You could say my #remotework experiment this summer was a success: As of this week, I'm officially a snowbird - at 30!
I'm thrilled to be wintering down in Athens for another season of that sweet, sweet remote work lifestyle.
Lessons learned from this summer:
- Working from a different time zone made me more flexible with my working hours, with the freedom to get things done while others slept, or enjoy my day and tune into meetings/regular working hours in the evening.
- On a personal level, trading the peace and quiet of Algonquin Park, Ontario for the bustle of city life in Athens was a positive shift, both socially and when it comes to diet and workout options.
- After 2 years of pandemic-living, the overall improved lifestyle helped me to focus and contribute better effort, finding more joy in my work.
It happened slowly, but it wasn't until I was back at it this summer that I realized how much momentum I lost at work throughout the pandemic. A lot of folks have said things along the lines of "Covid took away everything but work" - and to some extent, in some communities, it's true. I have learned that to be my best at work, I need my active life outside of it.
I was excited about winter in Ontario - there were signs that life was returning, I was back to my training and working with my swimming coach, I was going to be in a play again (Live Theatre!!!), I was making social plans with friends - these are cornerstones of my life that help me to show up every day, filled with joy and energy.
When all that was canceled two weeks ago (In negative 30, I couldn't even cross-country ski or skate outdoors), I knew I had to shift gears and follow up on this slow-building, strong calling. I'm grateful it was possible for me to do so.
That massive snow storm threatened my Monday flight and journey to the airport. Luckily, magic happened and everything shifted so I could depart 24 hours early! Here I am.
I'm thrilled to be wintering down in Athens for another season of that sweet, sweet remote work lifestyle.
Lessons learned from this summer:
- Working from a different time zone made me more flexible with my working hours, with the freedom to get things done while others slept, or enjoy my day and tune into meetings/regular working hours in the evening.
- On a personal level, trading the peace and quiet of Algonquin Park, Ontario for the bustle of city life in Athens was a positive shift, both socially and when it comes to diet and workout options.
- After 2 years of pandemic-living, the overall improved lifestyle helped me to focus and contribute better effort, finding more joy in my work.
It happened slowly, but it wasn't until I was back at it this summer that I realized how much momentum I lost at work throughout the pandemic. A lot of folks have said things along the lines of "Covid took away everything but work" - and to some extent, in some communities, it's true. I have learned that to be my best at work, I need my active life outside of it.
I was excited about winter in Ontario - there were signs that life was returning, I was back to my training and working with my swimming coach, I was going to be in a play again (Live Theatre!!!), I was making social plans with friends - these are cornerstones of my life that help me to show up every day, filled with joy and energy.
When all that was canceled two weeks ago (In negative 30, I couldn't even cross-country ski or skate outdoors), I knew I had to shift gears and follow up on this slow-building, strong calling. I'm grateful it was possible for me to do so.
That massive snow storm threatened my Monday flight and journey to the airport. Luckily, magic happened and everything shifted so I could depart 24 hours early! Here I am.
