After three weeks of living out of suitcase in San Francisco, Oakland, LA and Mexico City, I’m finally settled in San Miguel de Allende for the next six months. Yeah.
Sitting on the sofa, feet propped up with my laptop on my lap, I’ve taken my usual pose and set down to work. It’s taken a few years to distill my routines and resources down to what’s essential to keep me somewhat sane and maintain a solid level of productivity. These last three weeks have been a good, albeit unintentional, testing ground.
Here’s what I learned:
- Up-to-date, reliable technology is essential. With a spanking new MacBook Pro, CS5 and 3 years of Apple Care support, I can launch 5 apps simultaneously from anywhere and be assured that Apple has my back if anything goes wrong (with my hardware that is).
- Good broadband is easy to find (AT&T cell service is not).
- I love Skype. I can take my office number anywhere and as far as my clients are concerned I’m firmly rooted in the 415 area code no matter how rootless I really am.
- I need to hold onto one familiar morning routine to feel grounded before getting down to it… a big mug of hot tea (English Breakfast or Earl Grey) with milk. So I pack my tea wherever I go and ensure the night before that there is milk in the fridge.
- A pocketful of reliable virtual resources, well bookmarked, keeps the anxiety level down. Because the consultant’s mantra is Never Say No, I have to know that I have backup from great researchers, strategists, designers and developers. In fact, just found what I’m hoping will be another life-saver – TweakMyTheme. I love that their inquiry page asks if you prefer your ‘pro’ to be US-based or “global pros are fine as long as they are awesome.” I heart global!
- It’s OK to check Facebook once in a while… just don’t keep the tab open. Fortunately my social life is not centered on Facebook, but it really does do its job to make one feel connected. Multitasking maven that I am, I cannot, however, FB chat while I’m Skyping with a client.
So here’s to the feet up, laptop purring nomad life. If you live this existence too, please tell me your secrets!
Happy to see your feet up and laptop purring! I swear I just happened upon your blog today – for the first time since I last commented. Just happened to think of you when perusing my LinkedIn contacts. And glad I did.
I am VERY envious of you work and lifestyle. I have not been able to “break in” with any company in the Bay Area. I am fortunate to still have clients in LA, N Carolina, etc. But San Fran wants nothing to do with an old fart like me. So…I just subside, and I am tired of that. But I love it here. Had a blast at the Hardly Strictly fest last weekend – all for the price of a 2 dollar bus fare. But the expense of living here is great. Cannot hold out much longer.
Like you, I just purchased a MacBook Pro, CS5, and Final Cut Studio. Skype has been essential for remote clients. I also use Google Chat for point to point. Better resolution.
I trust you are safe and sound where you are. It is your 2nd home, eh? Sooooo jealous! Please keep blogging. I love it.
Michael, Thank heaven someone is reading my blog! I think luck has a lot to do with it (well, plus marketing!) but every shiny surface has a dark side (or it would just be transparent). But it’s a wonderful challenge to keep it polished. Will email you off line.
It is indeed a wonderful experience to travel around the globe and share people´s different hopes, attitudes, mentalities and cultures. When you start travelling everything probably feels different from what one is used to have, see, smell, taste, and hear in one´s life. When time goes by you realize that we all live in ONE world, though. Other people´s hopes and feelings are suddenly not that different from our own. You´ll find ONE human race with just ONE desire, ONE feeling… our hearts basically work the same way, no matter in which country you live or to whom you think you belong… you´ll be seeking LOVE, respect and comprehension. Just knowing this little fact, you´ll find open doors and open hearts no matter where in the world you are. In the end you´ll realize that you had and still have the very same just where you were before, and you´ll be heading home… thus to rest on a single wisdom. It´s us who make the difference, here, there or wherever. It depends on you what you want to see and what you expect from others… you´ll get exactly that.