Young workers cast off big-city shackles
Top talent
In March last year, Xia Mengren, 29, quit her job at an internet company in Shanghai and traveled to Dali, Yunnan province, where she contacted the digital nomad community. During her four-month stay, she lived the life of a digital nomad — working while traveling, and enjoying both experiences. After returning to work in Shanghai for three months, she decided to resign again and go to Bali, Indonesia, one of the world's top destinations for digital nomads.
"Top talent from different countries and industries comes to Bali. I want to become mixed-blooded culturally by living in different countries with different languages and lifestyles," said Xia, who worked as operations supervisor at an internet company in Shanghai for six years.
Xia can work from anywhere as long as she has a computer. She can operate while watching the sunset on a beach, while enjoying delicious food, or even when brainstorming work ideas in the jungle.
"The biggest benefit of being a digital nomad is discovering how big the world really is. I feel that my life has now become more diverse, and my horizons have expanded. Life is not just about working, it's a multi-faceted process," Xia said.
She has extensive work expertise. As a blogger, Xia regularly produces content and has taken courses on career development. She also offers paid-for career advice services and provides information technology planning services.
Xia is working with friends to establish an export marketing agency, and also has a keen interest in artificial intelligence.
"Being a digital nomad gives me access to the most advanced lifestyles around the world while enjoying the benefits of China's booming internet economy, as I am earning money from China and spending it in Indonesia," Xia said.
She plans to travel to Europe, where more nations are offering visas to allow non-European Union citizens to temporarily live in a country while working for foreign companies.
The MBO Partners report also showed that one-fifth of digital nomads polled reported an annual income of less than $25,000. However, 44 percent said they earned $75,000 or more.
