My entire goal as of late is to design my own lifestyle, so figure out exactly how it is that I want to live, and then just move forward and do it.
I suppose in many ways, the term lifestyle design (at least in my circles) gets thrown around to mean a whole range of different things, however we all on at least some basic principle practice it.
I suppose the larger factor at play here is just how far from the standard norms does one go?
I've chosen to live a lifestyle of perpetual travel, I systematically built my business in a way that would allow me to do just that. I would say that this is deviating from the standard or status quo quite considerably.
The thing is however, I am not alone. There are thousands (millions?) of us living this life style, so ironically we end up in some of the same situations we would if we were just choosing to stay back in our home towns and start choosing lifestyle components from there.
I reflect on the quote from Trainspotting:
“Choose a life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television. Choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers... Choose DSY and wondering who the fuck you are on a Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit crushing game shows, stucking junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away in the end of it all, pishing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked up brats you spawned to replace yourself, choose your future. Choose life... But why would I want to do a thing like that?”
I feel like many of these scenarios are still just as real in my chosen lifestyle. Mind you, its more like 'choose washing an elephant rather than riding an elephant, choose exotic scenery vs stable internet connection, choose X country vs Y country' and so on.
The Biggest Decision I'm Currently Pondering On
The first option is that I keep carving out my own path, choosing countries (more often than not based on whether I can find a marketing conference being held there haha) . Just keep playing things by ear and see where I end up.
The idea of this I think is more romanticized than I actually enjoy, as when it comes to things such as planning a trip I literally can not be bothered half the time. (This was the reason I ended up staying in Manila Bay for 3 weeks rather than the far safer area of Makati).
The second option is to jump on board with some other groups of digital nomads who are already living the lifestyle, and moving from country to country together. They set the country, they arrange a solid wifi signal so you can work, and they arrange all of the accommodation.
Interestingly, I was interviewed by a crazy Swiss guy this week, and run through quite a few of the issues facing the lifestyle and the reasons behind etc. You can check the video out here, but the biggest issue I have encountered is the fact that you have such a quickly rotating selection of friends with which you can spend time with and get to know.
Were all on our own path, and our paths may only cross for a short period of time.
Traveling with the group (which I must add, is more expensive than travelling alone) would easily and succinctly solve quite a few of these problems.
After interviews and applications I was accepted, and I have about 5 days left to make a decision.
