Digital nomad lifestyle is widening horizons
For the past eight months, Courtney and Justin Orgias have been living out of two (formerly three) checked suitcases, two carry-ons and a diaper bag as they’ve traveled through Mexico. They are now in Medellín, Colombia.
It’s not just the couple traveling, but their 3-year-old son, Xavier, and 10month-old daughter, Whitley.
The young Black family, which previously lived in Georgia, made the big decision to go fully nomadic last year. They were no strangers to frequent traveling, going on trips a few times a year – in 2021 alone, they took Xavier to five countries. Now they are excited to fully immerse themselves in different cultures.
The deciding factor for the move was having their baby daughter. “We realized that if we didn’t go now, it was only going to get harder,” Courtney said.
Remote work, Justin said, also helped make it possible. The two work in tech. “We were traveling back and forth to Mexico. We love it here, we felt great here,” he said. “Why not just move there?”
American tourists can stay in Mexico without a visa for up to 180 days.
What is a digital nomad?
A digital nomad is someone who can work from anywhere – as long as there’s Wi-fi – and leverages that for a lifestyle of traveling to new places.
Traditionally, most digital nomads were freelancers or those with online businesses, but the rise in remote work from the pandemic opened the door for other people to try the lifestyle. The movement is growing, with 15.5 million Americans identifying as digital nomads in 2021, a 112% increase from 2019.
The Orgias packed up their belongings, donated some of their belongings and put others in a storage unit. Then they sold everything else in an estate sale and said goodbye to their house.
The family left the country on Juneteenth of 2022, which was “poetic” for them considering the significance of the date, Courtney said.
While a large motivation for their travel is to expose their kids to different cultures while they’re young, the parents
also want to be a resource for other Black families curious about nomadic living.
A resource for Black families
The Orgias family documents their adventures as O Family Adventures on Instagram and on their blog, Orgias Family Adventures. They’ll share tips on visas, traveling with kids, and their favorite things to do in a destination. They’ll also share what it’s like traveling to these places while Black, like how they chose Guadalajara as their first stop in Mexico because of the “tightknit Black expat community.”
On Instagram, the couple wrote that Xavier goes to school with kids who look like him, and the community helped make their transition easier.
“We want to show people, specifically families, specifically Black families, that the world is vast and life is short,” Courtney said. “(We love) just being able to show people this is a possibility, this is something you can do.”
Concerns for digital nomads
The couple said they constantly receive direct messages from other families of color asking how they can also live internationally or become digital
nomads. Most often, the question revolves around safety.
“Everyone wants to know if it’s safe, but I find that families of color, Black families in particular, have a bit of a different meaning when they ask that; the safety question will segue directly into questions about the diversity of certain areas, if we felt comfortable if we experienced any racism, and many questions like that,” Courtney said. They also get questions about remote work, child care and schooling.
The Orgias spend a lot of time vetting destinations before they go to make sure it is safe for them, especially as a Black family. Justin looks into any conflict in that city or country.
“You don’t want to get somewhere and you’re thrown in the middle of chaos with two young kids,” he said. Other factors include the weather and whether the city is walkable.
More than 71% of Black Americans and Canadians prioritize safety as “extremely or very influential” to their decision on a destination.
They also rely on other influencers on Youtube, Instagram and Tiktok to understand more about what the place is like, such as whether there are good spots to take the kids and what other Black families have experienced while visiting.
“If there’s a better place that exists where my children can be freer and safer, then why not try looking for that?” Courtney said.
More than just an adventure
There are deeper reasons why the Origias wanted to raise their children on the road. Courtney felt as if she grew up in a “bubble” and wanted to give her kids a different, more global perspective while they are young. When Xavier was younger, he lived a typical suburban life, Justin said. “He had a structured routine, but he got bored of it.” Now, he’s “enjoying doing something new every day.”
“I think Xavier loves the adventure,” Courtney said. “He really enjoys getting to be in different places and see different people.” He’s learning Spanish and always trying new types of foods.
For Whitley, traveling will be “the only thing that she knows,” Courtney said.
Courtney wanted her kids to grow up to not think American culture is “the default for them” but to “understand different places and cultures.” Traveling while a child is young, like under 5 years old, can benefit their development when it comes to language, empathy and open-mindedness later in life.
Last November, the family was in Mexico during Día de los Muertos, so the children witnessed a cultural event not widely celebrated in the United States. For Christmas, the family went to Morocco, where Xavier learned why some people wear a fez or hijab. They went on camel rides and learned about the history of the indigenous Berbers.
Then there’s the question of safety, which is important to all parents, especially as school shootings have rebounded. Black parents also often feel an especially heavier burden. School policing has been found to disproportionately affect Black students. Exploring other places to live was to also look for a place her family could live “freer and safer,” Courtney said.
“Candidly, the U.S. has a lot going on, especially when it comes to being able to safely raise Black children,” she said. She believes “the notion that there are other places out there where it’s easier and safer and better to send them to school or let them buy Skittles.”