Who is a Digital Nomad?

If you search the internet using the words “Digital Nomad” you will be surprised at the sheer volume of articles, websites and blogs dedicated to this fairly modern phenomenon.

Here is a generally accepted definition:

“Digital nomads are people who use telecommunications technologies to earn a living and, more generally, conduct their life in a nomadic manner.”

I do a lot of traveling. I mean more than most but not quite as much as George Clooney in the Hollywood film “Up In The Air”. I am constantly in conversations with people who are doing business all over the world. They fly about from country to country.  They work for multinational companies. They often have to travel to the same cities several times a year with their jobs.

They want to be intentional as they travel and do business abroad. They do not simply want to go on a trip to do their business and see a few sites. I know one businessperson who is what I would call an “Intentional Traveler.”

We have been listening to returning tentmakers since 1998 and trying to learn from their experiences on how to prepare new tentmakers better. Based on their feedback we continually update the challenges of today’s tentmakers list and our course content.

Often, a returning tentmaker looks at this list with tears as they realize they were not the only ones facing these issues. It can be helpful to simply read the list as they begin the process of return culture shock. Not everyone faces all these challenges. Much depends on the culture and region where they are or have been working.