I’m dashing off a quick post this morning before I head to the airport. I’m heading off to Japan to give this whole “working from anywhere” thing a try.
Since I started freelancing, I’ve done a couple of small trips here and there, but I’ve mostly stuck to the West Coast and more or less the same time zone. This will be my first foray into crossing multiple time zones (and the international date line!).
Why am I doing this? For one, because I loved living in Japan and it’s something I miss dearly, so this gives me a chance to go back as not quite a tourist but also without completely uprooting my regular life and routine. It’s also one of the big perks of not having to report in to a specific office, and I want to take full advantage of that! And, because it’s something that I’ve dreamed about for a long time, but I want to see how the reality matches up to my fantasy. Will I quickly adjust to the new routine, or will it be a struggle? How will communication go with my US-based clients? I can sometimes feel lonely in my day-to-day life as a freelancer at home. Will the excitement of being in a different setting help ease some of that loneliness? There’s only one way to find out!
As I was planning out this trip, I considered a few things:
- Will I feel comfortable/safe in my destination? I chose Kyoto as my base because I’ve lived there and visited many times, so I have my overall bearings of the city and already have ideas about what I want to do while I’m there.
- What will the weather be like where I’m going? I wanted to catch Japan while it was warm but not the peak of summer (just for overall comfort and ease of getting around).
- How can I best set myself up to work while I’m there? I chose an Airbnb with Wi-Fi (a must), a pocket Wi-Fi (not quite a must, but a definite bonus!), several seating options (including an outdoor terrace). I don’t plan to use a coworking space, but I may occasionally venture out to cafés, so I did some research and found a handful of places that seem to be work-friendly.
I’m sure there will be some surprises along the way, but I’m really excited to try out the whole working from anywhere thing! I definitely plan to write some posts while I’m there with some updates on what to do in Kyoto and any working from anywhere lessons I pick up along the way.
Have you ever gone somewhere on a working vacation like the one I’m about to take? Have any tips or tricks for success? Let me know in the comments!