MINNEAPOLIS — Changing work environments and the ability to have a mobile lifestyle has led many people to become what’s known as a "global nomad" or "digital nomad." Basically, it’s when you don't have a fixed address and use the internet to earn income while traveling the world. That’s the lifestyle Christopher Elliott has chosen.
We tracked down Elliott in Long Beach, California, but being a digital nomad means he won’t stay in any one location very long. “Sometimes you wake up in the middle of the night and you think, What city am I in?'"
The idea to live a life on the road began in 2010 when Elliott spent most of the year away from home while writing for a magazine. Uprooting every few days to work remotely in a new destination struck a chord. He enjoyed the thought of the unknown so much that he fully embraced the lifestyle in 2017 by selling his house – a decision he didn’t take lightly. “My advice would be don’t jump into it. Maybe do a year of transitioning from being stable to being nomadic and see how it goes," he said.
Elliott isn’t alone in his nomadic lifestyle. His two boys are by his side, using remote online schooling and tutoring to continue their education. Both have managed to work ahead of their standard grade level while gaining a worldly perspective. “They are 16 and 19 years old, and both are already seniors in college at the University of Arizona.”
Elliott also has a daughter who didn’t want to live with the constant flux, and now stays with her mother at a fixed address. “You have to really know yourself before you decide on a destination because sometimes, you’re going to be there not just a couple of nights, you’re there for a week or two weeks or even a month," he said.
For most, it’s hard to imagine going through life with one bag of clothes. That’s exactly what Elliott and his two kids do, three people with three bags. But does shedding all your possessions make life any easier?
“I mean there are things you miss when you don’t have everything in one place in a home. Items that you don’t use every day say a blender for example. You say gee, I wish I had a blender, well, you don’t really travel with a blender.”
Sometimes they go where there’s a good deal on housing or to a destination they’ve been before and are familiar with. Other times they just spin the globe and see where it stops. Right now, the three are planning to leave America for an epic overseas journey with the goal to hit 100 countries over the next two years.
At this point Elliott has no regrets. Every week he’s in a new place and gets to meet new people. He says the cultural experience is so rewarding that the only risk is one day he fears it may all stop.
“At some point, you’re going to find a place that you like so much that you are going to want to stay," he said. "I don’t want that to happen. I want to keep going."
