In 2021, my partner and I decided to do something exciting and nerve-wracking: during the pandemic, we started a year-long road trip across the United States. We were looking for a change of scenery and wanted to visit our families. Outside of COVID, my biggest concern was—I didn't want my employer to know I was traveling.
While most "digital nomads" freelance or have their own businesses, I work full-time for a Silicon Valley tech company.
Why travel as a secret nomad?
I was afraid my employer would think my performance would suffer because I wasn't in my usual workspace. Like many people in remote roles, I was afraid that the freedom to work from anywhere might come with consequences and judgments about productivity. And as much as I wanted to explore, I didn't want to risk my career or lose trust with my team. At the time, I was working towards a promotion, taking on more responsibility, and growing my coaching skills to make my role as a team lead official.
How do you balance work life as a part-time digital nomad?
The challenge was, how do you up-level productivity and coaching skills while enjoying this new travel lifestyle? I knew the stereotypes of remote workers who "work" while lounging on a beach, and while that is the dream, it's not super doable in practice. Your laptop battery will drain faster when it's hot outside and if you're on Zoom, battery life is cut in half, along with screen visibility.
NOTE: WiFi isn't great on the beach, AND your laptop is not friends with sand, water, or the hot sun.
While most digital nomads make it look like you can sightsee every day, we did most of our exploring on the weekends. We tried working by the pool and decided to only go there for an hour and then start our day. In reality, we weren't on vacation. We planned sightseeing only a couple mornings during the week since too many unexpected things can happen when you go on a tour before work.
Most of the time, I went to pilates classes, got ready, and then used 3 hours of uninterrupted, quiet time to power through project planning and knock things off my to-do list before meetings started at noon ET. This focused time supercharged my productivity.
Ergonomic tip: A toaster can be the perfect riser to keep a travel monitor at eye level. I've used toasters in the Towneplace Suites and Airbnbs before getting a an ultra portable stand.
What systems do you need to create?
My partner and I set out to create a system allowing us to travel without compromising our jobs. During that first road trip, we learned how to plan our travel days around work, find reliable WiFi, and create makeshift workspaces in Airbnb, cafés, and even the passenger seat of our car.
- While driving days were mostly on Saturdays, we did have to drive some weekdays depending on the next destination. Ideally, Sunday's were to settle into new locations and scope out where we would workout, get groceries, or pick up food.
- If we had to drive during the week, that meant leaving before work, driving for four hours, settling into a cafe for focus time and meetings, then getting back on the road after work to arrive at our destination by 8 p.m.
- We had to figure out how to divide a space or plan our schedules so that we wouldn't talk over each other during video conference calls. For example, when we were in a studio, sometimes I did Zoom calls in the bathroom or a corner of the hotel lobby if there was no business center.
How often and how long are your trips now?
After the pandemic, Airbnb pricing crept up, we returned to our home base to save for extended trips. Each quarter, we researched and saved up for our travel months, allowing us to explore new destinations while continuing to do well at work. We developed packing strategies to keep things light and flexible and tested the best tools and gadgets to stay productive while on the move.
Pro tip: Test new products you plan to use while you're still at home to see if they work. I tried shampoo and conditioner bars before we left for Europe and loved them!
Starting a new chapter as part-time nomads
When we returned from our road trip, I had a new understanding of what was possible. Not only had I continued to meet work goals, I found the change of scenery boosted my creativity and energy levels. By the way, I got that promotion!
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3 Tips to be productive on the road
If you're interested in trying out the part-time digital nomad lifestyle, here are three tips that helped us stay productive while traveling:
- How to find the best WiFi on trips? Before we booked a hotel, Airbnb, or VRBO we made sure it had reliable WiFi that could handle video calls and large file uploads. We called hotels or asked Airbnb/VRBO hosts about WiFi speeds.
- What to tech do you pack? We learned to pack strategically for work and leisure. A portable monitor, noise-canceling headphones, and packing cubes made the difference.
- How do you set boundaries for work and play? It's easy to blur the lines between work and vacation, but we blocked specific hours for work and exploration. This way, we stayed on top of deadlines and still had plenty of time to enjoy the places we visited.