7 Things I F*cking Hate About Being a Digital Nomad

Before I dive into the things I hate about being a digital nomad, I want to share some exciting news I LOVE ❤️

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As promised, here are the 7 things I really hate about being a digital nomad.

1. Travel Horror Stories

My most recent travel nightmare happened just three months ago at Cairo Airport. As I was going through security before boarding my flight to Thailand, they scanned my luggage and found my drone.

Suddenly, I was surrounded by aggressive police officers, and that’s when the nightmare truly began. They interrogated me as if I were some kind of spy, and for a moment, I genuinely thought I might end up in jail.

What ultimately saved me were my quick thinking, people skills, and perhaps a bit of acting and luck

The result was my 1000 Euro drone confiscated, but at least I made it out of there.

Every solo traveler has at least one horror story.

Whether that is at the customs, with the airline, getting mugged on the street, or any other awful experience

Things just go sideways sometimes and in a nomad context, that means you are already outside your comfort zone when that happens and it stinks!

2. Just when you thought it was perfect, reality hits you

Getting your life together as a nomad means battling the disorder and building some form of stable, productive routine amidst the chaos and constant change.

Once you've settled in—found your favorite restaurants, the ideal gym, and everything that makes your life productive, working from your laptop and living the nomadic dream you envisioned—right at that moment, reality hits.

The thing is, as soon as you start loving the place, the people, and everything worthwhile, just when it feels perfect, it’s time to leave.

That’s part of the nomad's life.

Saying goodbye to people you’ve grown fond of and the life you've built always stinks.

Ironically, though, it’s also what you love about this lifestyle—because, after all, isn’t making new friends, meeting different people, and experiencing new places why you became a nomad in the first place?

3. Not all countries are equal

No matter how I express this, it will always sound bad so I am just going to say it straight forward.

Some countries and some cultures are better than others.

I know, that’s not the popular thing to say in 2024, but it’s the truth—and if you’ve traveled enough, you know this deep down.

When you travel, your brain automatically compares everything. You don’t even choose to do it, but it happens—how people treat you, how they talk, the cleanliness, the order, the way things just work.

Some places stink, plain and simple.

Countries with more structure and order tend to be more advanced economically and culturally. I’m not even saying the West is superior. In fact, I believe the West is losing ground to places like Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam.

In countries that still hold onto traditional gender roles, people seem happier.

Meanwhile, the West’s social experiments aren’t working—they're leading to political division, declining birth rates and a lot of unhappiness. What frustrates me most is that stating these observable facts makes people uncomfortable.

It’s seen as controversial, but once you see the reality, you can’t unsee it and you really don’t want to look back either.

Wisdom doesn’t come from sitting behind a screen, skimming headlines—it comes from real experience, from engaging with the world. The problem with today’s society is that too many people sit in bubbles or echo chambers, convinced they’re smart, while missing the bigger picture.

If that makes me sound conservative, so be it. I’ve lost friends over these views, but I’ve gained new ones.

And in the end, I’d rather see things clearly than lie to myself to fit in.

4. The nomad life is at odds with productivity

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: living the digital nomad life inherently conflicts with productivity. No matter how hard you try, the lifestyle challenges your ability to stay consistently productive.

Self-discipline is tough, especially if you're only relying on willpower to get through it.

Let’s be real—it’s not just about wanting "freedom" to waste time on hedonistic pleasures. If you’ve chosen the nomadic life, I’m going to assume it’s because you want to create something meaningful, build a legacy, and live with purpose.

If that’s true, then building habits that support your goals is essential.

One of the best books I’ve read on this is Atomic Habits by James Clear—it’s famous for a reason.

Now, here’s the challenge: the nomadic lifestyle doesn’t align well with one of the core principles of the book—"Make it easy."

Good habits stick when they’re simple to follow, and that usually means sticking to a consistent routine in the same place, day in and day out.

But as nomads, we don’t have that luxury.

So, the key is to get ruthless about sticking to those habits, no matter how difficult it is while traveling. Otherwise, the frustration of falling short of your goals can lead to disappointment—and even depression.

This is why I developed the Nomad Mastermind, because it solves this problem as best as one possibly can.

5. Other travelers

One of the most frustrating aspects of being a digital nomad is, without a doubt, dealing with other travelers. Some of them are perpetually stuck in survival mode—scraping by, chasing the digital nomad dream, but never really making progress.

These are the ones caught in a “me, me, me” mindset, where every interaction feels transactional.

They’re not looking to build genuine connections; they're just trying to figure out how they can benefit from you, often at your expense. It’s like they’re constantly hustling, but in the worst way—draining your energy without offering anything in return.

These aren't the people you want around.

They’re not your friends, just opportunistic acquaintances. Avoid them, because getting caught up in their survival mode will only drag you down.

And then there’s the tourist type—the ones who walk through life with a "don’t touch or speak to me" expression, as if they were afraid an animal might lash out at them in the zoo.

They bumble through their journeys with zero intention of actually engaging with the world around them.

“Fremdschämen” It’s that cringeworthy feeling of secondhand embarrassment, and let me tell you, it’s often the Germans who make me cringe the most.

Here’s the deal: when you travel to another country, the whole point is to connect with people and immerse yourself in the culture—not just awkwardly hover on the sidelines like you're observing some exotic species.

If you're going to act like a socially awkward alien with no intention of , then seriously—why are you even here?

You might as well stay home, Netflix and chill, and save us all the secondhand embarrassment.

6. Dealing with scammers—special prices and tourist traps

Here in Thailand for example, there are special prices for tourist for everything, so It is a good idea to make friends fast also from an economical standpoint

But then It’s also inevitable—at some point, every traveler gets caught in a tourist trap.

It stinks every time.

Not more to be said about this topic.

7. It's Addictive

One of the surprising things about being a digital nomad is how addictive it becomes.

The constant change—new places, new faces, new adventures—creates a continuous flow of stimuli that our minds quickly get used to.

To much dopamine is not good. It can be stressful and chaotic at times, and the excitement is hard to let go of. Every new destination feels like a chapter in an endless journey that you don't want to stop.

But this is also what makes life as a nomad so exhilarating and fulfilling.

And despite the challenges, I’ve never met anyone who regrets traveling. It's a journey worth continuing.

Thanks for reading!

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