On an endless ‘workation’

How to work while travelling or travel while working so you never have to go back to your desk

July 08, 2014 04:13 pm | Updated July 09, 2014 02:16 pm IST

Sana Rizvi

Sana Rizvi

In 2009 Sana Rizvi quit her job as an event marketer and decided to backpack for a while, like many people do, to see the world and have new experiences before coming back home. What makes her trip different from your average holiday is that it’s been five years and counting. Right now, she is spending a few months in Dharamshala, putting her event management skills to good use in organising the Dharamshala International Film Festival to be held in October, this year.

“I was living in upper Dharamshala for four months last year, meditating and volunteering at a local school. I really enjoyed my time there and was wondering how I could sustain myself for a longer period of time and luckily enough found a job right up my alley — working for a film festival,” informs Sana who also works for a film festival in Abu Dhabi and Dubai for four months a year and also spends two months a year working at a rafting camp up in Uttarakhand “which doesn’t pay much at all but gives me food and a place to live which is all I really need.” Earlier, she was working on a permaculture farm in Auroville.

These jobs and meticulous budgeting has ensured that wandering or ‘location independent’ people like Sana who take this route, need not go back into an office cubicle any time soon - or ever.

Although saving up — both money and leave — while holding onto a full time job is the way most of us quench our wanderlust, these travellers combine work, travel and life itself. Going places, for them, means taking things slow and integrating themselves into a place and its culture, something that not only makes for an enriching experience but often gives you a way to barter your skills in exchange for food and stay, making it easier to stay longer.

As idyllic as this seems, the truth is you are working twice as hard as you would in a conventional job and spending none of it on spa treatments and shopping sprees. Getting used to the grill and finding a job is not easy either. One way to do it is to become part of the community. “People hear about you, ask to help with this and that and soon people are sending you food to teach their five year old daughter a bit of English,” says Sana who recounts her experiences on www.nomadbuzz.tumblr.com.

Shivya Nath, on the other hand, has made a career out of writing about her experiences. Her career as a freelance travel writer and blogger is what keeps her off the beaten path. Others, like Vanessa Van Edwards of Livingradically.com and her husband, have found a way to do their day jobs (she is an entrepreneur and he, a marketing manager) in virtual offices around the world — requiring only their laptops and internet access.

Travel blogs and websites are full of information on what the best jobs are, how to prepare for them, and most importantly how to take the plunge. Websites like HelpX and Workaway.info put one in touch with people across the globe who hire people to work on farms or homestays in exchange. But no amount of planning can prepare one for the highs and lows of a life with no strings or paychecks attached.

The best way to go about this without going broke in a month, according to Sana, is to have a monthly budget that is realistic and practical, keep a tab of your expenses, make sure you have some savings kept aside for a rainy day, think about a flow of income even if it’s not constant; realise that you need money to sustain yourself and of course splurge on yourself once in a while. Life on the road requires immense self discipline and planning – though the rule is to never expect your plans to work.

You can never save enough - Make sure you have sufficient funds to cushion the transition - it may be a month before you find the right gig.

Life is tough – Know that reserved travel, A/C rooms and fine dining become luxuries reserved for the rarest of occasions.

Don’t stay hungry, or foolish - Cheap, nutritious food is not hard to find in India. Make sure you eat enough to stay in good health. Keep your guard up - you never know when trouble of opportunities may crop up.

Keep an open mind - Ask yourself what you can do for a community, rather than what they can do for you. Open your mind to new experiences, take chances.

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