Some people work from an office, traveling only on their designated vacation days. Cat Burton, a game designer and professional photographer, works anywhere where there’s wifi, from New Zealand to Bangkok. Cat is a digital nomad, using technology to earn a living and traveling to seek out new adventures and experiences.
Photography by Cat Burton. All of these are places that Cat has traveled to over the course of the past year.
The roots of a digital nomad
Cat Burton was born in a small town in rural England. The first quarter of her life was spent earning a Computer Science degree and working in various office jobs (from Mind Candy to Unity) for the games industry. However, her passion for travel and photography, as well as her desire to design her own games rather than work for clients, pushed her to make the decision to quit her job, pack all her belongings in one 16kg backpack, and embark on a lifestyle of a digital nomad.
Today, Cat travels from country to country, from timezone to timezone, taking pictures and designing games on her laptop. She stays in hotels and hostels and works on and off for clients and for her own business. While passing through San Francisco, Cat stopped by Idibon to share travel anecdotes, dispel misconceptions, and talk about the lessons she has learned from three years of being a digital nomad.
Hammocks are uncomfortable
Cat dispelled many of the misconceptions that people have about the lifestyle of a digital nomad. For example, digital nomads do not code in hammocks. In order to truly get work done, Cat explained that you need a desk. However, nothing says that desk can’t have a pool or lake view!
Left: Cat’s work station in Bangkok, Thailand. Right: Working on an outdoor deck in Wanaka, New Zealand
Cat also explained that the actual realities of her life include staying in cramped hostels, having only a few pairs of clothes, and constantly having to work in order to be able to sustain the lifestyle. As Cat explained, while digital nomads work on weekdays just like everyone else, they get to explore new places and have unique adventures on the weekends. Although far from a holiday, Cat believes that the digital nomad lifestyle is absolutely worth it.
Lessons learned
Cat also shared many lessons that she has learned through her nomadic adventures of the last three years. Here are a few:
Minimalism: The life of a digital nomad teaches you that you don’t have to own many things in order to be happy. Living out of a single bag does not limit you in living a fulfilling life.
Experiences > Things: You can easily spend 600 pounds in London, going out to dinners and events, going shopping, and acquiring many things which you’ll get tired of within a year. Or, you can spend it on an experience such as skydiving in New Zealand which you’ll remember for the rest of your life as one of the most amazing things you’ve ever done.
Wifi Availability: Whether you’re a digital nomad or are just on a business trip, you don’t want to end up in a hostel that promises wifi but only has it in one corner of the lobby. Cat uses hotelwifitest.com to always check the wifi speed at every new place she stays.
Traveling alone and meeting people: Even though she travels alone, Cat doesn’t have any problems making friends everywhere she goes. In general, people around the world are very welcoming and helpful. There are online communities, such as the #nomads Slack group, that can connect you with other solo travelers in the area before you even arrive.
For more lessons and amazing travel anecdotes, check out this video recording of Cat’s full talk! If you would like to learn more about Cat Burton, you can check out her photography website, read her blog, and follow her on Twitter (@catburton).
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