The Rise of the 50+ Digital Nomad: Why Location Independence Isn’t Just for the Young

Meet the new wave of digital nomads redefining what life after 50 can look like

Image courtesy of ChatGPT :)

I was 38 when I sold everything, packed a couple of suitcases, and hit the road with my 4-year-old daughter.

That was almost 15 years ago.

Back then, the term “digital nomad” was barely a thing. Coworking spaces weren’t on every corner of Canggu and Medellín. And remote work was something only tech rebels did.

For years, I’ve watched the digital nomad label get slapped onto the twenty-something tech workers and influencers, MacBooks balanced on their knees, coconuts in hand, #blessed splashed across their Instagram stories.

That stereotype has stuck for years.

Digital nomads are young. Unattached. Tech-savvy.

As for everyone else, we’re meant to be sensible, stay put and save for that two-week holiday somewhere with decent wine.

But something’s shifted.

A quiet revolution is happening across Airbnbs and co-living spaces worldwide. And it’s not being led by Gen Z or Millennials.

It’s US! The 50+ crowd.

The empty nesters, career changers, and freedom seekers, finally cashing in on decades of experience and newfound freedom.

I’m not just observing this trend, I’m living it.

At 53, my husband and I are about to embark on our perpetual travelling life. No end date. No “coming home.” Just exploration, adventure, and a completely location-independent existence, for the next 10, 20, 30 years?

Who knows for how long. That’s half the fun.

Why More Midlifers Are Embracing Location Independence Than Ever Before

1. We’re Done Waiting for “Someday”

Remember when we were all told to work hard now and enjoy life later?

Well, later is here, and many of us aren’t prepared to waste another decade in flourescent-lit meetings or mowing lawns.

We’ve watched friends burn out, lose health, or never make it to that dream trip to Machu Picchu. We’ve attended too many “life celebrations” for people who never got to celebrate the retirement they worked toward for decades.

So instead of waiting for that mythical perfect pension plan or that elusive “right time,” more of us are asking a simple question:

What if I just go now?

Recently at an impromptu nomad meetup in Brisbane, I met Georganna and Tom, a vibrant, youthful couple in their 60s. A couple of years back they sold everything they owned and are currently travelling the world! (Last seen in Turkey.)

You can follow their journey through their Facebook group “Two Travelers.” They’re living proof that age is just a number when it comes to embracing a nomadic lifestyle.

“Someday” is today my friends!

2. Remote Work Has Finally Caught Up With Our Skills

Thanks to a global pandemic and a giant leap in technology, remote work is now mainstream. It’s no longer just coders and Instagram influencers living out of Airbnbs.

After decades of building careers, juggling families, and navigating office politics, we 50+ folks have serious professional capital.

We’ve got expertise. Client relationships. Problem-solving abilities that employers and clients desperately need.

The remote-friendly career list is endless:

• Coaches

• Consultants

• Online course creators

• Freelance writers

• Project managers

• Content Creators

• Virtual assistants

• Bookkeepers

Take Bryan and Riki from “Bryan Discovers World.” They’re a perfect demonstration that travel content creation isn’t just for twentysomethings.

They’ve built a thriving YouTube channel with over 40,000 subscribers while traveling the world on less than $20,000 for an entire year of exploration.

What I love about their story is how they focus on what truly matters: eating, traveling, cooking, and discovering new things. Not chasing trends or doing dangerous stunts for clicks.

Their success shows that authentic content resonates at any age.

3. We’re Redefining What “Success” Looks Like at 50+

At 50+, success looks different.

It’s less about “crushing it” and more about creating a life that actually feels good to live.

We don’t need unicorn startups or millions of followers. Many of us climbed those corporate ladders only to discover there’s nothing particularly interesting at the top.

Now, we want:

• Projects we enjoy

• Income that’s flexible

• A lifestyle that makes us feel alive again

That might mean running an online coaching business from a beach café in Portugal. Or volunteering in South America while teaching yoga classes on Zoom. Maybe renting a cottage in Italy for 3 months just to write that book we’ve had in our heads since the 90s.

The point is, our version of the nomad life looks different. It’s slower. Smarter. More comfortable (goodbye hostel dorm rooms). And often a lot more meaningful.

We’re not running from responsibility, we’ve done our time there. We’re running toward something better.

4. The Community and Resources Now Exist

When I first started, there were no Facebook groups for 50+ nomads. No meetups for menopausal travellers. No newsletters talking about joint pain on long flights, or how to run a Shopify store from an Airbnb in Chiang Mai.

Now there’s a mass of thriving global communities.

We share tips, swap recommendations and ask the important questions:

• Does this Airbnb have stairs?

• How’s the healthcare in Portugal?

• Can I get decent Wi-Fi in the Azores?

Peta and Jonas from Exit45 Travels are pioneers in this space. Since 2018, they’ve embraced what they call a “nomadic retirement lifestyle,” visiting over 80 countries. As they put it, they’ve “chosen travel and inspirational experiences over material possessions.”

Their website is a wealth of knowledge and tips you wouldn’t have found for our generation a decade ago.

Connection matters. And knowing you’re not the only one out there doing this, makes all the difference.

5. It’s Not Just About Travel — It’s About Reinvention

This lifestyle isn’t just about ticking countries off a list.

It’s about reinvention.

Society often writes off our 50s, 60s & beyond as a slow decline toward retirement homes and afternoon telly. (Seriously, in the UK recently I saw senior living complexes aimed at 55+!)

We’re rewriting that script.

This lifestyle is for:

• The woman who spent 30 years in corporate and is now learning to scuba dive in Bali while running a newsletter

• The couple who realised their four-bedroom house felt empty after the kids left, so sold it to road-trip Europe

• The teacher who hit 55, calculated her pension, and discovered she could live like royalty teaching online from Vietnam or Mexico

It’s for anyone asking: “Is this all there is?” And who’s brave enough to find out the answer is no.

The Future Belongs to the Bold (At Any Age)

The digital nomad life isn’t just for Gen Z and Millennials anymore.

It never really was, they just got there first and made more noise about it on Instagram.

This lifestyle belongs to anyone curious enough to explore, bold enough to start again, and wise enough to know that life doesn’t end at 50, it expands.

If anything, our decades of experience make us better equipped for location independence.

We know ourselves better. We’re less impressed by tourist traps. We’ve learned what we truly need to be happy (and what we can live without). We’ve developed the resilience to weather any storm.

As my husband and I prepare to start the next leg of our nomadic adventure later this year, I’m more exhilarated than nervous.

Because at 53, not only am I not too old for adventure, I’m finally experienced enough to appreciate it fully.

So if you’ve been wondering whether this lifestyle is for people like us, with a few more life miles, favourite pillows, and perhaps some creaky joints, the answer is an emphatic yes.

You just have to be willing to go for it.

And maybe pack comfortable walking shoes and a spare pair of specs. Some things about being 50+ are universal, nomadic or not.

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Ready to Start Your Nomadic Lifestyle? Here’s How I Can Help You:

1. Join 8,000+ 50+ nomads getting weekly travel, freedom & purpose tips! As a bonus, grab my FREE Bucket List Adventure Journal to start mapping out your next adventure. ✈️🌍

2. Join my FREE Facebook Group, 50+ Nomads! Connect with 20k+ like-minded travellers, share experiences, ask questions, and get inspired by others living the nomadic lifestyle. It’s a supportive space for anyone over 50 looking to explore the world. 🗺️🌍

3. Explore my blog, The Working Traveller
   Your go-to resource for 50+ nomadic travel tips, destination inspiration, and practical advice on making money on the road. 👩🏻‍💻