Combining Work And Travel: Things To Consider
It is no secret that the COVID pandemic opened the door to remote work for more people. With the pandemic now largely behind us, companies are realizing they have to consider continuing remote work, where possible, in order to retain their talent. On the other side of the coin, employees given the green light to work remotely are starting to realize they can combine work and travel.
Imagine traveling the upper Midwest throughout the spring and summer. You take your work with you and do it on the road, from your hotel room, or from your RV parked at a campground. When the weather starts turning colder, you head south.
It all sounds so exciting and romantic. But combining work and travel is not all sunshine and roses. Nothing ever is. There are some things that need to be seriously considered before taking the plunge. And even at that, you may decide that working on the road isn’t right for you.
Table of Contents
1. Priority #1: Internet Access
The first thing to consider is internet access. The fact of the matter is that your employer doesn’t care whether you stay in a five-star hotel or camp in a nylon tent. Your employer only cares that you can do your work as expected. And for that, you are going to need reliable internet access.
Although public wi-fi networks at hotels can be risky, they are reliable enough to use for work purposes. The same cannot be said about campground wi-fi and public networks run by local cities and towns. A workaround is 4G LTE internet provided by companies like Blazing Hog. Based in Houston, Blazing Hog provides customers with a 4G modem they can take with them while they travel.
2. Priority #2: Putting in the Time
Your second priority when combining travel and work is putting in the necessary time. How much time are you going to need to travel from one destination to the next? During that time, will you still have to work? And if so, can you work while you are traveling?
It is one thing to pull out your laptop and get some work done poolside. But what if your next destination is a day’s drive away? You may have to plan your schedule so that you do the driving on a Saturday or Sunday. Either that, or you will have to work in the car. That means someone else will need to drive.
3. Priority #3: Being Flexible and Available
You can solve the internet access issue with a 4G wireless internet package. You can solve the time issue by carefully planning out your schedule. But the third issue is a lot more difficult to deal with. What is it? Being flexible and available.
In the office, you may be summoned to a meeting that wasn’t expected. Yes, it interrupts your day. But you just walk down the hall to the conference room and that’s that. When you are traveling though, flexibility and availability may not be as easy.
You cannot be summoned to a meeting if you’re thousands of feet in the air while flying to your next destination. You cannot effectively sit in on a Zoom call if you are in an area where your 4G reception is spotty.
Working remotely is a great thing. For some people, working remotely means combining travel with work on a daily basis. But doing so is not without its challenges. If you’re thinking about hitting the road and taking your work with you, take some time to think things through. Do some research. Make sure you know what you are getting into before you leave home.