One of the occasional downsides of long term travel is that you can sometimes feel that you lose your sense of community. On our first few trips we didn't necessarily get this feeling as we were expecting to return to our community base at home. We enjoyed regularly meeting new people in hostels, but there were a few times where we missed our friends and remembered how nice it was to consistently be around the same group of people. When we returned home, our realization of the importance of community was only furthered after we moved to Canmore and built a strong community of value based friendships.
When we started working as Digital Nomads in Asia we stayed in AirBnbs more than hostels and as a result met less people we could develop friendships with. We nourished our need for community by building a wide network of friends and travelers around the world that now give us that great sense of community! Our extended stays at language schools and coworking spaces especially gave us the time needed to make great friendships, and taking advantage of online communities on Facebook and Meetup proved to be a great way to meet people who shared our interests or were in the same area.
On this episode we talk about how we realized the importance feeling like you're part of a community and how to make sure you can build and maintain one when you're on the road long term. We assess the pros and cons of having a community based out of one location as opposed to around the world, how it can be tough to miss out on community events at home, and not knowing the next time you'll see friends you've made on the road. We also share tips on how you can create a new community online and where you are while you travel, as well as how you can ensure you keep in touch with your community back home.
Enjoy!
