Working from Away: What four months on the road really taught me

Many of you know the last few years haven't been easy. Balancing elderly care responsibilities alongside running a business left me, frankly, a bit broken. So my husband and I made a decision: four months away. Indonesia to unwind. Two months in Australia catching up with family, friends, and the big blue skies that our grown-up children now call home. Then Mauritius for a wedding of dear AIESEC friends before heading back to the UK.

And throughout all of it — I've been working.

Not (always) on holiday. Working. From a small portable office that fits in a bag. Here's what I've actually learned.

The kit that makes it possible

• a travelling router (set up by my very patient tech wizard of a husband) that connects us via our home network and affordable data in every location (eSims all the way!)
• a lightweight second screen — genuinely a game changer for running training sessions or doing meaningful work remotely if, like me, you are used to having two screens at home
• a noise-cancelling headset for being on the move (not to mention the many moments when we're sharing a hotel room and my other half deserves some peace)
• a global charger plus a fast-charge cable and a charging brick for emergencies
• and, of course, a laptop I'm comfortable on.

What nobody tells you

It is not glamorous. Yes, I have worked in genuinely beautiful spaces — looking out over the ocean, sitting in gardens in the sunshine. But I've also worked hunched over a laptop at a coffee table in the hotel room where that was the most convenient space, or on a park bench (!) and in spots with wifi so unreliable that I was managing time-zone juggling and connectivity anxiety simultaneously.

Time zones are manageable — until they're not. A bad signal or a tropical storm at the wrong moment when you're already worried about being ready for a UK call delivers its own particular stress.

And we get ill when we're away. Of course we do. There is no immunity from a cold just because you're somewhere beautiful and you may not always feel on par. Just like being at home...

Two lessons I keep coming back to

1. I have to manage my time better. Genuinely, practically better. Working UK hours from Australia meant early mornings and mostly long, late nights, missing dinner with family. It means being more intentional about when I'm available, when I'm not, and protecting both work time and the reason I came away in the first place. I didn't manage my time well on this trip and will be better at this next time.
2. I am blessed to have so many wonderful clients. From adjusting sessions to suit the time difference to having virtual sessions when we have previously only worked face to face, I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to continue working throughout my travels. And to those people I have only met virtually as connections were made either shortly before or during my time away, I am looking forward to meeting in person where appropriate in the months ahead!

This trip was also about working out what the next chapter looks like. Working remotely for the last twenty years undoubtedly helped me to be more ready for this trip. Technology continues making remote working easier, and I hope my experience of these last four months will allow there to be many more trips like this in my future.

Please reach out if you are interested to find out more.