It’s easy to become focused on the digital nomad phenomenon: there are amazing resources available for anyone who wants to create a business they can run wherever they can find an internet connection. Even jobs can be location independent — it’s just a matter of convincing your boss that you can telecommute and still stay focused. But those aren’t the only options when it comes to earning an income and traveling at the same time.

I’m currently living just outside of Washington, D.C. and my Thanksgiving table had plenty of government employees seated at it. Most of them could top my itinerary without even trying. There were a couple of trips that didn’t surprise anyone — a few of our friends are currently in Afghanistan and Iraq. But others are seeing England, Germany, Mexico and plenty of other places.

Because of the way many government departments are structured, it is not unusual for a government employee to move around, often internationally, every couple of years. You can choose otherwise, but even agencies like the Food and Drug Administration have been known to send their employees to far off places. The State Department is one of the best bets if you want to travel on a regular basis, but with a little research, you may be able to find other departments that are a better fit with your interests but still offer travel opportunities.

There are drawbacks, of course: you still have to do plenty of work and you can be limited in where you can get to travel by which government agency you’ve signed up with. But there are also plenty of benefits. Getting a visa into your destination country is rarely an issue, you can get top-notch benefits and the government will even pay to pack and move your stuff if you’re headed off on a long-term assignment. If you aren’t ready to make the leap to a digital nomad lifestyle, a government job may be a useful compromise.

Photo — MattDell