Charles and I travel a lot. One reason we can do this is that we never completely unplug. We don’t let work dominate our time, but we have found a way to be on top of things while making the most out of our vacations. Here are our tips for getting work done on vacation.
Be Reachable
Charles has a demanding job, and he needs to be available for calls. He has a phone plan through T-Mobile that lets him have international data and calling. I don't have an international calling plan, but I do check email at least twice a day, and I am able to get text messages via WiFi.
Plan Around the Weather
If it is raining, you can find us camping out getting work done. We would rather explore sites when the weather is more agreeable, and a couple hours of rain lets us catch up on emails.
Use Down Time
Usually, we stop in a few cities when we are traveling. During car rides, ferry trips, and flights you can find us on our laptops or phones working. When I am traveling with my sister I utilize the times when she goes to bed before me, or when she is in the shower. Even 20 minutes here or there is enough to take care of a couple of things.
Turn Work into a Work Date
Why not sip beer on a terrace overlooking the sea while also typing away at work?
Set Expectations
My work usually doesn’t involve strict deadlines, I am just trying to work on my travel posts as much as I can as we travel. Charles does have calls and deadlines to meet. But he does a great job telling me how much work he needs to do and when it needs to be done so we can make it a part of our itinerary.
Take Advantage of WiFi
We have a routine when we go to dinner when we are traveling abroad. I don’t have an international plan, instead, I keep my phone on airplane mode and connect to WiFi when I have the chance. When we go to dinner we get drinks and order our meals, and we use the time before our food arrives to check our emails. As soon as the food arrives we put the phones away and switch over to date mode. Waiters must think we are nuts, but knowing that there aren’t any emergencies brewing at work puts us both at ease and lets us enjoy the rest of our night.
It might seem strange that we plan work time into our vacation time, but this strategy allows us to travel more and to be less stressed when we return home. Fact: this was written on a drive between Budva and Tivat while Charles was on a conference call.
