Traveling villages inspired by a Danish trend

The two Danish entrepreneurs Nikolaj Astrup and Michelle Rødgaard Jessen have launched an experience called “The Traveling Village”. This is a community of digital nomads living together abroad while moving from country to country. The first experience took place in Vietnam, Thailand and ends in Japan.

The experiment began on January 15, 2024 and took place over four months. The idea was born from a personal need of Nikolaj Astrup and Michelle Rødgaard Jessen. Both had traveled and worked as digital nomads. The plan was to continue living as they had a family, but a different kind of loneliness appeared.

They decided to try to create a community of families. An interpretation of the Danish concept of “bofællesskaber”, where families live and occasionally eat together. In Denmark, the degree to which families are involved in each person’s life varies.

Nikolaj Astrup and Michelle Rødgaard Jessen decided to try to create something similar for international nomadic families. Many families applied and 19 families were selected. The families came from Denmark, the United States, India, Ireland, Italy and the Netherlands.

Now that the experiment is coming to an end, families are considering both the pros and cons of the experiment.

“In the past, when our daughter didn’t want to join us for activities, one of us had to stay behind. She can now contact other adults in the community. This gives my husband and me more freedom to do things together or independently,” says Irène Genelin, a true experience pro.

However, moving so quickly has proven to be a problem for many parents. I want a slower paced style of travel.

Source: BBC