Despite what you may think, this isn’t what my remote working experience looks like. a) This is an ergonomic disaster and b) I’d knock my laptop into the sea accidentally…
Over the past month, I’ve been on the road traveling more than usual. Fortunately the nature of my work is 96% achievable remotely, so I can go on a road tear and work on-the-go.
- Go Offline. Spotty or non-existent wifi can be an issue when you’re on the go. I took a bus to Boston for Halloween weekend (there are so many reasons why I chose not to drive, but we don’t need to discuss them here). While wifi is offered on the bus, I’d vaguely remembered it being unreliable/weak. I’d kind of planned for this, so I used my phone for email and the occasional Google search, while working in Google Drive offline. Everything updates when you get back to wifi.
- Get Charged. Most buses and trains have places where you can charge your electronics, but sometimes you don’t have that option, and it’s time to think a little differently Last year, my Gram Strout gave me a portable charger she saw on QVC on a late night t.v. show and it’s been one of the best gizmos for traveling. I’ve only ever used it for my phone, but it can hook up to just about any device you have. Here’s a recent list of portable chargers from Best Buy (in case you didn’t get any Black Friday deals today).
- Find office space. I love my family, but if I need to get some work done, I have to actually leave their vicinity. This week I tried using the “Business Room” at the Hampton Inn. While I completely appreciate this was offered to guests, it was kind of weird. First, because it was a tiny room with two computers and a printer- and to be honest, the idea of multiple people working in that room seemed like wishful thinking. I ended up doing most of my checking-in from the room itself, which isn’t ideal (work with what you’ve got, right?). If I was planning on being away for longer, or had to put out a work related fire, I’d try to find a legitimate space (yanno, like Anchorspace) to get some work done without being distracted by family (right now, my dad and brother are watching The Godfather) or an unfortunate ergonomic set up.
- Write it out. I’ve talked about this strategy of working in this Tech Thursday video, but here it goes again. If I’m going to be without internet access and electronics, I go back to basics: pen and paper. In college, I used to write papers out by hand, and as I typed, I’d edit. Nowadays, if I know I’m going to be sans wifi/computer, I’ll sit down with a pen and whatever paper I have (sometimes it’s a legit notebook, sometimes it’s a brochure or receipt- the key is not to lose it later).
After a week of travel-as great as it was, I’m ready to settle back into the office for a bit. Hope everyone enjoyed their time with their friends, family, and framily this week!
In honor of the new Star Wars flick.