This Essay article is part of a Narcity Media series. The views expressed are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
Working poolside sipping a piña colada and getting a tan, all while making some money sounds like the dream — right? But in reality, it's not so easy.
So many people work remotely these days that workcations have become super popular and if you do it the right way, it really is the best of both worlds.
If you've been jealous of those people on Instagram who seem like their life is just one long vacation, join the club. But like most things though on Instagram, everything is not what it seems.
My job is fully remote so I've done a couple of workcations this year, and have learned a lot of lessons the hard way. Lucky for you, I'm willing to share all the do's and dont's of workcation life so you can sit back and enjoy — and even save a few bucks.
Don't go with a big group
Unless all of your friends are also working remotely, don't travel with a huge crew who will be having fun while you're working hard. Your FOMO will be a lot worse as you watch them heading to the beach without you than it would be if you were home alone.
Grab one or two friends to have fun with off-hours, or bring your partner along, but that's it.
Ask about the WiFi
If Airbnb tells you there's WiFi at a place, don't believe them.
The WiFi might just about let you send a message but forget about refreshing your emails so if you're working remotely, make sure to ask the host ahead of time about the WiFi speed.
Trust me, no one likes the person who sounds like they're beatboxing on a conference call.
Otherwise you might end up having to spend $100 on a data package to get you through the trip like I did.
Go somewhere with a pool
A pool.
I'm a beach girl at heart, but it's not exactly easy to work with sand on your laptop. Choose somewhere with a pool so you can lounge under an umbrella and take a dip in the water on your breaks.
Be aware of time zones
Outside a plane window.
My best workcation to date was in Arizona, which shares the same time zone as Vancouver — where I live. This made it super smooth and didn't disrupt my schedule one bit.
If you're down to work until midnight so you can soak up the sun in Europe though, power to you. Just make sure to consider if you'll actually be productive and how long you are staying for. You can probably push through a week anywhere, but any longer might be tough.
Check for weekly (or monthly) discounts on Airbnb
Tons of Airbnbs offer weekly or monthly discounts that are automatically applied when you select the number of days. If you pick the right spot, you can save hundreds of dollars by just staying a little longer than planned.
Make sure to have a few days without work
Give yourself a break!
Make sure to schedule your trip with weekends bookending it, or take at least one or two days off work while you're away. If you've travelled all the way to a destination, you might as well have a bit of time to just chill.