Mixing Work and Travel Via the Web

The digital revolution is upon us, but many people do not fully think through the potential benefits of it. For many people, the idea of traveling while also working is no longer a myth.I was recently at a graduation party where a recent graduate told me that he wasn't looking forward to "driving a desk" for the foreseeable future. I laughed a bit, particularly when he told me that he did graphic design work. As we talked about it, I came to find out he did most of his work without ever meeting with the client. Desk be gone!The internet is a beautiful thing because it can provide you with vast amounts of freedom if you use it correctly. How so? Well, let me ask you a question. Where am I writing this article from? Would it matter if I was writing it while sitting at a desk in San Diego or uploading it from a cyber caf? in Buenos Aires? The answer is obvious, yet few people really think it through and apply the ability to get out and travel while still working.More and more people provide freelance work these days, particularly in the field of technology. Whether it is site security or custom programming, most of this work is done without any physical meeting between the client and provider. This is how sites like "Rent a Coder" and "E-lance" exists. If you have the skills to provide such work, why wouldn't you?Ah, but how do I get paid? This is a common question for many people and a justified one. The key is to take payment online. You can issue invoices and acknowledge payments through PayPal and the like. I've hired independent contractors for years, yet met very few of them. Half of them I know by email addresses!Nothing is stopping you from conducting business this way and seeing the world. Nearly every location you can think of has a cyber caf? somewhere. Take a beater laptop with you. Do your work, plod on over to the caf? and upload the finished work to get paid. Whether you are on the beach in Mexico, the mountains of Nepal or a desk in your home town, it is all the same work and all the same revenue.Is this possible for everyone? Of course not. If you have the flexibility to pull it off, I highly recommend it. Once you're married and have kids, opportunities to fly off to some exotic destination for a week will be a thing of the past.

Rick Chapo writes about travel for NomadJournals.com - makers of rugged travel journals.