INTRO

The world we live in is as connected as ever, and most of us take it for granted, myself included. I've been working in archviz for the past 15 years, and only a couple of years ago did I come to a sudden realization - I can work from any location I want. As with many things, this realization is primarily thanks to the global pandemic we experienced recently. It made me pause and reevaluate the life choices I had been making for the past decade. With the restrictions that came alongside Covid, the natural thing for me was to look for a way out, and traveling turned out to be the thing that helped me the most.

In the summer of 2021, I said, "Fuck it," moved out of my apartment, sold and gave away all the stuff I owned, and moved to Ericeira, Portugal.

GEAR, CONNECTIVITY & MOBILITY

While I work on a laptop today, back in the summer of 2021, I had a desktop iMac. There were instances before the pandemic when I needed to get out of the house, rent an Airbnb somewhere in the woods, and work to meet my deadlines in a non-distracting environment. I would take my iMac, strap it into my car's passenger seat, and off I would go - as mobile as ever (it turns out you can be mobile with a desktop computer). This gave me the confidence that I could take it with me wherever I went, and I did. Instead of flying with it (there is even an option to bring your desktop computer on board if you "buy it a ticket") or checking it with my luggage, I decided to ship it to my next destination.

Obviously, if I had wanted to move around more, the iMac would have been a pain in the ass, and these days laptops are even more powerful than my desktop was at that time. So it's just a matter of investing in the right one.

Speaking of connectivity, there is free wifi available on every corner, at least in the EU, and I bet it's not worse outside Europe, especially in locations where there's already a digital nomad and expat community. These days, even mobile internet works around the EU as if you were in your home country. Outside the EU, getting a local SIM card to stay connected is usually easier and cheaper, and it doesn't cost that much.

SCHEDULE

While working on the beach sounded like a dream come true (honestly, it isn't – I've tried it), and there are endless tempting leisure possibilities in places like Ericeira, I realized that maintaining a work schedule while traveling should be prioritized more than ever. I certainly didn't want to miss out on afternoon beach time, sunset surf sessions, or evening parties, so I needed to come up with some morning routine. Partly because I tend to feel more focused in the morning, and there are overall fewer distractions.

I found inspiration for planning my day after reading Cal Newport's book "Deep Work" (I highly recommend it if you have no clue how to schedule and are struggling with procrastination). And when you're on the move, you don't want to spend your whole day working to adhere to your office hours. A 9-5 schedule is a waste anyway, as about half of your day is spent on shallow tasks, and distractions creep in often.

image by **Douglas Sanchez** on **Unsplash**

DEEP WORK

In his book, Cal discusses a concept called "Deep Work." In short, nature has allowed us to perform uninterrupted work for a maximum of 4-5 hours daily. However, historically, we tend to spread those hours throughout an 8-hour workday while mixing them with mindless scrolling and unimportant tasks like writing emails and attending meetings.

My schedule was simple: I started my work at 8 AM, worked uninterrupted for 1 hour, and then took a 10-minute break (away from the computer – going for a walk, stretching, doing some quick chores, etc.). I then repeated this cycle until I reached 4 hours by around 12:30 PM. After that, I spent the last half an hour on emails, organizing files, and tidying up. Done and ready to repeat the next day!

OVERCOMING CHALLENGES

Sometimes, things don't go as planned – computers can die on us, we can get sick, or run out of money, and so on. It's helpful to know some people, both locals and digital nomads like yourself, so in cases like these, you can ask for help and directions. Facebook groups are a great starting point for meeting new, like-minded people (chances are there's already one for the place you're traveling to). Joining local fitness and volleyball groups, taking courses and masterclasses, or simply engaging in good old-fashioned meetings in a bar or on the street are also great ways to connect. People are usually helpful wherever you go, so socializing is necessary when traveling long distances.

Statement I wrote a couple of paragraphs above about my schedule being simple – that was in theory. In practice, it all went south on many occasions: long parties, days when I didn't feel like working, and occasional procrastination periods. I often felt (and still feel sometimes) guilty for not keeping up with my set intentions, but that's part of the process and it's normal. When setbacks occur (and they will), I try to reset and get back at it the next day. As cliché as it sounds – repetition is the mother of skill. So, it's important to keep showing up. And I'm not only talking about work – social media posts, blog posts, side hustles, everyday chores, fitness, learning new skills – basically, everything that requires effort – it all comes with its challenges and setbacks, and that's OK. Essentially, it's all about balance and consistency, no matter where on the planet you find yourself. But that's a topic for another blog post.

INSPIRATION & NEW ENVIRONMENTS

There is so much to discover and get inspired in a new environment. There are things to do and see, food, people, and new hobbies you can learn that are unique to that particular place (surfing in Ericeira, for example). The natural thing is to channel your experiences back into your creativity; as far as I've experienced, that happens automatically. Somehow, we are shaped by our environments, and the more environments we find ourselves in, the more diverse our creativity becomes.

While living in Ericeira, I was in constant awe of the nature I was surrounded by. Be it while chilling on the beach, surfing, or walking trails, there was always a thing or two to admire. When I was back in Riga and just starting to learn how photo bashing works, I searched for images to cutout from, mainly on sites like Unsplash and Flickr. In Ericeira, those same images were in front of me. It was just a matter of taking pictures of them. And it goes beyond Archviz; maybe you see something that inspires you to think of a new business idea or even start a new career path.

I guess the takeaway here is to occasionally pause and observe the "ordinary "we are surrounded by. It doesn't even have to be while traveling. Now, being back in Latvia, I find myself often taken away by small details I was never aware of…or maybe it's just an age thing, haha!

IN SUMMARY

Working while traveling is a blessing. With today's possibilities, it is something our ancestors could never dream about, let alone do. While building a business (Archviz in my case) that allows you to take advantage of it is an entirely different topic. The important thing I've learned is to trust the process, believing that everything will turn out how it's supposed to be.

Before my bold travel move, though, I constantly tried to plan things in advance. Work and travel were something I wanted to do, but only when things and finances would align in the future. As I now know, they rarely do. Planning is necessary, but there should be a balance between microplanning and trust that with good and constant work, everything will work itself out. I have friends who keep talking about their future plans for a career change for years, and to them, it feels like they have already accomplished it; therefore, they never take action, just talk. In popular science, that is called "mental masturbation." And believe me when I say - I completely get that. I've been there myself. I think we all secretly wait for that rock bottom to hit us so we can say, "Fuck this, I'm out of here." The recent global bottom was Covid. People slowed down their paces, started looking around, and asked themselves - WTF am I doing? And I was no different - first Covid and then some relationship curveballs, and suddenly it was OK to do what I had planned for so long, but without a plan and well-thought-out preparation.

So, for you, I hope you can hit your rock bottom soon (gently), and when you do, there will be this short "guide" waiting, which hopefully will inspire you to take a small step in the unknown.

Stay safe, folks, and keep exploring!

And while you are out here, feel free to ask me anything in the comments section below!

Cheers!

CREATING 3D ART ON THE ROAD