What is location independence?
Long-time readers of mine know that this is something I’ve been working toward since the inception of this blog. I held the desire on a subconscious level for many years and my travels helped bring it to light, but even then it took me a long time to put it into words, much less set out to achieve it.
I now know that location independence is something that many of you desire for your own lives as well, and I plan to do everything in my power to help you get there. In this post, we’re starting with the basics:
Exactly what IS location independence, anyway?
Location Independence: What It Is
Location independence is a lifestyle.
Very simply put, location independence means not being tied to a single geographic location for any reason. This carries a lot of implications; your job does not require you to be physically present in an office, you do not have family obligations that require your attention, you do not own or oversee your own property, etc.
For most people, the limiting factor keeping them from becoming location independent is their job. Most employers still do not offer the option of working remotely; therefore, more often than not, becoming location independent requires making an intentional choice to free yourself of your obligations (i.e. leaving your office job to pursue remote work, going freelance in the same industry, or starting your own business). It typically involves travel to varying degrees, and this is often the most motivating factor for people seeking this type of lifestyle.
Location independence is travel on your terms.
For those of us who love to travel, location independence really is the ultimate dream. You still get to travel when, where, and for how long you want, all while earning a living wage. What I love most is the ability to travel on a whim; where those in traditional jobs would first have to request time off, risk displeasing their boss, wait awhile for the green light, and then still potentially lose money by missing work (if they are even granted the time off at all), location independence allows you to travel with little advance notice. I can plan my trips to coincide with events or festivals, travel at off-peak times to save money and avoid crowds, and spend as long or as little as I want in any given destination.
Location independence is hard work.
There’s no sense in sugarcoating it–location independence is the most challenging thing I’ve ever undertaken. The learning curve is steep, the hours are dreadfully long, and the stress of not finding WiFi when you need it can cause you to age a decade at a time. It’s often lonely, isolating work with no co-workers and no happy hours, and no one to blame but yourself for every shortcoming and failure. In fact, failure will feel like a daily occurrence.
You’ll try to learn as much as humanly possible, devouring articles and tutorials, enrolling in courses and seminars, only to feel like you still know nothing. One moment you’ll wonder if you’d be better off slinking back to a traditional job, and the next moment you’ll wonder if you’re even qualified for anything. It takes thick skin and perseverance to last in the initial years of location independence. You just have to believe that the payoff will be worth the sacrifice.
Location independence is empowering.
When you choose to become location independent, you are taking your life into your own hands. You are becoming the master of your fate; you are taking all of the responsibility for your future and, ultimately, your happiness. This, my friends, is the most empowering feeling in the world.
Location independence is different for everyone.
There are as many paths to location independence as there are people on this earth. We all have different strengths, and we must play to those strengths in order to succeed. Some people are incredible writers or programmers and can easily attract freelance clients. Others may have a great idea for a business and a strong entrepreneurial drive. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to try to follow someone else’s path exactly; what works for Bob probably won’t work for me, and what works for me may not necessarily work for you.
Location independence is freedom.
Freedom. This is what location independence is really all about. The freedom to determine your own schedule, to pursue work that lights a fire deep inside of you, to work when, where, and how you want, to travel at a moment’s notice. Freedom to craft the life of your dreams, whether that means creating amazing products that help people, earning passive income that allows you more time with family and friends, or slowly traveling to every country in the world. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.
Location Independence: What It Isn’t
Location independence is not always understood.
The road to a location independent lifestyle can be a lonely one. Though it’s steadily gaining popularity and becoming more widely recognized as a viable lifestyle choice, know that when you choose to pursue location independence, you will need to have some challenging conversations with the people you love. We are still a minority and will be expected to offer explanations as to why we are not around more often, why we spend so much time on our computers, or why we don’t have the money to go out with our friends as often as we’d like. Friends and family can see our behavior as hurtful, reckless, or selfish. Finding a support system of like-minded individuals striving for the same goal is of utmost importance.
Location independence is not smoke and mirrors.
I’ve dealt with my fair share of naysayers over the last few years and anyone else who pursues this lifestyle will no doubt encounter them, too. While friends and family may be confused by your lifestyle, many others will be downright cynical. They just can’t seem to wrap their heads around the idea that location independence is legitimate or that anything you are doing could actually be considered “work.” They think you are running from something or putting off facing the “real world” by playing on the internet and calling it a career. They will make utterances under their breath about your trust fund or daddy’s money; they will assume you haven’t earned your ability to travel freely, that it’s some kind of elaborate illusion.
But those of us on the inside know differently, and what I’ve realized in recent months is this: We don’t owe anyone a damn thing. No explanation, no justification, not so much as an ounce of acknowledgment. Some people will simply never understand, and that’s okay. Those aren’t the people we want in our circles anyway.
Location independence is not margaritas on the beach every day.
A location independent lifestyle has a way of appearing, well, too good to be true; especially when viewed through the lens of social media. What people often forget is that it’s easy to hang out at the beach every day when your base is on a remote Asian island or the coast of Belize; dig a little deeper and you find that most of these people have chosen Central America or Southeast Asia as a base not for their balmy tropical temps, but for their insanely low cost of living. In reality, those starting out as freelancers or bootstrapping a business have so little cash in the beginning that they often genuinely can’t afford to live anywhere else. New York? London? Tokyo? Forget it.
What you don’t see behind those hotdog leg beach photos and pretty cocktails at sunset are the hours upon hours spent hunched over a laptop, dabbing sweat off the keyboard as they pound through project after project, pitch after pitch, article after article. Everyone chooses to show the rest of the world their highlight reel; it’s no different when you’re location independent.
Location independence is not synonymous with “digital nomad.”
Every digital nomad is location independent, but the reverse is not necessarily true. I realized about one year ago that I could never live nomadically for my entire life; my longing for a sense of community was far too great. As such, I stopped identifying as a digital nomad. To me, the word nomad implies continual, frequent movement, without any one place that ever truly feels like “home.” My goal, on the other hand, is to have a base (or two) and still have the freedom to travel when I please, whether that means a month in Mexico or a weekend in a neighboring city, without compromising my ability to continue to work and earn a living. The distinction between the two is nuanced but important nonetheless.
Choosing this lifestyle does not mean you can’t have a base, or that you’re somehow an imposter if you live in the same place for six months of the year. Creating a base is healthy and, in fact, I urge you to do so; feeling a part of a community is vital to our health and happiness.
Location independence is not for everyone.
This point is probably my most important yet. Location independence is great–it’s empowering, it’s fulfilling, it’s freeing–but it’s certainly not for everyone. It takes a special level of dedication, of tolerance for risk and uncertainty, and of self-motivation, among many other things, to pursue this lifestyle. In my next post, I’ll be talking about the qualities I think are most important for success to help you determine if location independence is the right choice for you.
Does Location Independence sound like the lifestyle of your dreams? Are you motivated and ready to make some changes in your life to actually make it happen?
If you answered yes to both of the above questions, then you sound like my people!
My newly released eBook, Take Your Life Back: Finding Freedom Through Location Independence, is a blueprint for building the life of your dreams. It’s the culmination of the last several years of hard work and my proudest accomplishment to date. If you’re interested in location independence but not sure where to start, this book is for you.
You can find my full overview, reader testimonials, the complete table of contents and more –> on this page <–
Location independence can be yours. Where there is a will, there is a way!
