I’m not one for settling down. If I’ve been in the same place for too long, I’m just itching. I haven’t travelled far since the Christmas holiday season — and it’s really getting me. Of course with moving and trying to sell a house, there’s limits on how far I can get right now – and hunting for a full time position does take away from spontaneity.
Have you ever wondered about working from home remotely? When I first started freelancing, I wasn’t sure that I was doing it long term. I didn’t have a reliable vehicle, and didn’t want to invest in one just for a job, so I started out freelancing from home. It’s been my dream job. I am probably on the road 6-10 weeks (or more) per year — and most of my clients never even noticed. The clients that notice the most are the ones that video call me – I haven’t invested in one of those chair-back screens that blocks my background, so they can tell I’m in a different space.
My most productive week of feeling accomplished with my work in 2015? I was visiting one of my best friends. I drove 20 hours to visit her in Texas, with my young son. Being with her gave me the perfect balance of being able to churn out massive amounts of work, and know that my kiddo was having fun, and get to spend lunch breaks with them. On a normal workday, I usually don’t get lunch breaks like that.
Now, it can also cause problems. No matter how much I say I need to work, there are some places I’ve found it extra difficult – like with my parents. It’s hard to work when everyone else is on vacation. And whenever I plan to do something away from work, sometimes work comes in and takes precedence — I’ve never been to a development conference where there hasn’t been some work emergency. I’m used to being on call, and so long as the pay makes it worth it, the pay makes it worth it.
That being said, I love taking longer vacations. Would I love to rent a beach house for a month, and work from the beach house? YES. I would much rather do that, than take the time off altogether and only get a long weekend at the beach. I like working in new and different places. One of our “family plans” is to ride bicycles across the United States (and back). We figure we will take a little over 6 months, and average something like 40 miles per day (but have scattered zero days throughout). Assuming a decent pace, leaving each morning around 7am we would be done by lunchtime – and able to eat, cleanup, and work. Completely doable *with* working – and with a remote position, if I have a full time position with a company, they will definitely know I’m doing it, so that I can be above board – but also so I can meet any coworkers I’m coming near. If it’s remote work freelance for several clients? They might not even notice. Just need to grow my child bigger so he can handle the Burley Piccolo — it will be a few years. However, between a combination of zero days if the work gets heavy and/or if the weather gets too stormy, and working on ride days after the morning ride portion, I can see the country… and work too!
But, for the forseeable future, I’m mostly here in my beautiful Lenoir City home office — dreaming of those long trips away, and knowing it can and will be a reality sometime.