Everything You Need to Know about Working Remotely in a New City
Imagine waking up and being welcomed with fresh air, beautiful views, and the feeling of adventure. It seems like a dream, but remote work allows us to do just that.
We’ve been able to work remotely from a new location 3 separate times now and each time we’ve learned something new. We’ve loved how working remote has given us the freedom to explore a new city, meet new people, and learn about ourselves.
We’ve had coworkers ask about how we successfully work remote. Some common questions are: “Do you just work off your laptop?”, “Where do you work?”, “Are you distracted by being in a new city?”, and many more. Here’s answers to all of those questions, and more!
We first thought about our jobs and if we could successfully work remote
The first step before we ever worked remote was reflecting on both of our jobs. We asked ourselves if we thought we could successfully do our work remotely. We both work in technology and do well in new environments, so we decided to go for it. We didn’t know what it would be like until we tried. Some questions to ask yourself would be:
Does your job require you to be face-to-face with others?
If so, is there any flexibility to being face-to-face every so often and virtual the rest of the time? This would be considered a hybrid approach.
Can your type of work be done without being tied to a building or area?
Does your company allow for short-term remote work?
Our company doesn’t allow for full remote options yet, but we explored the idea with our leaders and were allowed to work remotely for a short period of time.
Would you be as productive in a new environment vs. in the office?
You may not know this right away, but that’s ok! We tested this one out our first trip and realized we were just as productive working in a new city.
We then researched coworking spaces in the city we wanted to visit
Once we decided that working remote was a possibility, we researched where we could work. Prior to searching, we had no idea what a coworking space even was. We learned it’s a space specifically for remote workers or people who want a dedicated space to work each day. Most have private office options, conference rooms, and walk-in seating.
During our first trip to Missoula Montana, we booked C3 WorkLounge. We paid for a week open-seating pass. This allowed us to come in anytime from 8-5pm and sit at one of the open tables. We LOVED the vibe. They had happy hours every Thursday, snacks, and welcoming people.
During our most recent trip to Lake Tahoe, we booked Tahoe Mill Collective. This was a cozy workspace right outside of Tahoe City in the mountains. We reached out a couple months in advance and booked two desks for a week and a half.
Our trip to Milwaukee was a little different. We decided to work from our Airbnb, which was an apartment complex. We researched and found that there was a common area on the main floor with tables and chairs. We didn’t know what the exact vibe would be, so we researched a coworking space nearby as a backup. We ended up loving the common area as well as our studio setup, so we took turns each day with one of us working downstairs and one of us working in our apartment.
Note: when working in common areas there is the possibility of it being loud. You also have to be aware of how loud you’re talking while on a call (Kate tends to be a loud talker while on calls so it was an adjustment working in a public place). If you do have an important meeting, coworking spaces usually have either a conference room or private booth.
We decided on how we would commute
What we also made sure to think about was how would we get to work each morning. Both in Missoula and Lake Tahoe, we biked into the coworking space (we rented bikes in Missoula and brought our own bikes to Lake Tahoe). It worked out because both spots had great biking paths that made it easy and safe to bike into work.
We LOVED biking into work each morning because it gave us energy for the day and there were always pretty views on the way in.
Bike path in Lake Tahoe with beautiful trees and a river.
We researched and ordered gear so that we could be comfortable while working in a new space
Many of our coworkers have wondered what our setup is like. “Do you only work off of a laptop?!” they ask. No, we made sure we had a similar (yet compact) setup to what we have back at home. Here’s a list of our recommended work setup while traveling (check out our gear page for more detailed reviews):
All of the above fit into a backpack and are easy to setup. It makes working remote an even better experience!
Conclusion: we know remote work works for us!
We try to share our experiences as much as possible because remote work DOES work!
For example, we’ve both facilitated meetings while working remote (Kate even ran an all-day planning session while in Lake Tahoe). We also feel just as productive while in a new city. We feel motivated knowing that we have hikes and exploring to look forward to when the work day is done.
What’s even better is that we’re in our happy place. We get to wake up in a beautiful place, get fresh air, enjoy pretty views while biking into work, meet really cool people, and explore a new area in the evenings and on the weekends.
We’ve learned a lot throughout testing out remote work and are looking forward to continuing exploring new spots!
Disclaimer: We utilize affiliate links. By using our links, we get a small portion of the sales at no extra cost to you.
