Interview with James Hardwick: The dilemma of work or travel doesn't exist anymore

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Yuliya Valko on 01/27/2017.

I met James and his colleague Clay in one of the co-working spaces in Eastern Europe (Ukraine, Lviv) and when I asked them "What you are doing here and why?" they answered "Working for NY tech company". "Why so far away?", "Because we can". It took me a few minutes until it clicked, "Oh, wow, these guys will tell me all the truth about working remotely". Do you love to travel and explore new places but you also have to work? Well, here's good news, you don't necessarily have to give up something. Nowadays technology enables you to work from anywhere and thus enjoy life more. James agreed to share with us how he is making this happen.

ZeyOS: Can you give us a short overview of your background and current activities?

James: I am a Software Engineering Lead @ SellerCrowd. I spend most of my day either writing code or helping coordinate the development efforts of our team, doing what I can to enable us all to work better.

ZeyOS: How did you come up with the idea to work remotely and constantly change the location?

James: I’ve always loved to travel, and I was fortunate enough a few years back to have a boss who understood that for the work we do, it does not really matter where one works from. So I’ve taken advantage of this over the past few years, working while at the same time satisfying my desire to explore.

ZeyOS: What drives you to pursue such work and life style, which on the one hand gives you lots of freedom, but on the other can also be pretty risky and unstable?

James: Curiosity. Fascination with cultures different from my own. Love of history and the variations of architecture, art, and everything else that goes along with that. Oh, and food. I spend an enormous amount of time seeking out the best restaurants and cafés wherever I go!

ZeyOS: Is this your first extended stay in another country?

James: Not even close.

ZeyOS: Which things did you organize before moving to Lviv? What were you able to organize remotely?

James: Since I still work and do what I can to maintain a healthy lifestyle while traveling, I generally do “reconnaissance” long before traveling to a new destination. Sometimes that even plays a part in picking destinations. Anyplace I go must have a coworking office for me to work from. Getting out of the house or cafés and into a place where others are working is important for getting into the right mindset when working for more than a couple hours. The second most important thing is finding a gym or crossfit box that I can get to a few times a week. Thankfully Lviv not only has both, but they are even relatively easy to get to.

ZeyOS: What countries and cities have you worked from so far? Do you have any crazy or fun stories that happened to you, which you would like to share?

James: Too many to really list them all, but my long-term stays have so far been Buenos Aires, San Francisco (repeatedly), Bali (Indonesia), Melbourne (Australia), Sevilla (Spain), Split (Croatia), Birgu (Malta), Istanbul, Lviv, and now Budapest. Every place you go usually offers something crazy and fun. Driving a motor scooter in Bali in traffic so thick you occasionally bump elbows with other moped drivers around you. Riding a motorcycle down Australia’s Great Ocean Road, dodging koala bears along the way. Learning to sail in Istanbul’s Bosporus (and continuing in San Francisco’s Bay). Or spending a month in an old mansion in San Francisco, so big that you could spend days there and not bump into any of the other people staying there. That last one was a very bizarre opportunity that I wouldn't want to miss!

ZeyOS: What is your next destination?

James: Madrid, Spain.

ZeyOS: Do you have a "must see" list or any specific criteria by which you choose a new location?

James: Not particularly, besides the “reconnaissance” items mentioned above. Sometimes it’s nice to join up for a short while with our other engineers, so that does occasionally play a part in picking a place.

ZeyOS: What does a typical day look like, given that you and your team in NY have a time difference of X hours?

James: Our team is actually much more distributed than just NY. Despite that, I still usually work a fairly normal work day. I like to be in the “office” (a la coworking space) by 9am most days, if not earlier, and out by 5-6pm. Occasionally we flex outside of those hours to accommodate meeting times that everyone can attend, but on average, it’s really a fairly normal workday.

ZeyOS: What do you do to stay connected with the team in NY?

James: We simply take advantage of the same tools that are increasingly common in all teams (including those that aren’t distributed). Slack, Github, and Google Hangouts mostly. Constant and open communication is encouraged. Slack is fantastic in that regard, but sometimes it’s nice just to see people's faces and that’s where Google Hangouts comes in.

ZeyOS: As someone who is exposed to constantly changing environments, new cultures, nationalities etc., what lessons have you learned from your experiences?

James: Be open minded. Don’t let little things bother you. Everywhere you go there are going to be things that don’t fit your expectations of “normal”. Be aware that our definition of “normal” is relative to our experiences, and that we’re fortunate to experience things that can broaden that definition!

ZeyOS: Do you have any advice for people who aspire to become “digital nomads”? What are typical pitfalls one should avoid?

James: It’s very easy for people just starting out to underestimate the amount of energy and time that goes into both picking and traveling to a new location. That’s why I try to stay for at least a month wherever I go. If you’re planning on working full time or near full time while traveling, this is crucial. It also works out well with monthly subscriptions to coworking spaces, gyms, etc. Many people don’t realize that most AirBnB rentals offer significant (sometimes >50%) discounts when booking for 28 days or more. All of these things not only save you money but also make your travels more relaxed and enjoyable!