The lifestyle of a digital nomad has its romance. New cities, new ventures, new faces: the image of a young, enterprising tech professional is very appealing to many young people (and not a few older ones).

And indeed, the adventure can be exciting, and even those who don’t live the digital nomad lifestyle often like to plop down in a coffee shop on occasion to indulge in the balance of focus and relaxation that comes with coffee, companions, and atmosphere.

But don’t let the allure trick you — it’s a giant pain.

It’s one thing to work at a coffeeshop, cafe, or library once in a while, when the mood strikes you, even as a weekly routine. It’s another to be constrained and confined by them, many days starting by perusing through a city’s coffee shops to find one you can work in decently and where seats are available, stuck there until your work is done, uncomfortable to leave your seat for too long lest someone steal your stuff — it gets old.

There are upsides — meeting people, trying new coffee, experiencing communities. Is it worth it? It all depends on you — your personality, your work, your lifestyle. Maybe it’s for you! But don’t convince yourself of it until you’ve worked all day every day at a coffee shop for long enough to know what it feels like.