4 Unique Benefits of Being a Domestic Digital Nomad

Why the US is the most under-rated destination for today’s American nomad

If you’ve spent any time on social media or Youtube, you probably have a very specific view of what it looks like to be a Digital Nomad; I know I did.

Laptops on the beach in South East Asia, exploring ruins during lunch in South America, or picking up a new language over drinks in some beautiful European city.

Although all of those experiences are definitely a valid and appealing way to nomad around, there are also some really great benefits to unplugging from your hard-wired internet connection right here in the US to travel around. We don’t often hear about those benefits, or see it as an intriguing option; so I feel compelled to share what I’ve learned during my time here doing just that.

Side note: Right now, this might be the only option many of us nomads have with the uncertainty of how and when the world will open back up for international travel. For those looking to get started for the first time, you might be surprised that you don’t have to wait until then. Let me explain why that might not be so bad after all.

Why the US?

When I thought of going on an adventure, I imagined an exotic location complete with a brand new culture to explore. THIS was the only way to travel. The coming of age experience, living your life to the fullest while you still could, and connecting with something out there that you were looking for… I was all-in.

The sobering reality: When I realized that my partner’s job wouldn’t offer him the flexibility to work in any time-zone like mine would, I knew I needed to look closer to home if I didn’t want to travel alone (which I learned I didn’t). Our 85-pound dog was also making the logistics of jet-setting across the globe a bit more challenging than we’d anticipated, so we set our sights on some domestic adventures instead.

I won’t lie, I was a bit disappointed and I wasn’t sure we’d have much to do. I mean, it’s just the US… I’ve been here my WHOLE life and it doesn’t seem that interesting.

I’m happy to report that I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how wrong I was.

We eventually moved into an RV, which is now our full-time tiny home, and we both work remotely from the road. Here are some of the reasons I think the US could be a perfect fit for a ton of American nomads. Some are small details, others are big benefits. — Enjoy!

Things that just make life easier

• We all use the same currency. No currency exchange to worry about, and no foreign exchange fees on your credit cards.
• You (almost) always speak the same language as everyone around you. This obviously isn’t helping you pick up that extra language that staying in Europe might, but you can always ask where the bathroom is no matter where you are.
• Less culture shock. Although there are some differences culturally around the country, you won’t experience the same level of culture shock that you would by taking that flight to South East Asia for the next year or two.
• Groceries are easy. When you’re doing groceries for the week, you can generally still go to the exact same store, with a pretty similar layout, and get the exact same foods you’re used to cooking. It’s nice when chores don’t have an extra layer of difficulty added to them.
• Keep your car and license. You can use these to get around still, and you don’t have to figure out how to drive on the other side of the road.
• You aren’t locked out during COVID: Although state regulations are always continually changing, we haven’t ever been locked out. As long as you’re courteous and follow the rules of every new state, you’re still free to nomad around for the most part.

1. Seeing history first hand

Here in the US, we almost exclusively learn our history while sitting at a desk staring at a book, or listening to an adult tell lecture about it from the front of the classroom. Many times, it’s not even in chronological order as we hop from grade to grade, or between different schools. We memorize everything we can (although it’s usually quickly forgotten), and we have a general understanding of some of the more important events that got us to where we are today.

But as you travel up the East Coast, you run into so many sights that bring our history to life and teach you things you’d never heard about in school. We’ve learned so much that we won’t soon forget, unlike the segmented lessons we got as school kids.

Just today, we visited Yorktown for a farmers market and a stroll along the beach. It also happened to be the city where the last major land battle was fought in the American Revolution and is strewn with historic sites. Last weekend we toured the Governor’s Palace in Williamsburg Virginia, where Thomas Jefferson lived for a time.

Note: I’ve actually had a few fantastic history teachers over the years, but there is no substitute for seeing it all in person.

2. Visiting friends and family

One common complaint that I’ve heard from many digital nomad friends: they can get lonely and miss friends and family from time to time. I’m happy to report that this isn’t as big of a problem when you’re traveling around the US! (assuming they’re here of course too).

As we’ve traveled up the coast, we’ve gotten to spend time with people that we haven’t seen in years. We have open invitations and some solid plans to see even more as our itinerary continues.

Fun example: We were recently able to meet up with a co-worker that I’d only seen when she would fly down to our local office location. Now that we’re on the road, we recently got to stay near her place and dedicate 2 whole weeks to exploring all of her favorite local activities. We saw her home, got to try out her amazing cooking that she’d told us so much about, and got sent home with a basket full of goodies from her garden. We probably never would have been able to make so much time for that before, and the itinerary didn’t even have to be rushed.

Just good times with good friends.

3. Seeing places you would never have taken the time to see

Normally when you plan a domestic vacation, you’re after the big cities or the well-known National Parks. You’ve only got a few days off, so you definitely want to make it count.

When you live on the road, you aren’t in a rush and can do a better job of exploring everything around you. We have spent countless nights after work exploring cities we’d never heard of, admiring one-of-a-kind shops on many Main Streets, and relaxing on restaurant patios where the food comes straight from the neighbors’ farm.

Definitely unique experiences we never knew we’d been missing out on before!

4. You’ll realize how beautiful and diverse your own backyard is

I’ve been shocked by the beautiful landscapes that we have here in the US that I was completely unaware of.

I can’t count how many times I’ve said:

“Are you kidding me?! Why aren’t we TALKING about this?!” as I’ve come across stunning pictures of states we refer to as our “fly over” states.

Unlike many of the smaller European countries, we can drive for days straight and still be in our own country. We’ve got 4 time-zones in the lower 48 (the easiest states to drive to) and 6 if you include Alaska and Hawaii. We’re BIG.

We have almost every climate and landscape you could possibly want; and a ton of National, State, and local parks that help you to enjoy the uniqueness of each one.

Takeaways:

There is more than one way to be a digital nomad, and they’re all valid options. I hope I’ve opened you up to imagining a new one.

Your experiences will be different staying in the US, and you’ll be trading some of the diverse cultures you’d get elsewhere for some comforts of home; but it’s still a good option. Only you can decide if this could be a good fit.

The best part is: with nomadic life, you don’t have to choose for too long! You can hop around the US for a bit (definitely until the world opens back up again at least), and then hop on a plane a few months from now to head over to Bali. With a flexible lifestyle, you can always be iterating on what fits you best at any given time.

I know we plan on eventually heading over to different countries too! For now, we’re just really surprised by how well it’s gone here when our expectations were so low, to begin with. I hope we’ve opened up some new possibilities for you too!

Thanks for reading!

You can follow along on our adventures over on Instagram