How to Take a Vacation When You Work for Yourself
Self-employed? Taking vacations is essential, and easy to pull off if you plan ahead, communicate, and stand your ground.
As a freelancer, you’re free to roam, free to set your own schedule, and free to work wherever you want. That means freelancers have the option to work remote. From your bedroom to a beautiful national park, your remote office can be anywhere you can get work done.
The world is your oyster! But with more and more people turning to freelancing, there’s a higher demand for places to plug in! This vast choice can be overwhelming, so we’ve narrowed down our top spots for you:
The Coffee Shop — A Freelance Crowded House
Ahh, the classic location. Freelancers have been flocking to their local java huts for accessible power outlets since the beginning of time! The benefits of working from your local coffee shop are plenty. When plugged in at a Starbucks you can stay focused on your work and avoid the distractions of home life. However, you’re also sharing the space with people who just want to have a coffee and a chat, so be warned: you might have to sit through a break-up on the next table. Awkward.
One solution that might give you best of both worlds is an app like Coffitivity.
Co Working Spaces
Co-working spaces have been popping up exponentially over recent years, and it’s not hard to see why. With more and more people switching to a life of freelancing the need to find a productive work environment is strong. Co-working spaces ask for a monthly membership fee, but you have access to large stylish work spaces, a variety of amenities, conference rooms, and snacks! Just make sure you don’t get TOO corporate… we don’t want you to lose that freelance swagger!
If you’re in some of the major cities across the States, services like Croissant allow you to check out multiple spaces to find the ideal setup for you.
The Great Outdoors
Everyone knows that breathing fresh air and surrounding yourself with wildlife is good for the mind. Take a deep breath, charge up the laptop and find a warm bench at your local park as you conduct some remote work today. Some freelancers even go as far as to leave their laptops at home and go to the park armed with nothing but a notepad and pencil! No matter how you like to work, make sure you bring some water and a few nibbles, you don’t want to end up chewing on a piece of moldy bark during that pesky 3pm hunger slump.
And while most of America’s parks and beaches now come wi-fi equipped, be sure to bring along some yourself with a tool like Karma.
The Home Office — The Freelance Home Field Advantage
The original. No matter where your freelancing career has taken you, you probably started in a home office. Despite the fact that this is the ‘obvious’ choice for a new freelancer, it doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be the first choice! When working from your home office you get to cut your commute time down to 8 seconds. Bonus! However, make sure you go outside for a stroll at least once during the day, or you’ll go stir crazy and begin rearranging your paperclips alphabetically.
Get Some Sun and Work at the Beach
Who doesn’t like to stroll down to the seaside and work on some graphic design projects? Obviously, this option relies heavily on you being near a coastline, but if you are, then there can be no better place to clear your head and get creative then the salty shores of America! Warning: sand is hard to get out of your hard-drive, let alone other places, so we recommend bringing a blanket!
You Can Share a Round at the Pub
No, we don’t think it’s OK to have a beer while working on a client’s presentation. But, during the day, your local pub or bar can be a great place to work AND feel social! Grab a seat in a booth or at the bar, and get freelancing. You can order lunch, talk to the regulars and take a few breaks to watch the Dodgers play (or whichever sport is on by the time you’re reading this!). By the time you’ve finished your projects, you can invite your friends over and get the weekend started!
