Recent years have seen big changes in technology and the way people work. Jobs that were considered office or fixed location jobs in the past have evolved, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, and can now be done from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. Even if it’s not an option for the whole week or year, many people can now enjoy at least a part of their working life from remote locations. This could be from home or a local shared/coworking space but, seriously, it could be anywhere. So, it’s time to say hi to the workation!

Does that sound good to you? We think so, but how does a workation work? How do you do it? And what are the advantages and disadvantages of working whilst away from home or abroad? Keep reading to see if this is a dream life for you!

So, what is a workation?

The word workation is fairly new to the common lexicon and is a hybrid of the words ‘work’ and ‘vacation.’ As you can probably guess it refers to a way of combining telecommuting or remote working with a break, holiday or vacation. This is very appealing for those who love to travel or break up their routine, whilst still being able to work their regular job. Not everybody is in a position to become a full on Digital Nomad, but workations can offer something of a compromise. Wherever you decide to take a workation – mountains, seaside, city or rural tranquillity – you will still carry out your normal work routine, maybe with a bit more use of flexible hours in order to fit in other activities, but you can enjoy the benefits of being on holiday the rest of the time! This can work as a solo traveller, but is also great for families who can enjoy an extra holiday whilst you’re working. It can also open up opportunities to go away outside of peak holiday periods, when prices are cheaper, so what’s not to like?

If you’re self-employed, freelance, or have your own company, then taking a workation is pretty much a matter of deciding to do so. If you are employed, you might want to check your company’s policies on remote working, but it’s becoming increasingly common for HR departments to allow work from anywhere, at least for periods or a certain duration.

Telecommuting, digital nomads, and workations – what’s the difference?

We’ve mentioned telecommuting or teleworking (remote working), digital nomads, and workations, but what’s the difference? The concept of workations is definitely related to the digital nomad lifestyle. “Digital nomad” is an expression that was first mentioned in 1997 by authors Tsugio Makimoto and David Manners. They wrote a book, Digital Nomad, which examined the growing trend towards a different way of living being adopted by digital and tech workers. Their understanding of, and access to, modern technology made it easy for them to lead a less fixed or even fully nomadic lifestyle, involving frequent travel and only staying in a place for as long as it suited them. With a reliable internet connection and tools such as smartphones, laptops, satellite communications, solar,wind or battery power, they could literally work from almost anywhere and do so effectively. Goodbye office, goodbye commuting, goodbye 9-5!

A workation is just another form of remote working – a concept that’s grown in popularity over the last few years, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic which saw many more people remote working than before, and not wanting to return to the inflexible work patterns of the past. Normal remote working is generally done from home, home office, or local coworking space, whereas a workation implies that you’ll be working from a destination that you might chose for a normal vacation. 

To be a genuine workation, the following things would generally be true:

1. You are working remotely, not from a different company office.
2. The place you’re working from would also be suitable for a regular holiday.
3. You had to travel to get there.
4. The duration of your visit is defined, not indefinite.

Apart from that, you could be staying with friends or relatives, camping in the forest, staying in a luxury spa hotel, or renting an house or apartment. Because you’re not limited by your available vacation days, workations may even be a bit longer than a normal holiday!

Workation Pros

• If you’re an employee, you can take advantage of whatever your company will allow, on top of regular vacations, whilst remaining a productive and supportive member of your team at work, and not missing out on opportunities such as promotions.
• A change of scenery can be a great way to become inspired, get past any creative blocks, or generally reinvigorate yourself. This is especially true if you take part in activities that get your blood pumping or adrenaline flowing!
• Freelancers or self-employed workers can take frequent workations without their income taking a hit. They may even find themselves more productive.
• You get the chance to meet new people and maybe extend your business network.
• A change in routine is generally healthy for the mind and body. You can increase your levels of motivation, decrease your stress levels, and the effect will last even after you have returned.

Workation Cons

• You could be tempted to workation too often and drift away from your work and career goals, thus creating a situation where workations are no longer an option!
• Your expenses are likely to be higher, as you have to accommodate yourself as well as covering your existing bills at home. Going to places in the low season can help to offset this.
• Accessing a reliable internet connection can sometimes be a bit hit-and-miss. Try to get information before booking/travelling about hotel or AirBnB WiFi connections, availability of business centres, or local coworking spaces.

Are you Inspired Now?

If the idea of a workation has inspired you, we highly recommend giving it a go. If you’re looking for a starting point, then our own home location of Sant Feliu de Guíxols would be an ideal starting point, with beautiful scenery, and nice weather throughout the year. Although we definitely have seasons, even colder winter days tend to be sunny, and there are plenty of things to do year round. It’s also easy to get to, with flights into Girona and Barcelona, and the high-speed train also stopping in Girona.

What are you waiting for?

Resources

Maybe you are stuck in a job that makes it difficult or impossible to workation. Whilst it’s not the route for everyone, you might want to consider the possibilities that working freelance can offer. To give you a taste of what’s out there, here’s a few links that might inspire or help you.

• Freelancer – A website that features a wide variety of projects that have been posted by companies looking for a variety of freelancers. You can also create a profile to showcase your work and what you do, which potential clients can view.
• Fiverr – This is a global platform allowing you to work for clients worldwide. Registration is free and you can set the average price for your services. If someone is interested in hiring you, you’ll get an email and, following a discussion to establish the project needs and budget. Once everything is agreed, you complete the work Fiverr will send you the payment, less their fee, of course!
• SoyFreelancer – One of the main Spanish freelancer platforms, it brings companies and freelancers together. If you’re looking for work in digital marketing, graphic design, online copywriting, and web design/development, this is definitely a good place to start.
• Upwork – Formerly known as Elance, this is a site where you can discover freelance job offers in many different areas of work. From your perspective, the big advantage of this platform is that the client pays the fee, not you!
• Infojobs freelance – Another Spanish oriented portal where you can find various offer for freelance work. It is active and you will regularly find new opportunities posted here.
• Toptal – If you are already an experienced freelancer, Toptal can be a good option to find higher paid work. You have to pass a selection process, relevant to your area of work, in order to gain an account.
• Workana – Here you can create a profile and portfolio, browse available work, and be discovered by those looking to hire. It’s free to sign up.