The Downsides of the Nomad Life

I feel like lately, there is an ever-growing interest in the nomad lifestyle. I hear more conversations about it (online and offline), and even some people who never seemed the type are now thinking and talking about it. I don't know if it's a side effect of COVID that has made people re-evaluate their lives or just a general trend that's been developing for years and is now starting to reach its tipping point. 

Either way, I'm not surprised that more and more people are looking at alternative lifestyles as an escape from the busy, stressful lives that leave such little time for the things that truly matter. 

I am obviously a big fan and advocate for this lifestyle. Ever since I left the busy, career-focused city life, I’ve been happier than ever. I have time for all the things that truly matter to me and bring my happiness – and I also get to see and explore this amazing country I am lucky to call home. 

The nomad life is associated with freedom, adventure, time and beauty. And, in my experience, it is all that! 

But, there is also a dark side to the nomad life. 

As much as I love my lifestyle, after over three years on the road, I’ve become more aware of the downsides of this way of living. And it’s not just me. From conversations I had with people I talk to for my podcast and other travellers I meet on the road, I know I’m not the only one who sees the dark side of the nomad life at times. 

 And I feel like that often doesn’t get talked about enough. 

Anyone who is considering this lifestyle – even if it’s just in a ‘maybe in the future’ kind of way – should take some time to think through what it means, in practical terms, to live this way, including the downsides. 

Based on my own experience and what I hear from other nomads, there seem to be six main downsides to what is otherwise an incredible lifestyle. 

Before I discuss those downsides, I want to clarify what I mean by 'nomad lifestyle'.

For the purpose of this article, a nomad is someone who moves around a lot and does not have a set home where they spend most of their time. Nomads can be people living in vans, on boats or who just travel around, staying in hostels, hotels, at campgrounds or any other place. It's not about where you sleep each night or how you get there. What matters is the fact that you move around a lot and don't have a set city/region/place where you spend most of your time. 

Alright, now that we've clarified that, here are the six main downsides of the nomad lifestyle you want to consider before jumping in. 

1.     It’s hard to be part of an ‘in-person’ community 

Us nomads are an amazing community. I'm part of several online groups (mainly on Facebook) where nomads inspire and support each other. It's a very welcoming and friendly community – but it's primarily online. By definition, nomads are free-spirited and move around a lot, so making in-person meetings happen can be challenging. Even if you meet in person, it's usually only for short stints before everyone goes their way again.  

It's very different to living in a fixed place where you know your neighbours and your friends live nearby. As a nomad, it's hard to get involved in the community. I've thought about joining groups to meet people with similar interest, but I'm never around long enough. As someone who makes new friends slowly, I sometimes wish I had a more stable community around me, and I've heard other travellers talk about feeling the same. Maybe that's one of the reasons why many nomads get to a point where they stay put in one place for longer before moving on?!

2.     The lack of routine can be draining

A nomad life, by definition, has a lot less routine than a ‘normal’ life, which means simple things often take more thought and energy. 

It's pretty amazing how much our brains can do on auto-pilot once something has become a habit. By doing things like driving the same route all the time, going to the same places and doing the same things, we form habits. Habits are great because they give our brains a break. Less brain power is needed to drive a route you know very well than when you drive a completely new one. 

As a nomad, you are constantly in a new environment. Our brain constantly has to take in new information and make decisions: which route to take, where to go, where to stay, where to buy groceries, and many other decisions that most people who live in one place only make once or twice – and then keep repeating. 

While that is exciting and part of the fun of the nomad life, it can also be draining. This is something I became really aware of during our COVID lockdown here in New Zealand last year. After 2 ½ years of constantly moving around, I was suddenly forced to stay in one place and had very limited options of what I could do each day. And you know what, I really enjoyed it. It was kind of nice not having to make all these decisions every day for a while. It gave my brain a bit of a break. 

So if you embark on a nomad life, be prepared to use a bit of extra brainpower every day to make simple decisions that you might have done on auto-pilot in the past. 

