So I did it. I booked a one-way ticket to Thailand and traded my boring old office cubicle for the sandy beaches of Phuket. Dreamy, right? The perks of working in a virtual office.
It had been over two years since I had last booked an international flight. The nomad in me that had been quietly taking a backseat started calling to take my next flight out after not being abroad after COVID. Finally, after a few more seconds of anxious and overly dramatic inner monologuing, I made the click. It was done - I was going to Thailand.
This wasn't a vacation, though. For the first time in my life, I was going to be a digital nomad - something I had only dreamed about. I landed a job in a company that had gotten rid of their premium office space to be fully committed to a fully remote policy. Every day in Thailand, I'd wake up, go for a dip in the pool, then start my day. For lunch, I'd head out and stroll the streets of Phuket for some fresh mangos or pad thai. Then, after I clocked off, I'd jump on a tuk-tuk and head straight for the beach. The life!
While this sounds like a dream, it can also be pretty isolating. Working alone in a foreign country can make you feel like a tiny speck in the grand scheme of things.
Fortunately, my case was different.
I found a way to make it work. My company uses Soma, a virtual office platform that’s like magic for remote teams. Even though my company is fully distributed, we use Soma to create a sense of belonging and help everyone feel they are actually part of something. It’s transformed the way we collaborate, making it feel like we're all working in the same communal workspace. With Soma, I can pop into virtual office meeting spaces, connect with my team in real-time, and even feel like I'm part of the office culture. It’s like having the best of both worlds: the freedom of remote work and the connectedness of a traditional office. This helps prevent any feelings of disconnect or obstacles in communication.
In my next post, I'll share more about the ups and downs of this digital nomad lifestyle and how I've managed to balance work and life. Stay tuned!
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