HOW WE TAKE WORK-ATIONS
📍 Interlaken, Switzerland
As someone who caught the travel bug bad, I try to make the most out of every trip, big and small. One way I do this is by taking “work-ations” or working from the road. In this day and age, we have more flexibility than ever before. Work from home and flexible schedules, as well as expanded vacation packages make for plenty of opportunities to take working vacations.
When I owned my own business, I was able to take entire summers abroad. Now, with a full-time work from home job, I’m able to maximize my PTO without sacrificing slow travel, our preferred method of exploring.
📍 Berlin, Germany
Is a work-ation right for you?
Now, this is definitely a time vs money comparison. If you’ve got very limited time, but not funds, working while on vacation probably doesn’t make sense for you. On a week-long trip, you’ll want to make the most of your vacation and truly unplug.
But if your schedule is flexible, this is a great way to extend travel. We were able to spend two months in Europe, all the while getting work done (and even making some extra cash along the way).
📍 Annecy, France
Here are some tips to make the most of your work-ation:
Plan Ahead
Start by planning your trip well in advance. Choose a destination that lends itself to a work from home environment well, meaning you’ll have good internet connection and you can stay relatively affordably. Pick your dates based on maximizing time off. If you want to spend a month working from Cancun, for example, make sure you fly in and out over weekends, and take PTO strategically throughout the month, utilizing half days and bank holidays.
📍 Capri, Italy
Set Clear Boundaries
Be really honest with yourself here. If you’re the kind of person who works 60 hour weeks and thrives off of frenzied deadlines, you won’t be able to pull this off. You’ll have to set clear working hours and communicate to your colleagues and clients when you’ll be available. And be firm. No checking email from the beach or in the middle of a cooking class.
📍 Berlin, Germany
Choose the Right Accommodation
Make sure you choose a hotel or AirBnB where you can work comfortably. Reliable wifi is a must of course, but will you want to spend a month, or even a week, working from a bed? My favorite thing about AirBnB is utilizing the filter functions, one of which is for finding a “Dedicated Workspace”. Even just a kitchen table makes a huge difference in my productivity.
Make sure you’re also considering your surroundings. Hostels may be a blast for making friends, but the noise levels aren’t very conducive to hosting Zoom meetings or focusing on monthly reports.
📍 Potsdam, Germany
Pack Efficiently
You won’t be able to lug your whole standing desk/walking pad/dual monitor setup in a suitcase, but you’ll want to bring the basics, at least. I always travel with my laptop, charger, wireless and wired headphones, and a mouse.
One thing I do to keep myself from losing efficiency is regularly working from just a laptop. This keeps me light on my feet at all times. Now, I have had my eye on a travel monitor recently, but I love not being reliant on my home office to get things done.
📍 Rome, Italy
Time Management
When segmenting parts of your day/week/month, you’ll want to plan well. On weekdays/workdays, look for activities you can do in the evening or your off-time. At home, you may get used to a routine of making dinner and vegging out on the couch or getting chores done, but you’ll want to maximize downtime by exploring.
📍 Annecy, France
Don’t overfill your schedule though! When traveling for a long periods of time, I try to take a rest day every 4-5 days with no activities planned.
When we were in Europe, we had more flexibility, but had to be courteous of US working hours, so here’s what our workdays looked like:
8:00 -- 10:30 am: Wake up, make breakfast or go out for coffee/pastries, daily devo and mindfulness
10:30 am - 1:00 pm: Concentrated work
1:00 - 4:00 pm: Sightseeing
4:00 - 6:00 pm: Concentrated work, sometimes meetings
6:00 - 10:00 pm: Free-time to go out for dinner and drinks or to listen to live music, with occasional meetings
Obviously this schedule doesn’t include 8 hour workdays, so if you’re a salaried employee, you’ll have to adjust your timing. In the past, I’ve taken half days and three quarter days to allow for more relaxation throughout the day.
📍 Athens, Greece
In conclusion, a working vacation requires careful planning, clear boundaries, and efficient time management. By creating a conducive work environment, setting boundaries, and balancing work with fun activities, you can enjoy a fulfilling work-ation experience.
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