Michelle Checchi (29) left the US in 2019 and plans to travel around the world for a few months until she runs out of savings.
Currently, Checchi is a freelance writer and video producer. Her income fluctuates around 4000 USD/month (more than 94 million VND) and only works 15-30 hours per week (average 3-4 hours/day) according to information provided by Insider.
“Rather than hanging around in a fixed place, Checchi likes the feeling of living in many parts of the world, being a tourist and traveling everywhere,” she said.
Digital nomad trends
Checchi is one of the young people who are tending to work remotely online, through digital devices such as phones, computers and not in a fixed place.
This is the trend of working “digital nomad”, the digital nomad chosen by many young people. Just need wifi, an electronic device such as a laptop or phone, they can work anywhere and often move between countries. This job is mainly in the professions such as marketing, communication, IT, design, tutoring or consulting.
The concept of digital nomad first appeared in the book “The Digital Nomad” published in 1997. However, it was not until 2014 that this working lifestyle exploded in many countries around the world.
According to statistics from MBO Partners, the US currently has 15 million people applying this form of “digital nomad”, an increase of 42% compared to 2020 and 112% compared to 2019. This work is highly flexible and easy to arrange time and have a good income. In particular, digital nomad creates favorable conditions for young people to travel everywhere and still earn money like a normal job.
As of June this year, more than 25 countries have supported this trend by issuing digital nomad visas. This is a document that allows “nomadic” workers to legally travel to other countries to work remotely.
Besides, the context of the Covid pandemic in the period of 2021-2022 has caused difficulties in travel and tourist visas, but the trend of nomadic work has not cooled down within the country. The reason is that the digital nomad community can meet the demand for staff for the technology sector that is almost leading the economy.
On the other hand, the pandemic has also increased the rate of telecommuting. Currently, many young people are familiar with the style of “work from home” or working “remote”.
As for Michelle Checchi, the cost of living in the US is quite expensive, so living abroad and working in many places helps her have a more comfortable life.
High income
After graduating in 2015, Checchi was in charge of local news production for four years. However, she has always had a desire to travel and experience freedom.
In September 2019, she sold most of her possessions, drove around the country, and decided to take a one-way flight to Tel Aviv, Israel. Checchi said that during her first months abroad, she traveled to Cyprus, India and Nepal and lived very frugal.
But after about three months, when her reserves were running low, Checchi had an idea: What if she found a way to make money even while working remotely without the need for a company? Checchi started looking for work on the Upwork website and other platforms to get freelance writing gigs.
“I thought, if I get a full-time job, it’ll just make me stay in one place forever. I want a job where I’m free, go to many different places and still have a job” said Checchi.
Although she had found a number of similar jobs with her desire, the income was not good at first. Checchi only made a few hundred dollars and it was not enough for her to return to the US.
But gradually, Checchi’s workflow began to evolve. After about six months, she was making the same amount of money as a news producer (about $50,000 per year) but only had to work half an hour a day. In particular, she can also travel around the world.
A few months later, Checchi was earning more than his old salary. In the month of June, she earned $17,000 in charge of remote video production for a conference.
Checchi also has more than 68,000 followers on TikTok. She often posts videos with content sharing travel tips. She also just earned money through this social network, although not much.
In addition, Checchi often takes on the position of ghostwriter – writing on behalf of individuals or businesses, writing articles or website content. But she gradually leans more towards the position of making videos. Checchi has a wide variety of clients, but she often shoots and produces content for companies in the travel industry – projects that often pay for her travels.
Disadvantages of doing digital nomad
When not traveling, Checchi has a place to stay in the city of Tel Aviv. She believes that this is an “intermediate of access” between Europe and Asia. She pays 871 USD/month (more than 20 million VND) to rent an apartment in this city. The cost of living here is also quite expensive.
If Checchi travels for a long time, she will rent out this apartment again. And when “moving” around, she will choose to stay in motels or Airbnbs, which helps her maintain a monthly housing budget of around $900. This is a huge savings compared to the average $3,100 rent (June price) for a studio apartment in New York, where she previously lived.
But this work is not always strewn with roses. During the pandemic, Checchi had to return to the US and stay with his family in Staten Island, New York for a while. Besides, the cost of travel is also a “headache” for this job.
Moreover, having to “move here and there”, people will find it difficult to meet friends as well as away from family. This will be a challenge for many of you. So this job is not for everyone.
But Checchi enjoyed it very much. She has friends “everywhere” and loves the feeling of meeting new people.
Vietnam catches the trend
Currently, there are many young Vietnamese people who choose this way of working. Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang are favorite locations for all digital nomads. Recently, however, Phu Quoc is becoming a “paradise island” of nomadic people.
Thuc Hanh, a digital nomad, said: “I like Phu Quoc Island because there are many places to stay that meet all my requirements such as a house overlooking the sea, quality dinners and an airy working space”.
Synthesis
Source: Vietnam Insider