Have you ever considered dropping what you are doing, booking a plane ticket, and never looking back? I’m writing this article from the International Terminal at Logan Airport, and planning to do just that. Ok not quite dropping everything, but I am trading in the cubicle for a corner in a cafe. Creating a nomadic lifestyle has been a goal ever since I got the travel bug in college.
The nomadic lifestyle lets you work from anywhere
I’m very fortunate to work for a company with a flexible schedule policy. Since I tend to bend the rules to the point of breaking, off to London I go. For this experiment, will I manage to play hard and work harder? Better yet, will I still be employed once I touch down on US soil?
The location independent lifestyle has taken global travel by storm over the past few years. People like Tim Ferris are writing about four hour work weeks and co-working spaces are popping up all over the globe. I decided why not give this a shot. How well can I blend together my professional and personal life in a way that works for everyone?
Challenge 1: Living in one timezone and working in another
One of the compromises I made with my manager was to be available during business hours. Since the UK is about five hours ahead, this means I will not begin my workday until 2pm. On the surface this sounds amazing, I will be able to pack in sight seeing before cracking open the laptop. However, I do have concerns about productivity when Top Gear is on the telly at 9PM.
Challenge 2: Maintaining a healthy lifestyle while abroad
I recently wrapped up a Whole 30 challenge, i’m now on quite the health kick! Admittedly I spent this past miserable Boston winter snuggled up on my couch, Ben and Jerry’s in hand. As part of a spring resolution, I’ve managed to roll off the couch, trading sweatpants for yoga pants. Will I be able to keep up the momentum over the next few weeks?
Challenge 3: The lurking temptations of the nomadic lifestyle
Last, and most certainly not least, will I actually work during my workcation? I do work remotely quite frequently, however there are far more distractions on this side of the pond. London offers the likes of world class class museums, perfectly groomed gardens, and did I mention tea?
Will I give into temptation at the expensive of productivity? Guess you’ll have to wait until next week to get this burning question answered.
I moved around a lot as a kid, every three years or so, so I like being settled but also love the idea of working from anywhere! x
I absolutely LOVE this idea! There are so many countries I’d love to visit but work can really hinder that so a workcation would be amazing! I’d definitely find it hard to make myself work though with all the sights to see!
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