101 Prep for WFH + travel
During the beginning of 2021, I made the decision to work from home in a new city for at least a month. I found a few others to join me, and the destination was Hawaii. This long-term trip was one of the best life adventures I have ever had. You can watch some of the adventure here: Paige Drane - YouTube
After Hawaii, I traveled to Costa Rica, Houston, San Diego, and Vegas before officially residing in my new Seattle condo. During majority of these trips, I was still working - #laptoplifestyle. I learned to prioritize what was important to me and at that time I chose travel experiences.
I gathered a few of my top tips for those who exploring the balance of WFH + travel. Here are my top 5:
Budget, budget, budget.
Plan for the estimated costs plus more. Unexpected costs are bound to happen and more than likely do. Examine travel, hotel/Airbnb/etc., dining, groceries, transportation, activities, shopping, and other miscellaneous buys. There are purchases you may not consider beforehand so ensure that you have extra money to spend while on the trip. For example, you may save up for the rental car but did you consider gas?
Create an itinerary before arriving to the city to make best use of your time.
I am an avid planner for every single trip I take. If I do not have an itinerary, I am a bit uneasy. A few weeks before your trip, begin brainstorming activities you'd like to partake in during your stay. I love a good spreadsheet with dates, activity titles, and cost. Not only does this planning give you a picture of what you'll be doing for fun, it will give insight on the budget you need to satisfy the costs. By the time you land, you can focus on work and be prepared for after work activities.
Establish a realistic work schedule to follow.
Review your work schedule for weeks in advance. Are there any big presentations coming up? Long nights or early morning meetings? Is there a project deadline approaching? Be fully aware of all of these things. I encourage you to complete as much work as possible so your workload can be lower as well as your stress or anxiety levels.
Check, double check and triple check time changes during the entire travel period.
Make sure to know the time zone and plan accordingly for your work hours if they change. I left Indiana and worked in Hawaii, all while following Pacific Time (PT) work hours (8 AM-5PM). When working in my hometown, I was in Eastern Standard Time (EST) and technically worked 11 AM-8 PM. My manager and team were aware of the time change and completely avoided meetings past 6 PM in EST. When I traveled to Hawaii, my work hours shifted to 6 AM-3 PM in accordance with PT working hours. I was a bit nervous, but I became adjusted rather quickly and loved the early start and finish.
Be sure that you can handle the time change in your work hours. I also advice to double check with your team so they can be aware.
Capture the moment.
Embrace this experience and be present. When you find a spare minute, snag a snapshot of a special moment to look back on. That picture or video can bring back the feel-good emotions later on when scrolling through your camera roll.
I hope these tips help you get geared up for your next trip while working from home. I look forward to hearing all about it. (;