Let’s talk about those folks who are still working remotely from home but are coming down with a serious case of cabin fever and/or wanderlust.

Something I have never understood:

If you have to work remotely anyways, why wouldn’t you work remotely from somewhere awesome?

I am very passionate about helping Work-From-Home (WFH) business professionals discover all the amazing places they can travel to and work remotely from.

The 2020 Recap

In early 2020, nearly all corporate offices closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  This meant all those business professionals had to transition from working in their offices to working from their homes.

It was a little traumatic (sometimes humorous) during the first few weeks because it seemed to happen overnight.

However, it actually was a pretty seamless transition for most.

Initially, most of us thought this new remote working situation was temporary, and our offices would be re-opening in the next 2-3 months.  Therefore, most of us continued to work from home, assuming we would be called back to our offices at a moment’s notice.

It didn’t take long for me to realize, if our office is closed and I have to work remotely anyway, why couldn’t I work from anywhere?

[SIDE NOTE: this thought triggered the series of events that lead me to leave corporate America in mid-2020. Click here to read all the details around how I left corporate America.]

Now fast forward to 2021 and my business friends or colleagues are STILL working from home.

New Opportunity

Remote working is here to stay – in one form or another.

It is so clear in my mind that people don’t need to quit their jobs to travel the world.  Now they can travel AND work at the same time.

Imagine you’re living and working from the beaches of Cartagena, Colombia, which happens to be in the Eastern time zone, with comfortable work spaces and fast, reliable Wi-Fi.

You spend your weekday mornings and afternoons working which leaves the nights and weekends to enjoy and explore your new location!

I know I’m not alone in thinking this sounds amazing!

There is an incredible and unprecedented opportunity right now for business professionals to work remotely from anywhere!

Don’t let this opportunity pass you by…

That’s why I’m here to guide you to the cool places, and to help you to effectively work remotely. Read on…

Vacation Rental Due Diligence

I prefer spending longer periods of time in one place because you loose time traveling when you move from place to place.  Therefore, you want to do plenty of research and ask a lot of questions before committing to one place to stay.

Check out this article for my online vacation rental search criteria along with links to the actual places we stayed in Serbia, Croatia, and Turkey.

After you have narrowed things down to one (or more properties), your next step is to do a little online research and/or ask the owner or property manager some important and specific things.

Here is a list of the things I need to know before putting money down to reserve a place:

• Is it best to fly or drive there?
• Which airport(s) is most convenient if I can’t drive there?
• Do I need to rent a car if I fly there?
• If I drive or rent a car, what is the car parking situation & cost?
• Where are the nearest grocery stores, office supply stores, pharmacy, cafes, or restaurants?
• Is the Wi-Fi strong and reliable?
• Are there sufficient workspaces inside the unit to work from and are there plenty of outlets near them?
• Will you need to bring power converters or adapters to power your laptops, charge your phone, etc?
• Are there any co-working or executive suite rentals in the area?
• Is the kitchen well-equipped to make home-cooked meals?
• Is there convenient access to laundry services or washers/dryers?
• If a beach location, are beach towels, umbrellas, and chairs available for your use?
• Are there any health requirements or restrictions in place?

New CDC Requirement

Effective January 26,2021, the US Center for Disease Control (CDC) issued a new Order (punishable by law) requiring all airline passengers flying to the US from a foreign country to show proof prior to boarding of either:

• a negative viral COVID test taken within 72 hours, or
• a positive viral COVID test taken within 3 months along with a document from a healthcare professional stating you have been cleared to travel.

In addition to planning flights, hotels, food, and transportation, those wanting to travel outside the US will now have to consider COVID-19 testing availability, cost, and timing (possibly even twice: once before entering most countries and now again upon returning to the US).

Perhaps more importantly, travelers will also need to seriously consider what happens if they test positive in a foreign country and have to quarantine for 14 days there.

All of this just makes traveling outside the US even more risky.

I can understand why a lot of people are not interested in traveling outside the US right now.  Some are fearful of catching or spreading the virus, some can’t (or don’t want to) take the risk of testing positive and spend 14 days in a foreign county, and others are just not interested in jumping through all these hoops.

However…

I also know a lot of people who have spent the past year cooped up and working from home and would LOVE the opportunity for a change in scenery – especially with winter in full bloom!

