TIL most digital nomads are still just glorified tourists with laptops

I been bouncing around hostels and coworking spaces for about 3 years now, and I keep seeing the same mistake. People land in a new city, find the hippest cafe, and spend all day working while ordering one overpriced latte. They never actually learn the local bus routes or figure out where real people grocery shop. Last month in Lisbon I watched a guy pay 8 euros for a tiny salad when there was a market two blocks away selling fresh produce for pocket change. I get it, you want the Instagram shot of your laptop with a pastel de nata, but you're missing the whole point of being location independent. If you're just swapping your home office for a cafe in Chiang Mai, what's the difference between that and a two week vacation? Has anyone else noticed this or am I being too harsh?

2 comments

2 Comments

hugo5029d ago

Oh man, you're totally wrong here and I gotta push back on this! (Not trying to be rude or anything, but hear me out). The whole point of being a digital nomad IS having the freedom to work wherever you want, even if that means a cafe with a view or a coworking space with good wifi. Nobody's forcing you to live like a local, and not everyone wants to spend their limited free time figuring out bus routes or hunting down discount markets. Some people just want a comfortable workspace and a decent meal, and there's nothing wrong with that. And honestly, calling people "glorified tourists" just sounds like gatekeeping to me - who made you the boss of how someone else should travel and work? The whole "you're doing it wrong" attitude is way more annoying than paying 8 bucks for a salad, if you ask me.

noahs8229d ago

Funny you mention paying 8 bucks for a salad. I was in Thailand last year, standing in line at this super trendy cafe in Chiang Mai. Everyone had their laptops out, working on their "startup" or "blog." Guy in front of me orders a smoothie bowl and it was like 12 dollars. Twelve bucks for blended fruit. I just stood there thinking, you could get a whole meal from a street cart for like a buck fifty. But whatever, it's their money. I guess the real joke is we all end up paying extra for the "vibe" no matter where we are. You're either paying for convenience or you're paying for the story. Nobody escapes the tourist tax one way or another.