“Crisis Travel: Making the Best of a Crisis”

Introduction

Making the best of crisis travel as a digital nomad

Whether we are aware of it or not, there’s usually a crisis going on somewhere in the world at all times. This post will focus on how to make the best of crisis travel and how to stay safe and healthy throughout it all.

The internet shrinks the world, but it’s vast. Many places, from countries to villages, face disasters, conflicts, or instability. The beauty of digital nomad life is the freedom; untethered from a fixed place, you can relocate at will. So when a crisis happen this group of people has the greatest freedom to move to safety.

Life is Short – travel when possible

Unless travelling puts you in the direct danger of a crisis or catastrophe, travel can and should be done because there might not be another chance to do it. Life is short!

That being said if you are looking for off-the-beaten track list of places to visit and or live in Mexico click here “Insider: Hidden Places in Mexico for Digital Nomads”.

It might seem selfish to travel during a world crisis but as long as you are being safe, helping as much as you can, and behaving with humanity and decency travel should not have to be avoided.

Thriving in Unpredictability: The Power of Flexibility

You might be a full-time digital nomad when the crisis begins and have no “home” to go back to. In which case, everywhere can be your home and your options are limited only to whatever country you can get a visa for.

The freedom of being a digital nomad

Unless you have a house with plenty of land to grow and store your own food, you are pretty much exposed when it comes to dealing with a catastrophe. Being a digital nomad is the next best option in my opinion because unless it’s a freak weather incident, or another country decided to invade your country overnight, you typically have fair warning if you pay attention to the news.

Political or economic instability doesn’t happen overnight and war tensions usually build over time. As long as you stay alert and react accordingly you can stay safer than most other people by acting before it’s too late.

Thrive during uncertain times

It might seem weird to consider but, you CAN thrive during catastrophe!

Invest your money

Sometimes a crisis while travelling might open up other possibilities that didn’t exist before. Like lets says you have a suddenly extremely favorable exchange rate due to economic instability. It might be smart to consider taking advantage of this by investing in real estate or local business.

Fatten your bank account

Take advantage by saving the extra money earned by the favorable exchange rate. You are still definitely helping the local economy with your foreign income and nothing stops you from donating and helping locally.

Of course if there is economic and political instability it might be wiser to move to a politically stable country. Political instability usually leads to violence or government crackdowns. Either way, stay safe and move well in advance of anything like this happening.

Pivot to an industry in demand

Adapt your skills to satisfy a current demand created by a crisis. If you find yourself in a safe place that is going through economic crisis you can quickly learn skills to provide financial management consulting to local people and businesses.

Flexibility is Key to Avoid Crisis Travel

Let’s face it, the majority of people want the tv sitcom life. They want a job, family, house in the suburbs, and a dog or two. This is great is that’s what you want but in reality it really ties you down to a place and a way of life. Unless you are living way below your income level you don’t have a lot of flexibility about where you can live. The majority of people live where they can afford to live and don’t have the option to save much money.

Have your cake and eat it too during crisis travel

While I think the digital nomad lifestyle is more suited to young couples there is no reason to not do this even if you do have kids. While growing up in one place will provide some stability for your kids as they grow, travelling and experiencing different cultures and ways of living will provide them with worldly knowledge that few are able to obtain.

Avoid crisis travel by becoming a Jack of all online trades

Building and growing your skills will provide you with the most flexibility and freedom to live how and where you want to learn:

• Video Editing
• To build webpages
• Bookkeeping

Diversifying your skills will provide the greatest flexibility in maintaining your ability to generate income when living abroad.

Financial Stability and Planning

Financial stability is the motor oil keeping the digital nomad engine running through all sorts of crisis and instabilities. Therefore, it is crucial to establish a robust financial foundation which involves calculated planning and careful planning for spending.

Diversify income streams

Build and maintain several streams of income from online and remote work.

Budgeting for Crisis Travel

Budgeting is a critically key aspect for digital nomads. Ensuring financial stability and the ability to sustain a flexible lifestyle are key outcomes of this. By putting in place a well-defined budget, digital nomads can control and limit expenses, plan for unexpected financial curveballs, and maximize the experience of working and living remotely. Choose to live this way as long as you’d like by managing your finances wisely.