3.     Access to healthcare can be a nightmare

Luckily, I've not had any major health issues since starting this lifestyle (knocking on wood!!). However, I need to see a health care professional every three months to get a preventative medication. It's nothing major, and there are no significant consequences if I get it a few weeks late or early. However, it still means that every three months, I have to find a healthcare professional in whatever area I happen to be in that can provide me with the medication. 

For me, it's just an inconvenience. For people with significant health issues, this can quickly become a considerable obstacle. In New Zealand, we're lucky to have a sound health care system, and if you're in an accident or have an emergency, you will be well taken care of – no matter where you are. But if you need regular check-ins and ongoing treatment, you will quickly run into issues as a nomad. The healthcare system is just not set up for us. Most likely, you will have to see the same practitioner in the same location – which will limit your freedom. From what I've heard, the situation is quite similar in many other countries. 

There is an added risk to all this. It can make you neglect your health and ignore warning signs. I've had a few instances over the last three years where I thought, "maybe I should see a doctor", but then never did because of the hassle. So far, it was never anything serious, but that could change. If you live in one area and have your go-to healthcare provider, you're probably more inclined to get minor issues checked out instead of ignoring them, hoping they will disappear on their own. 

4.     You don’t have your ‘go-to’ places

Healthcare isn't the only example of where not having go-to places can be an issue – though it's probably the most serious. I'm a creature of habit, and back when I was living in Auckland, I always had my go-to places for things like groceries, coffee, time at the beach, walks, takeaways and more. 

Exploring new places all the time is one of the joys of the nomad life, but sometimes I miss having my go-to places. There is just something comforting about familiar places, and knowing the coffee you're spending $5 on will be good. Not to mention the feeling of comfort that comes with being greeted by name and people knowing how you like your coffee without having to tell them. 

5.     Safety can be an issue 

I've been on the road for almost 3 ½ years now, and I've never had a safety issue or even just felt unsafe. BUT, I live in one of the safest countries in the world. 

Depending on where you want to live your nomad life, staying safe might need extra effort. You might have to invest time in learning about the places you’re passing through to ensure you know which areas are safe and which to avoid. You probably also want to think through some of the safety issues that could arise wherever you are and how you would respond. 

For example, here in New Zealand, one of the biggest risks is getting in trouble (an injury or the van breaking down) in parts that don’t have cell phone coverage and are sparsely populated (we still have quite a few of those). That is why I carry a personal locator beacon with me pretty much everywhere I go, so I can call for help if needed. In other parts of the world, the biggest risk might be getting robbed, so think about who you can protect yourself should that ever happen. 

Of course, in certain parts of the world, safety is a significant concern whether you live a nomad life or not. However, the difference is that as a nomad, you are constantly in a new environment that you need to familiarise yourself with so that you can avoid risks and stay safe. 

6. You will miss people

I feel like this goes without saying, so I almost didn't include it. But then someone I talked to for a podcast episode said: "I was surprised how much I missed people". It made me think about it, and I realised I really miss people too! So it clearly deserves to be mentioned. 

If you embark on a nomad lifestyle, you will see the people from your old life a lot less frequently, and you will be missing out on events and gatherings. And no matter how accessible video calling is these days, it will never be the same as seeing people in real life!  

So those are the six major downsides of the nomad life I'm aware of. If you can think of others, I'd love to hear about it. Leave a comment or send me a message. 

Overall, there are pros and cons to everything in life. 

For myself and pretty much every nomad I’ve talked to so far, the advantages of this lifestyle still very much outweigh the downsides. But at the same time, I can start to feel it shift a bit at times. I can absolutely see myself settle down somewhere in a few years to have the benefits of a more stable life and community – but then I will probably miss the adventure and freedom 

Whether the nomad life is right for you – short-term or long-term – is up to you to find out. Give it a go, and you will figure it out pretty quickly. Hopefully, being aware of the darker side of it means you can prepare yourself accordingly. 

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