Anthropologist and lifelong traveler Dr. Kaisu Koskela joins the Peregrine Podcast to unpack the real mechanics of being a digital nomad.

 Raised near the Arctic Circle and seasoned by work across 80+ countries, Kaisu marries lived experience with rigorous research on digital nomadism, remote work visas, and how policy shapes our ability to move, work, and belong. 

Her headline: nomadism isn’t new; what’s new is that technology severed work from place while policy stayed in the dark ages, leading to no possible way to stay in compliance.

We explore the lived gray zones—where responsible people still struggle to be “in compliance”—and why many digital nomad visas fail the people they’re meant to serve. Kaisu lays out the spectrum from short-term workationers to life-on-the-move nomads to remote workers who actually migrate. 

Her call to action for governments is elegant and practical: build a policy funnel that welcomes people at different stages—tourist rules that explicitly allow remote work, better-designed nomad visas, and real residency pathways that enable contribution, not just consumption.

Kaisu doesn’t shy away from the hard stuff and provides fresh ideas about—transnational gentrification, compliance stress, and the missed opportunity when countries block local engagement. 

Her solution is humane and clear: tax fairly, enable contribution, and offer the possibility of a future. For individuals, she’s refreshingly grounded—don’t chase a trend; craft your own version of location independence with strategy and self-knowledge.

In this episode:

• Digital nomadism isn’t new—policy is just lagging behind technology
• The work–place divorce: work is global, rules are stubbornly local
• A better model: tourist visas that allow remote work plus residency pathways
• Why many nomad visas fail (embassy hoops, poor design, no real benefits)
• Real risks: gentrification, compliance anxiety, and blocked local contribution
• Practical advice: design your own mobility path—freedom needs strategy

Listen to the full conversation and explore how House of Peregrine helps you build a generative global life. Join our community, events, and guides at www.houseofperegrine.com and subscribe to The House of Peregrine Podcast.

Feeling inspired? Share this episode with someone you know navigating life between cultures - and don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review. Every story shared is a thread that weaves us closer together.