If you’d told me a year ago that I would be working from a cosy little corner in a café overlooking the beach while wearing a crochet bikini in the middle of January, I would’ve thought you were snooping inside my dream journal. But with travel restrictions being lifted and safety measures intact, I decided to embark on a journey (which makes it sound way more dramatic than it is) and truly embrace the digital nomad lifestyle – by taking a workcation.
The term sounds like you’re working while you’re on vacation, and I’m pretty sure the one question going on in your head is – who in their right mind wants to work while they’re on vacation? But that’s where the distinction lies. A workcation isn’t an easy-breezy vacation where you occasionally grace your coworkers and your laptop with your presence. Yes sure, your OOTDs go through a drastic change – beachwear all day, every day. And sure, a bellini when your workday ends is a reasonable demand.
Essentially, a workcation is pretty much the same as working out of your house – except in this scenario, your house is a two-minute walk from the beach. More than anything though, after being cooped up for roughly 10 months, with cabin fever engulfing everyone, it’s a welcome change of pace and scenery. I couldn’t be more grateful to have the privilege to replace dull white walls with endless blue skies and rows of palm trees, to head onto a shack after work and eat all the fried shrimp I possibly can, and to kick back at the end of the day with a gorgeous sunset.
But is it all sunshine and rainbows? Well, not really. First off, depending on the where you’re staying, you may face connectivity issues. With tourists flocking to popular beaches and hilly areas, there’s an overload of people demanding network – and if you’re not careful, that means you end up with awful WiFi three minutes before an important meeting. Also, if you don’t know how to drive and you’re in an area with a paucity of cabs, well, let’s just put it this way – you better be okay with walking long distances. And I mean long distances.
And most of all, the idea of a workcation puts a wrench in your ideas of a healthy work-life balance. I find myself in a constant battle between my brain and my heart – my brain wants me to work harder, be more productive, put in extra hours to overcompensate by proving that I’m not slacking off while in a different city. My heart, on the other hand, is whining about how I need to chill out because I’m on a vacation. Striking the right balance can be hard, and even after a month, I’m still struggling to find the middle ground between the two. I guess it comes down to this – you need a lot of self-control and restraint to pull off a workcation. No matter how easy you think it is, once a cool wave from the sea hits your toes, all thoughts of carrying on with a regular workday pack their bags and make themselves scarce. So if you’re gearing up for a workcation, my only advice? Don’t forget to pack a whole lot of willpower, because you best believe, you’re going to need it.
Having said that, though, is a workcation really worth the hype? I would say that it is. I’m still clocking in the same hours I did at home. I’m still checking my email constantly. I’m still attending the same meetings I would normally. The only difference is that now, I’m doing it from a balcony overlooking the beach – and regardless of all the challenges you may not have to face otherwise, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Photographs: GIPHY, Unsplash
