Globetrotting and teleworking pose some logistical challenges. These six tips will help you quench your thirst for wanderlust and stay one step ahead of projects when zooming in from the open road.

Image: iStock / frantic00

Remote workers who are no longer tied to one physical location can theoretically work from anywhere on solid ground. Globetrotting and teleworking present some technical and logistical challenges, but that shouldn’t put off freelance teleworkers with a thirst for travel.

While the idea of ​​working remotely on an extended vacation may seem like a daunting task, it is certainly a good problem in the end. Threading the needle requires a bit of foresight, but the end result could pay off for the more adventurous.

Over the years, I’ve seen several extended long-distance road trips, getting my fair share of hooks and technical snafus in the process. Below, I’ve listed six tips to help you help digital nomads meet deadlines, fund a remote on-site hotel workstation, and get the most out of that late-night open-street cashier.

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How to Work and Travel: The Basics of Digital Nomads

Explore the landscape

First and foremost, working from the street means finding a base for day-to-day teleworking and finding the ideal setup will take a little preparatory work. A number of hotels have workcation offerings that are specifically tailored to roaming business professionals. Sometimes there are also workstations in the room and even technical support.

While regular Zoom meeting attendees are likely to prefer the privacy of a dedicated room, those who rarely collaborate on video can work from the comfort of a coffee shop, balcony, or even the pool if they tend to.

Before booking the trip, find out more from local hotels and see if any of the locations have special accommodations for remote workers. Also, be sure to use resources like Yelp to see if you can access WiFi in popular coffee shops.

Keep the team informed

It’s also a good idea to let your boss, team members, and business contacts know about your upcoming workcation plans. While not mandatory in most cases, it is good business etiquette. If something goes wrong on the road, your boss is much more likely to give you a break knowing your situation than to find out that you have been out of reach for hours because your rental car broke down in the middle of a trip to Tucson that they didn’t even know you were taking.

Living the nomadic lifestyle doesn’t mean looking like a refugee in the eyes of your employer. Share your travel plans with your boss and immediate team members and keep them informed if anything changes.

Bring the office

All right, once you’ve decided where to work, the next thing you need to figure out how to organize your vacation workflow. Packing the entire home office isn’t exactly the most logical or even the most practical option, depending on the facility. especially for people who fly to their destination. For this reason, it is important to reduce the setup to the bare essentials without removing the essentials.

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Try to find the best way to use baggage on site to limit baggage. If you prefer a dual monitor array, use the correct cables to connect to the TV in the room whenever possible.

There are also a number of travel-friendly options like foldable keyboards, pint-sized portable displays, and more to help professionals maximize the duffel bag without high baggage surcharges.

In addition, you may want to plan for redundancy and bring backups (additional charging cables, blocks, and batteries) with you in an emergency. Depending on the number of devices you plan to use, you may even need to bring a power outlet multiplier or grounding transformer to keep the outlets interoperable.

Test the new office

So you’ve found the perfect room, checked your suitcase and haven’t forgotten anything? Don’t pat yourself on the back too soon, you are not out of the woods yet. It is important to test the setup and dry test the new workstation before the start of the work week.

A word to the wise, don’t plug in the laptop 30 minutes before scrum on Monday morning as everything will go smoothly. In doing this, all you have to do is blame yourself if something goes wrong.

Before the live event, sign up, test the zoom room, and check WiFi performance in advance. There are tons of Wi-Fi apps out there and plenty of free options that you can use to test connectivity on site, whether the “office” is in the Executive Suite or on a rooftop terrace.

Take a few minutes to test the setup to ensure a smooth start to your trip. Chances are you’ll thank them later.

Be a pro

When traveling and working from the street, remember to keep your work priorities in mind. Put simply, if you don’t take your time, you are not on vacation. Working from a goal is no excuse for going wild, going offline early and staying out late at the expense of your own productivity. Have fun, pick your seats, and take half a day here and there to maximize the weekend. The ability to work remotely and travel at the same time is a huge benefit. Like anything else, a person who abuses this leeway could run the risk of losing its benefit in the long run.

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Take your time for adventure

Most importantly, take some time to enjoy the ride. A little more care – and sometimes self-control – is required while working and traveling at the same time. Maintaining a healthy work routine amid a great adventure is more than doable.

Remember, you don’t know if you will ever be in a particular city again. So take your time to tour the city and take the opportunity. For some, this could mean making a physical list of the sights and looking for an item each day. For others, this could simply mean walking in a different neighborhood every night.

How does the city sound on a Saturday evening? What’s that local dish that you couldn’t get enough of? Where is the best place to watch people? While the Sherman deal or that well-executed PowerPoint presentation is sure to pay the bills, hindsight will remind you of the look and feel of a travel destination.

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