Can we talk about trying to explain my job to my grandma over a video call from Bali

I was in a cafe in Ubud last week and my grandma asked if I was 'on vacation forever' because I work from my laptop. She said, 'But who pays for the hotel if you're not on a real trip?' and I had to explain the whole remote work thing three times. How do you even start that talk with family who don't get the digital part of nomad life?

2 comments

2 Comments

piperf401mo ago

You said "the digital part of nomad life," but the real trick is explaining the work part first. My grandma finally got it when I said my office is just a very long extension cord.

hall.alex1mo ago

Totally get that struggle, it's like explaining color to someone who's never seen it. My own grandpa kept asking if I was "playing on the computer" for money. I finally told him my laptop IS my office, and the internet is my commute. He sort of got it when I said I mail my work through the air instead of driving it to a building. The extension cord line is perfect, it makes the idea physical for them. You just have to find that one simple picture that clicks in their world.