It’s more important than ever to have individual and flexible workplaces. The way we work has evolved dramatically over the past few years. Working from home, working remotely and flexible work hours are no longer exceptions, they are a way for you to manage your work in a dynamically changing society and be in the MIDdle of the action. This is where workation came from: a trend that is becoming increasingly popular and focuses on flexibly combining work and travel. By changing locations, you simply move your office to wherever you feel most comfortable. This is exactly what MID wants to enable with 30 days of EU workation per year.
But what does it actually feel like to work from a completely different location? We wanted to find out for ourselves! So we (Ramona from consulting and Andrea from account management) used the chance to try out the MID workation concept. Our experiences showed that it is possible to be productive even when far away from the usual confines of the office.
Ramona from Consulting
“I have always dreamed of working abroad. You can get completely new experiences and truly connect with other cultures. When MID announced two years ago that every employee would be given the opportunity to work abroad for up to 30 days a year, I knew immediately that I wanted to take advantage of it. As a consultant, you always have to take your clients into account, so I first clarified internally what I needed to consider and how to inform my project team. We agreed on a time period during which I wouldn’t need to be present on-site for the project. I submitted my workation request one month in advance, exactly within the timeframe defined by MID so that the official approval process could be completed in time.
At the end of April, my partner and I finally set off. Our car was packed to the brim; we even brought two monitors and our foldable balcony table, which turned out to be perfect for working on the go. We then headed down south! I had planned a road trip where we changed locations every Saturday for three weeks. Our first stop was Le Barcarès in southern France, followed by Mataró near Barcelona and finally Altea. Altea is in Spain near to Alicante, so definitely “down south”! All locations were close to the sea and each had its own special charm. Just being able to look out at the sea while working or grabbing a coffee and taking a five-minute break on the terrace made the whole trip worthwhile for me.
We worked from Monday to Wednesday and I was honestly surprised by how well working remotely worked. At times, I even had to remind myself not to work overtime; if you’re fully immersed in your project routine, it’s easy to lose track of time. It was great to explore the new locations in the evening after work. We hiked along the coast, cooked fresh shrimp from the local supermarket in our apartment, practiced our French in restaurants, got by with a mixture of words and hand gestures in Spanish, visited small coastal towns, went on jet skis on the sea and realized that Europe’s beaches really are enormous when not covered in sun loungers!
We got to experience all that alongside work and it was really easy to organize. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to see something new.
Ramona during her Workation in Altea on the Spanish Coast
Andrea from Account Management
“Thanks to MID’s great benefits, I was able to easily combine work and vacation in one. I decided to move my desk to Brodarica in Croatia at the end of April for my first workation.
Before booking somewhere, we had to make sure that it fulfilled the following criteria: It had a stable internet connection, room for enough plugs and a quiet and comfortable working environment.
Once we had booked somewhere suitable, we set off on our adventure. Once I had set up my workstation on the first day, I could get going with working remotely from abroad, I couldn’t wait to see how things would turn out!
I didn’t have any work-related issues that week. Access points worked fine, I remained contactable for my team and the internet connection was good.
In the afternoons, we visited the Krka waterfalls, the statue of the Virgin Mary of Loreto, nearby towns and beaches. We also went for a dip in the sea, which was about 17°C. Our accommodation was so close to the sea that we were less that 5m from the beach. We could enjoy the sun and the sunsets in the evening whilst listening to the crash of the waves.
My week was the perfect mix of work and leisure.
I took a second workation trip to Romania to visit my grandparents for a couple of weeks. I’d already been there before, so knew what to expect and how my work set-up would work. The difference was the 1 hour time difference.
I quickly got used to this and enjoyed starting work an hour later than usual. I only worked part time in the first week and had the afternoons off. That was great as I had time to do stuff or simply to enjoy some time in the sun. The second week was my usual working hours. It was a good mix of working patterns which showed me how flexible you can be on a workation.
Andrea at KrKa Waterfall in Croatia during her Workation
Our Summary
A workation is much more than just simply work with a beautiful backdrop. It brings a breath of fresh air to your daily working life, requires creative thinking and shows how modern and flexible work can be in this day and age. With the right working atmosphere and a well set-up workspace, you could even be more productive.
The workation was a rewarding experience which we definitely want to repeat. The combination of work and vacation gives you a great opportunity to make the best out of both worlds!
Design Your Working Day to Suit You
MID lets you mix work and the fun of discovering new places. We value freedom, personal responsibility and team spirit – wherever you might choose to work from! If you are looking for a modern place to work where flexibility and supporting each other is a given, then check out our work@MID page and see what current job offers we have available. We can’t wait for your application!
