TL;DR: https://thenomad.work/
Ever since COVID-19, knowledge workers all over the world have broken loose from their offices. For many, it was a curse as it caused family-work conflict, social isolation, and distractions. For others, including myself, it presented unique opportunities.
At first, the forced change in working environments was neither positive nor negative. It was simply different. The novelty of a new working environment became fertile ground for different ideas to grow, new ideas on how to tackle problems at work (and in life) differently.
the incentive
It was through the flexibility of working remotely that I was able to extract the best of both worlds. I could position myself in vast, open spaces that facilitateed idea exchange and conversations, while always having the option to retreat to places that encouraged focused individual work and nurtured razor-sharp concentration.
Experiencing the ambiance of your surroundings can be enlightening. Have you ever walked into a coworking space bustling with people typing on their laptops, completely absorbed in their screens? That hacking mindset was often contagious.
Remote work introduced novelty into my work environment. It enabled me to immerse myself in situations that diverged from routine, fostering adaptability — an attribute that no university curriculum could ever teach me.
the invitation
I’m not suggesting everyone should grab a surfboard and head off to Bali for the rest of the year (kudos if you can!). What I am suggesting is that stepping out of the traditional work setting from time to time can help expand the corners of your mind and create space for new ideas.
The next spot to work remotely from could be just down the road from your house. It has the potential to expose you to new people and conversations, different drinks and foods, unique lighting, and diverse panoramic views. To expose you to novelty.
I would like to invite others who potentially have the option to take their laptops and work from a new setting. It could be any spot with an internet connection. Or even without.
It doesn’t have to be on the other side of the globe, nor does it require a subscription. It could be a spot by the beach, on top of a mountain, or in the middle of the (concrete) jungle. It could be a place to casually reply to emails while enjoying a coffee or a place to immerse in deep work for days in the company of silence.
the list
For this reason, I have started the nomad work – nothing more than a list of spots where to do some remote work. Some of them may be too loud, some of them may be too slow. What I am sure of is that all of them have the potential to help you deviate from routine.
The nomad work is a static website hosted on the GitHub repository named thenomadwork.github.io. The site’s structure is built upon the Beautiful Jekyll template and is rendered using Jekyll. The design of the site draws heavy inspiration from a cool music website I once stumbled upon called MailTape. Feel free to also check them out!
Everyone is welcome to contribute to the repository and become a part of the community. If you have a spot in mind where you enjoy working remotely (and that is accessible to the public), I invite you to share it by contributing to the repository. You can find instructions on how to add your favorite spots in the repository’s wiki. I’m excited to discover and try out many of these places myself. Happy coding.
