Sex Ed for Work-Travel Virgins Part 3

Missed parts one and two? Check them out here and here.

Now that we’ve got the more serious parts out of the way, let’s get into something much more fun:

5. Flexibility.

Despite all your communication beforehand, your equipment packing, and your preparation, things happen. Unexpected stuff comes up: the entire island that you’re staying on loses electricity (true story), your adapter breaks, that really attractive guy who you could have sworn was a priest asks you out for dinner. Stuff. How you respond makes a big difference in your work-travel experience.

If the electricity goes out, then it’s out. Nothing you can do about it. So don’t get your panties in a twist — breathe, go for a walk, drink an iced coffee, have a chat with your hotel’s owner.

Your adapter breaks — that sucks. Cést la vie. Go buy another one with your replacing things budget.

(Father?) Jean-Paulo asks you out for tapas? ¡Vamos!

The point here is to go with the flow — find your inner wu wei. And enjoy it!

But the flip side of that is…

6. Focus.

Nobody likes an inattentive lover, and inattention will cause problems with your work too. So work when you’re working, and play when you’re playing. Good scheduling does wonders for this.

This doesn’t mean you have to be super serious and lock yourself in a windowless bathroom until you finish everything, but it does mean that you have to be responsible for yourself, which most people who telecommute are really good at anyway just because of the nature of the job.

By all means, if you can do good work while watching the world go by on your balcony, break out the lawn chair and sunglasses. If you can have the TV going in the background while you work, or want a glass of wine over your lunch break then by all means, go for it. But know your boundaries and take responsibility for your work. Know the line between a glass of wine and good work and a pitcher of margaritas and bad work, because ultimately, your work is what gets you hired again. You’re an adult, you’ve got this. And finally…

7. Lighten up!

One of the whole points of working like this is to have fun, so have fun. No, scratch that, have an absolute blast. Take tons of pictures, eat food that makes your taste buds sing, and sunbathe absolutely whenever possible.

So go and enjoy your first time — and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!