service was better,”

“In x, everyone spoke English,”

“In x, they’d stop making noise at 4pm,”

Blah, blah, blah, blah. 

The truth is, you’ll always encounter new things when you’re a digital nomad. That’s what’s part of the fun. 

But if you want everything to be like back home, stay home! It’s that simple. 

Another word of advice: don’t expect anywhere else to change for you. The locals have been there their entire lives and do things a certain way.

If you don’t like it, there are plenty of other places to move to. That’s the beauty of being a digital nomad, right? 

#3 You Don’t Have Online Income (Yet)

Making money online is the first thing you need to make anything happen. 

Sure, you could volunteer to save money on accommodation. You could also leverage skills like bartending or teaching English at a school.  But neither of these options offers the long-term financial stability or location-independence you’re looking for. 

Unless you’re planning on doing a short stint abroad or want to stay in one place, an online income is the only way to make digital nomading work. 

Platforms like Udemy, Coursera, or LinkedIn Learning are a good starting point to pick up some in-demand skills. 

You might also be able to tap into what you already know. Make a list of all the skills you have and see if you can transfer this to an online gig, like this: 

It might take a few months for your online career transition or freelance business to take off. But once it does, you can move around without worrying about where the money’s coming from. 

#4 You Think It’s One Big Vacation 

This one was the hardest for me when I started. 

Your first few months as a digital nomad feel, for lack of a better word, awesome. FOMO kicks in, you start partying every night, and “play tourist” a little too hard. So much so you leave work on the back burner. Before you know it, you’re down to your last hundred bucks and have no idea how you’ll keep a roof over your head next month. 

No, I’m not saying to lock yourself in your room the whole time.  

Exploring new countries is a massive part of being a digital nomad. But when building a location-independent lifestyle, balancing work and play is something you need to learn from day one. 

Once you do, there’s no stopping you from living the life you want. 

#5 You Don’t Plan Ahead 

I get you. You just want to GTFO of wherever you’re at and get out there. But if you want to make this work, plan things out before you go.

No, you don’t need to plan out every single day for the next six months.  But at least have the basics like a job, savings, and a month or two booked in Airbnb. 

Doing these things helps you enjoy the journey instead of scrambling a few months down the line because you didn’t think everything through. 

Before booking your one-way ticket, ask yourself these questions:

• Do I have an online source of income? 
• Do I have a few months of savings?  
• Do I have at least two or more in-demand remote skills?
• Did you pay off any leftover debts?
• Have you told your friends, partner, or family about your plans? 
• Do you need a visa to get in? 

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Feel free to download my free readiness checklist to get a clearer picture of what to do before you go! 

Final Thoughts 

A nomadic lifestyle will challenge you, test your patience, and force you to roll with the punches. 

Maybe you try it out, fall in love with the lifestyle, and do it for years. Or maybe you realize there’s no place like home and go back. At the end of the day, you call the shots on how you want your life to be. 

Don’t let the influencer with a fancy cocktail fool you into thinking this is the only way to live. 

Not everyone’s cut out to live out of a small suitcase and travel the world. And that’s okay.