Elgan: I'm a digital nomad (and so are you)

14.07.2012
Everything I own is packed into one of three backpacks -- or a storage facility in San Jose, Calif. I have neither a mortgage nor a rental agreement. I work from wherever I can find both caffeine and Wi-Fi.

My wife and I have finally achieved our long-held dream of extreme location independence. As I write this, I happen to be in New York City. Next week I'll be in Greece. I hope to spend Christmas in Kenya. A year from now: Who knows?

No, I'm not on vacation. And I'm definitely not retired. In fact, I've never had more work and I've never worked harder. Rather than being a distraction, my lifestyle enables me to put in many more hours than people who own houses and work in offices, because I don't have to maintain a house and don't have to commute to an office.

I might fit the definition of a digital nomad. I use the Internet and mobile technology to "telecommute," and I do work that has no connection to or requirement for any specific location.

But that definition the term "digital nomad" is obsolete and misleading. In fact, the overwhelming probability is that you're a digital nomad, too.

Let me explain.