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Just had a chat with a guy in Bali who said nomads are just privileged tourists
Met this older Aussie expat at a coffee shop in Ubud yesterday. He's been living there for 12 years running a surf school. He said digital nomads come for a month, work from cafes, barely learn any local language, then leave. Called it 'luxury tourism with a laptop.' It hit different because he wasn't being mean, just honest. Does anyone else ever feel like we're not really part of the places we stay?
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murray.cora1mo ago
Twelve years in Bali and he's still an expat though?
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park.miles1mo ago
Three years in Medellín and people still called me a tourist. I think there's a difference between being an expat and being a foreign resident who actually puts down roots. Twelve years in Bali means he probably knows the local gossip, which warungs have the best nasi goreng, and maybe even speaks enough Bahasa to argue with the landlord. That's more than a lot of locals who live in the tourist zones but never leave their compound.
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kimfisher1mo ago
Right? That's exactly what I've been thinking. I spent three weeks in Lisbon last fall and barely scratched the surface. I knew the best coworking spots and which pastel de nata place was cheapest, but I couldn't tell you a single thing about the neighborhood politics or where locals actually hang out. It's like we're just passing through, taking the good parts and leaving before anything gets real.
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