I survived my first month as a Digital Nomad.

[creyes]

Acclimated to Work.

A little over a month ago, I began my year long journey as a Polycom digital nomad with Remote Year, which enables 75 professionals to work remotely and travel to 12 cities for 12 months, using co-working spaces.

As I reflect on my first month in this program, I am struck by how far I have come and how much has happened in such a short time. When I began my journey I didn’t know what to expect, all I knew was that I had to get my work done regardless of location. Although I encountered some obstacles along the way, like trying to find the best time of day to work with my team and colleagues back in America, I have figured out a way to make the nomad life work for me. I am morning person, and enjoy starting work as soon as I wake up, unfortunately, morning in Prague was about 3 am in my regular office in Herndon, Virginia. Once I was able to find a routine that worked best for my team members and I, it quickly became business as usual.

Communication is the key to my success as a digital nomad.

There are a lot of forms of communication, my personal favorite is face to face. Fortunately, with the help of Polycom® RealPresence Desktop™, I have been able to meet with my manager face to face every day to ensure I know my priorities and have the opportunity to ask any questions. These daily check-ins have helped me succeed in my first month as a digital nomad. Knowing my exact deliverables and deadlines has helped me plan my days accordingly. It’s been important for me to feel part of the team and even halfway around the world, I don’t feel left out.

Co-Working Spaces and Coffee Shops.

The Prague co-working space we used, K10, was amazing and offered many different types of conference rooms as well as co-working spaces. Having the option to determine where and how I wanted to work was very helpful, especially during formal video meetings. When I didn’t have meetings or video calls, I was inspired by the ability to work in various environments like local coffee shops. I really enjoyed my time working from La Boheme Café, a beautiful decorative café in Prague that served their coffee in adorable beakers, as well as The Coffee Room a great breakfast spot with artisanal lattés.

Now that I am in Belgrade, Serbia the co-working space I now call home is Smart Office. This space is very different from our previous workspace, although that’s the beauty of the Remote Year program – going to different cities and experiencing different environments.

The life of a digital nomad is about figuring out what works best for you professionally and personally outside of the normal office structure – being outside of my comfort zone has helped me build self-confidence in a foreign country. I’ve learned a great deal about myself and the way I work while also having the opportunity to immerse myself in new cultures and environments.

Follow me on this journey as a #digitalnomad! #workAnywhere  

Twitter: @CaryReye

IG: _caree_

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caryr