Crisis travel financials

Economic Trends + Fluctuations during crisis travel

If you have spent any time in Mexico the last couple of years you may have noticed that the local currency, the Mexican Peso, has been making gains of late against the US dollar. While this has good and bad implications, it can negatively affect your quality of living as a digital nomad living in Mexico.

At the same time that Mexico has been improving economically, Argentina has been going through a severe financial crisis. Argentina’s financial crisis has been going on for decades at this point and while it is extremely difficult for those unable living there it does create a viable living option for those working remotely with the ability yo exchange dollars for the local currency and not to mention the “Blue Dollar” rate which is even more favorable.

Importance of staying informed during crisis travel

• Make informed financial decisions
• Optimize your income
• Choose economically friendly locations
• Be unaffected by inflation

Stay informed

Living in our current information age it is relatively easy to stay informed on practically anything. Create some effective strategies and rely on trusted sources for remaining up-to-date on news and information regarding events and issues that might become a problem.

Remember, information from news sources should be taken with a grain of salt and its crucial to seek out information from as many different sources as possible. This means searches news from other countries and ideologies.

If you rely on strictly American news sources you might be shocked to find out that the rest of the world sees events much differently and usually provide a more nuanced point of view than the American mainstream media.

Sources of information when travelling during a crisis

Legal and Visa Considerations

Within the digital nomad landscape, understanding and managing legal and visa considerations is a crucial factor to consider especially during political/economic upheaval. It is important to consider the legal regulations and overcome the potential hurdles of each country you visit.

Some forward thinking countries now offer digital nomad visas, providing a streamlined process for remote work across the world. Therefore, make sure to collaborate with legal professionals and tap into online communities for insights to experience a smoother nomadic experience. This should occur while navigating legal complexities with a defined strategy in mind.

Being proactive ensures a compliant and hassle-free journey, allowing digital nomads to focus on work and exploration without unnecessary legal and bureaucratic hurdles.

Build A Nomad Community

During an episode of crisis during travel it is hugely beneficial to be able to lean on someone or a group of people for support. This is true regardless of physical location or style of living but it is especially important when living as a digital nomad.

Building and becoming a part of a greater community will be essential during your travels. This includes building friendships with local people, joining expat and digital nomad groups, and joining online groups as well.

Reach out to fellow travelers

While the internet seems to be the answer for almost any question and it might seem possible to navigate difficulties on your own through the use of the internet, it is wise to join communities to join the collective hive mind so to speak and be exposed to different ideas and answers from like-minded individuals.

Building a supportive community is not just a practical strategy, it’s fundamental for thriving as a digital nomad. Shared experiences and diverse perspectives within the community become sources of encouragement, inspiration, and a sense of belonging amid the ever-evolving landscape of digital nomadism.

Mental Health

The digital nomad lifestyle can be stressful enough dealing with finding the next country city, or place to stay. When you add the normal stressful factors and add to this the added stress of dealing with an added crisis it can become overwhelming.

Establish healthy routines

Establish routines like managing work-life balance, and fostering social connections, both online and offline, for mental health. These intentional efforts create a sense of normalcy, providing a structured foundation that promotes mental stability.

Create connections

Nurturing connections within the nomadic community serves as a vital support system, providing not only companionship but also shared experiences that act as a balm against feelings of isolation.

Avoid crisis travel burn-out

It’s important to recognize and address signs of burnout through intentional breaks. This ensures resilience and maintaining a positive mindset, enabling digital nomads to navigate challenges with well-being at the forefront of their journey.

Handling A Real-Life Crisis During Travel

If possible avoid putting yourself in the position of being right in the middle of a crisis travel. This means being constantly aware of weather, political, and economic alerts that might impact your situation months, weeks or days down the road.

There are things you can do to avoid being in crisis travel type situation. Of course, there are steps you can take to find yourself in the middle of one due to it being completely unexpected or it was unavoidable for any number of reasons.

Conclusion

As we can see travelling during crisis is a lot like travelling during normal circumstances with certain differences. The obvious exception is having to perform more research, being on high alert, and performing even more planning to avoid being caught in a possibly unescapable situation.

As a digital nomad you already have a certain open mindset since you are forced to think about the world in a different way than most people. You research locations far in advance of moving there and perform your due diligence in making sure it is a smart, sustainable, and safe location for you.

Above all else, stay in mental control and stay safe!