How I Actually Work Remotely While Traveling

Aug 2

Name a random setting to Work from Home, I’ve likely worked from there since the pandemic. From hotels, restaurants, beach clubs, rooftops, airplanes, trains, yoga studios, etc… WFYacht in Mykonos was definitely my favorite to date.

If you’ve followed my life at all since 2020 you’ve likely seen me spending weekdays in a bikini and a beach cover up, but I’m not actually a full-time (or even part-time) influencer, and I don’t work in tech. I work a demanding full-time job in private equity based in New York. I can’t get away with taking video calls with spotty WiFi or naturally dried hair looking like I just walked off the beach.

The key to making it work is always planning ahead. I always plan out my days based on what my calendar looks like for video calls, client calls, etc. Some days I’m inside all day and my only chance to get out is going for an early morning run. But if I can, I like to break up my day by working from somewhere like a restaurant and I’ll run back to my home/hotel to take video calls or important calls where I will not run the risk of having the call cut out or experience background noise. Time management is crucial because the reality is that although I may be working from paradise, I’m actually working all day and need to make sure I’m fully connected and able to do my job at all times. If I can’t do my job, then I wouldn’t be able to live my life this way.

My favorite place to work from, by far, is a restaurant on the beach. I throw on my bikini, one of my Free People Summer Daydream beach cover ups, and head out. I pretty much have this cover up in every color because they are not only comfy and easy, but look professional enough-ish if I have an unexpected video call come up during the day. I wrote a post on my favorite places to work remotely in Tulum, here.

With that said, even with all the planning in the world, there are risks. For example, it may rain too hard in Tulum and your power just cuts out without control, or if you’re traveling during the work day and your boat, bus, train, plane, etc. is delayed, that could really mess up your plans. But if you plan enough and have a back up plan too, it is definitely possible to live and work this way.

Tips:

Make sure to always be friendly to everyone, especially the staff at the place you are working from. They will be more willing to help you find the best spot to sit that’s closest to a WiFi router, etc. I’ve taken an unexpected client video call from the floor of a Yoga Studio in Tulum in the past, and if I was rude and not friendly, I’m sure the staff wouldn’t have gone out of their way to help me figure out that solution.
Not every restaurant or beach club will have WiFi. So be prepared. Go on the weekends or early in the morning to scope places out before you rely on somewhere being your spot for the day. You can run a WiFi test using www. FAST.com. Again, the key is always planning ahead.
Try your best to travel from place to place on the weekends. There have been days I have had to travel on a weekday, but it’s not ideal because if there’s a delay it could cause you some serious stress. With that said, if you know you’ll be in an airport/on a plane, on a train or ferry, check ahead of make sure there will be WiFi - or just take the day or half of a day off if you aren’t sure. You never want to go missing for a few hours and have your co-workers wondering where you are, it’s best just to take off.
If you know you’ll be on video calls for most of the day and won’t be able to get out of your hotel/apartment, plan to get up early and go for a run to explore. I love getting up early to run around a city - it’s really how/when I take most of the pictures that I post on my Instagram. I get so many messages like “Do you actually work?” The answer is yes and I have to get up extra early to get my content-fix before my work day starts.
If you will be in another country for a good amount of time, it may be worth it to invest in an international phone or SIM card. In Greece I bought a portable hotspot, but honestly it barely worked. My friend Elyssa spent two months island hopping in Greece that summer and she brought an extra phone with her from the US and then purchased a Greek SIM card. This came in handy daily because if we were somewhere without strong WiFi, we could always connect to this phone as a hotspot.
Check your phone plan ahead of time for international rates. I was lucky in Mexico that AT&T calls/WiFi is free between the US, Mexico, and Canada, and now AT&T only charges you $10/day most other places, but you could easily rack up a large and unexpected phone bill if you aren’t aware.
Most airlines have airport lounges and they are great to have in your back pocket if you need reliable WiFi and a quiet background. Check to see which of your credit cards have access to lounges. If you’ll be traveling a lot, it may be worth upgrading a card so that you have access. Amex Platinum has come in handy for me more than once.
Always carry a backup charger, and always fully charge your computer, phone, headphones, etc. before leaving the house. Not every restaurant or place to work has available outlets. I always scope out where the plugs are when I arrive somewhere to work and like to snag the table next to them, so I’m prepared if I start to run low on battery.

I wrote this post because so many friends ask me how the heck I live this way, so hopefully this is helpful and maybe even inspires you to try it out.

Good luck!!

Xx Em