So…

If this sounds like you, I have TWO awesome ideas for you:

1) Viva la Mexico

I know Mexico is outside the US but there are very compelling reasons you should consider Mexico.

Throughout this pandemic, I have been a big proponent of supporting foreign countries with a large percentage of their economy reliant on tourism.  I also believe those countries that act swiftly and effectively to all these travel requirements will be most successful.

According to Kashlee Kucheran from Travel Off Path, Mexico continues to prove they are the “King of Tourism” as they are quick to adapt to the ever-changing travel requirements to support their tourism economy.

You can read about how several hotels and resorts in Mexico are now offering free COVID testing for US travelers as well as free (or deeply discounted) accommodations for 14 days if you test positive.  I love the creativity and efforts to keep their tourism economy going.

I am very bullish on Mexico right now because:

1. They do not have any entry requirements which means you are not required to present a negative COVID-19 test within a specified timeframe, nor do you have to quarantine upon arrival.
2. If you stay at one of the resorts mentioned in the article above (hopefully this list will continue to grow), they will provide an antigen test for you for free so you do not have to worry about finding and taking a test to return to the US.
3. Also, if you stay at one of these resorts, many are allowing you to stay at their resorts for free if you have to stay and quarantine so you do not have to worry about accommodations if you happen to test positive and can’t fly back to the US right away.
4. It’s very close to the US so you’ll have lots of reasonable options if you have to return to the US unexpectedly.
5. The Mexican beaches, mountains, hospitality, food, and beverages (especially tequila) are phenomenal!

2) Florida – The Sunshine State

For those not interested in leaving the US but who thirst for warm weather and beautiful beaches, my second recommendation is Florida.

Florida makes a great flying or road trip destination!

Living and working from FL means you can live and work somewhere awesome without having to deal with the hassle and stress of  immigration, customs, and all the COVID-19 testing requirements.

Also, by driving there, you avoid all the things like TSA screening, packing restrictions, and luggage limitations.  You can bring whatever fits in your car! 🙂

I believe Florida has three significant advantages when compared to other states in the US:

1. Weather

   The weather can vary depending on where in FL you are and what month it is. However, generally speaking, the weather in FL is almost always sunny and pleasant.  Folks here spend most of the year enjoying one of the many beautiful beaches.  During the few winter months, the weather is perfect for many outdoor activities like hiking, biking, golfing, etc.

2. Beaches

   FL is home to some of the most incredible beaches.  You can never go wrong with spending a day at the beach even if you don’t go in the water.  I especially love the beaches on the Gulf of Mexico like Siesta Key and Destin!

3. Normalcy

   I know several people who visited FL this past year from more COVID restricted states.  After spending time here, they all said how much they appreciated how ‘normal’ it feels in FL.  They said it was great being amongst people who have continued living their lives despite COVID-19.  FL does not have any statewide COVID-19 restrictions or requirements.  Restaurants and stores are open, adults go to work, and kids go to school.  Florida ranks 30^th in the US in total COVID-19 cases when adjusted for population.  It also ranks 26^th in COVID-19 deaths when adjusted for population.  This data is according to the World O Meters site on January 18, 2021.

Vacation Rental in Naples, FL

The same day the CDC released the new re-entry requirement, I was chatting with my college friend, Amy.  She and her family live in Minnesota and own a couple of vacation rentals in Naples, FL.

I told her how I wanted to help my remote-working friends get a much-needed change of scenery.

I also explained how frustrated I was with the additional risks and unknowns that travelers now face with the new CDC order.

Her immediate response was that this makes Florida vacation rentals an even more perfect destination.

I love to see people support the international communities struggling with the huge decline in tourism.  However, I am also a big advocate of small, family-run businesses too!

If you are interested in spending time living and working in Naples, I encourage you to support Amy and her family’s small business by checking out her vacation rentals.

Conclusion

I know it’s a strange time to be traveling.

I also know a lot of people are “chomping at the bit” for a change in scenery.

That’s why I’m here to help:

• If Mexico is your jam, I recommend checking out those resorts that are helping travelers mitigate re-entry risk.
• If you don’t want to leave the US, I recommend Florida.

Either way, don’t forget to do your due diligence as I discussed above.

In the end, I hope this article inspired you to go somewhere fun to live and work remotely.

Please keep me posted if you decide to venture somewhere.

I would LOVE to hear all about it in the comments below!