Becoming a world traveler is a fantasy for so many people.
Between the travel blogs and the celebrities, the act of traveling is made out to be exotic, and those who get to do it often are seen as having a “dream life.”
While those who travel often are put up on a pedestal, especially travel bloggers, there is another side to the story.
Sure, their photos on Instagram may scream “vacation,” but in reality, many of these world travelers are hard at work freelancing.
Between writing, web designing, consulting and marketing, there are tons of opportunities to do work right from a laptop, making freelancing while traveling completely doable.
And since a laptop by nature is pretty mobile, freelancers are able to take their work on the road.
So, you want to be a world traveler? Get ready to become a freelancer, too.
Here's why:
1. Most destinations have an internet connection.
With the job you hold down in your hometown, it's unlikely that you will ever be able to take it on the road.
Most jobs don't allow you to work remotely, so you are essentially stuck in one location if you want to earn a living. And with just a few days or weeks of vacation time a year, seeing the world could prove difficult.
When freelancing, all you need is an internet connection to keep up with work and luckily for you, WiFi can be found nearly everywhere.
2. You can earn US dollars in foreign countries.
When freelancing for US individuals or companies, you are able to earn US dollars no matter where you are in the world.
If you are based out of somewhere like Thailand where the cost of living is extremely low, your money will get you much further.
This way, you will be able to travel more with the money you are able to save due to low daily costs.
3. There are freelancer hot spots.
Freelancing in your hometown or city may be a lonely venture, as it's not all that common. Since freelancers tend to go against the norm, the essence of the job itself can be a little scary.
However, traveling freelancers tend to gather in places all over world like Medellin, Colombia, Chiang Mai, Thailand and Saigon, Vietnam.
This allows you to travel around, earn money and also make some friends who are doing the same thing along the way.
4. Cafes and co-working spaces are everywhere.
Nearly every town and city is home to a café where you can bring your laptop and work.
Lately, co-working spaces have become a trend, allowing freelancers to really focus on their work while still getting a coffee and a dose of café culture.
These places make great offices for the day and also allow freelancers to connect with friends. The freelancer hot spots around the world usually have a ton of these places for freelancers to gather.
5. Travel time can be used to work.
There is a whole lot of downtime when traveling, which is perfect for freelancers who want to utilize it.
Long train and plane rides offer ample time to get an assignment done or edit some photos.
Waiting around for transport is the norm for a traveler, and instead of being boring, freelancers view the time as sacred for getting their work done.
6. You can stay longer.
Freelancing while traveling allows you to stay places longer, which lets you learn more about the local culture and gain a deeper understanding of the places you visit.
Plus, traveling the world can be exhausting, so having the time to travel long-term allows you to take rest days.
In fact, most traveling freelancers will rent an apartment or an Airbnb and stay in a place for a few weeks or months.
The longer stay will allow you to get plenty of work done and still have time to travel around.
7. You have time to build useful relationships.
Traveling around the world is an amazing opportunity to meet new friends and make useful professional connections.
However, the fast pace of travel makes it difficult to build any lasting friendships. As freelancers tend to stay in one place longer, they are able to build useful and lasting relationships with others.
Making friends who also travel will make it easier for you to see the world, as you can visit them in their hometowns or next destinations.
Plus, many of them will be freelancers as well, helping you network to make useful business connections.
