The COVID-19 global pandemic forced businesses and individuals to adapt to new ways of working, including a significant rise in remote work. People are able to work from anywhere with an internet connection, and as a result, led to a growing interest in a ‘digital nomad lifestyle’. This lifestyle allows individuals to travel frequently and have the freedom to choose their location. They are able to maintain their professional responsibilities while also exploring new places and cultures, making their work and personal lives more integrated and fulfilling.
As a software engineer in a start-up that has shifted to operating completely remote, I have experienced the digital nomad lifestyle in short intervals during my tenure. I am an avid rock climber and love to travel for climbing. I’ve climbed and worked all over the world, most recently in Europe and Japan. The flexibility of remote work that ODAIA offers has allowed me to contribute to the company while maintaining a schedule for climbing. I would adjust my traveling and climbing to align with the timezone differences between each location and Toronto.
Whilst in Europe, I traveled and climbed in 3 different countries (Turkey, Italy, and Spain), and experienced new cultures, made new friends, and strengthened my confidence with solo-traveling. In Sardinia (a popular climbing destination), I would wake up in the morning, perform some focus work for coding, climb in the afternoon until about 5 or 6pm, and return back for work to join meetings and calls.
Just recently, I returned from a month-long trip to Tokyo to visit my brother. I spent half the time getting accustomed to the culture and enjoying the surrounding prefectures, and the latter half of the time working. I worked in the mornings and the nights. Night time work aligned with the morning hours of Toronto coworkers, and involved meetings and sync ups. The rest of the day I focused on the tasks I needed to accomplish with minimal interruptions, and throughout, I would explore the amazing culture that Tokyo has to offer. Digital work has allowed me to have more work-life balance, and the flexibility to work on my own terms.
The Benefits
There are definitely some benefits to being able to work in such a way. Obviously the biggest benefit is the ability to explore new cultures and travel whilst still being able to work remotely. This allows me to pursue my passions in a more personally meaningful way, such as being able to climb in a different part of the world and experience different types of climbing styles. Had I not been in a company with such flexible working hours, it would have made it difficult for me to pursue my goals in non-work domains of my life.
The time zone difference also brings another additional advantage of working internationally. By scheduling work hours to overlap with some of the company’s hours, I could join meetings and align with the team on their status. The rest of the time, I could focus without interruption on the work that needed to be done, once everybody was asleep or logged off. In between, I would be able to take a break from work, enjoy the city or go climbing, and come back for more work, with a fresh mind to tackle new problems.
Being in a new environment helps with inspiration when solving difficult problems or brainstorming new ideas. I am proud to work at a start-up that offers a unique culture which fosters creativity, innovation, and growth opportunities. ODAIA is built on trust and understanding that work will get done on your own terms, regardless of where you are and how you manage your time, as long as deadlines are met. Because of this flexible mindset, I have found myself able to take the time I need to work through a problem with more clarity and creativity.
The Challenges
Of course, working remotely in a different country also comes with some challenges. These include dealing with the culture of the location itself, the loss of building connection and communicating with teammates, and the need for self-motivation and productivity management whilst in a new environment.
When I was in Spain, I had thought that I would be able to work immediately the day I landed (somewhat ambitious). This was not the case. We had plans to drive to Margalef, a tiny town but a well-known climbing destination. From Barcelona, this was a 3 hour drive through windy roads and a limited network. This made it nearly impossible to connect to meetings or even focus on the computer while in a car ride (due to car sickness). Instead, I just messaged the team that I would have to take the day off. Sometimes unexpected environmental changes can cause plans to shift and working that day would be unrealistic. I am lucky to be part of an understanding team that can operate without me. This might not always be the case which can cause stress for the team and yourself as you travel.
As well, whilst being remote, some team building experiences were missed. I was unable to attend our in-person all-hands meeting at the end of April while I was in Japan, and also missed our company-wide bowling tournament. Being a remote-first company, these in-person socials are extremely important as more personal relationships are built face-to-face. There is also a drawback with the slight time zone difference that I previously mentioned was a benefit. Although you have time to focus on tasks without interruption, if you are working on a task that requires collaboration, this may be a problem. However, you can work with the team to determine what tasks might need to be prioritized whilst time zones overlap and what can be worked on individually to overcome this problem.
Keeping yourself motivated with work is challenging in general while remote, but especially while in a new country. It also depends on who you may be traveling with. Through my experience, when I was solo-traveling/climbing in Italy, I was able to manage my hours a lot better and had better self-discipline to stop climbing and come home for work. After that however, I flew to Spain to join a group of climbing friends who were also working from home. We had problems with trying to manage our meetings and overlapping times with each other, and we ended up skipping some meetings that we deemed unnecessary.
Tips for Succeeding
I have a few tips to overcome some of these hurdles and challenges I experienced whilst traveling and working remotely. The first is to take one or two days off right when you land in the new location to get accustomed to the country and culture, before diving into work. This allows you to not be eager and distracted to get out of work, and to start work with a more focused mind as you have already explored and been exposed to the new culture.
It’s important to establish clear boundaries with yourself and those you may be traveling with in order to help you maintain productivity. When I was working from Tokyo, during the final week I worked remotely from my brother’s flat. Since he was also working remotely (but for a job in Japan) we had a mutual mindset of work and focus, which allowed me to maintain my productivity with minimal distraction when I set my working hours. However, prior to that week, I had been traveling with a friend who was not working at all, and it made it difficult for me to focus at night when I was supposed to be attending meetings.
Be patient with yourself though! It is great to be part of such an understanding company that allows me to travel and pursue my personal hobbies whilst still working remotely. If any hiccups arise, they understand and know that I will be there to manage the issue. Maintaining relationships with colleagues is something I found important to work on as well. Since our company is completely remote, it is fairly easy to do as long as you are attending meetings and messaging teammates. Weekly 1 on 1 meetings might also be useful to set up to catch up with individuals and stay connected.
Takeaways
Consider the potential of working at a start-up as a digital nomad. It can offer you a unique and fulfilling career path that blends work and travel, allowing you to grow personally and professionally while embracing new adventures. I feel fortunate to be a part of ODAIA, a company that enables me to pursue my passions in climbing while also advancing my professional growth. I feel energized to plan for the next adventure!
Maria Cheng is a Full Stack Team Lead at ODAIA — and a great one at that! Her knowledge of the analytics and software space paired with her incredible work ethic make her an impactful member of our team. Maria is able to strike a balance between her career and sense of adventure and brings this enjoyment for life to her work and those she leads!
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