What does your WFH look like?

Working from your kitchen table is one thing but imagine if you could do your job from anywhere in the world – these three women realised they could so they packed up their lives and got on a plane…

THE DIGITAL NOMAD

Katie Macleod, 27, is a graphic designer who took a job in a London advertising agency after graduating from Napier University. Two years later, she quit to embrace a nomadic lifestyle working freelance from all over the globe.

“From the very moment I accepted my 9-5 office job, I knew my heart was elsewhere. I spent two years dreaming, researching and saving then I was ready to make the leap. Travel had been my focus since high school and my decision to resign from my job was fueled by years of manifesting a life that would include as much of it as possible.

Setting off two months later, I felt liberated. My first country was Singapore, where I stayed with a friend, then I headed to Malaysia alone. At first, I felt on-guard travelling solo but by the time I reached Indonesia, or more specifically Bali (a popular hotspot for like-minded digital nomads), I settled in nicely to the culture of remote working with other freelancers and entrepreneurs.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, I returned to my family home in Inverness but I had no intention of staying put for long. Many people had some sort of lockdown project, mine was converting a van into my home on wheels. It was my saving grace to being flightless. My first proper trip was last year to Lewis and Harris. The fact that I was watching the Aurora Borealis from my van within the first few nights, verified to me that this was an adventure worth pursuing.

For me, living the nomadic lifestyle is a long-term decision. Right now, I’m in a park-up overlooking the Three Sisters in Glencoe. I’m not sure where I’m heading tomorrow or the next day, but I’ll keep an eye on the weather and see where the wind takes me. In the upcoming weeks, I will be spending time in Spain (on the hunt for warmer weather), before flying to Abu Dhabi then the island of Socotra in Yemen (for some muchneeded time away from any internet connection).

A DAY IN THE (WORK)LIFE…

Before being a digital nomad, my workday schedule was decided for me: I’d grudgingly wake up at 7am, trudge to my office through the crowds of central London, complete projects in time for the next, then begin my journey back home to feel tired whilst I wait for the next day to begin. These days, I wake up in my own time and when I feel ready, I remind myself of any meetings, or deadlines, that are due. Then, I work out how I will complete these tasks around what I had wanted to do that day. I might want to prioritise sightseeing, meeting fellow travellers, watching a sunset, going for a hike or a flight. The work tasks are moulded around my own personal intentions and I can work for any employer in the world – all I really need is a stable internet connection.

Follow Katie’s adventures on Instagram @katie.maree

THE GLOBETROTTER

Danielle Baillie, 35, runs The Soulful Society, a platform providing counselling and coaching to those wishing to live a more conscious lifestyle. Last new year’s eve, she jumped on a one-way flight to Bangkok with her husband and two children.

“My partner and I met while travelling Australia and I was always aware that our life wouldn’t be lived in one place. In the last 10 years we have moved six times, travelled back and forward to Australia and been on a six-month world trip before our son Rocco started school. But then we did stay still for a while, buying a house in Edinburgh and settling into normal life. During the pandemic however, we realised we had got caught up working, studying and the general rat race and had forgotten about living. We knew what we had to do so we set about making that happen. We rented out our house and saved for a full year before we were ready.

When we flew from Edinburgh to Bangkok on 31st of December 2021, we felt scared, excited, overwhelmed and pretty stressed but we also felt 100% sure that we were doing the right thing. And so far, it has been a dream. We’ve only been on the road for two months, but it has been filled with so many adventures already. The highlight for me was visiting Chiang Mai in Thailand, I fell in love with an eco-resort called Chai Lai Orchid who I now work with, providing support to their charity ‘Daughters Rising’.

At the moment, we are in Koh Lipe, a tiny little island off Thailand. Next, we plan to go to Bangkok then fly to Jakarta, then Bali. From there possibly Australia but we are desperate to visit Japan too so who knows? We just go with the flow and trust that we are going where we are meant to be. We have no idea how long we will be away either. We left Edinburgh without any expectation, only the intention to live the way we wanted.

A DAY IN THE (WORK)LIFE…

Freedom is without doubt my top value, so I built my brand with the intention of working remotely. Time zones can be a challenge, but we have made it work. With my existing client base, we structure one-to-one calls, and my group work commitments are all held on zoom. I wake up before the kids around 6am and I usually work until 10am. We then have breakfast together, and I spend the day with Robert and the kids exploring, travelling and being in the moment. Then, when the kids are in bed, around 8pm, I will work until 10/11pm. Some days are different to others, especially on travelling days, but working remotely, on the balcony or the beach watching the sunrise, and having the flexibility to prioritise living first, has been a game changer.

THE ISLAND DWELLER

Rachael Grieve, 41, is a director of wonderhouse, a Leith-based communications agency. She moved to Ibiza with her husband and daughter at the end of 2020 when the second lockdown loomed.

“Living in Ibiza had never been our intention but during the summer of 2020, it just came to me. We had taken January off to travel around Asia for a month, and we had begun to consider what we wanted from life and how to bring up our daughter. One day, we were talking about painting the hall and I said: ‘or we could move to Ibiza for six months?’. It was a throwaway comment but thinking about it, it started to make sense. It certainly seemed the most fun option and we’ve spent a lot of holidays on the island so it wasn’t completely unknown. We started to look into things and slowly everything fell into place. We rented out our house and on 17th December, we set off.

It felt surreal to be emigrating while the rest of the world was staying home. The airports were empty but everything went to plan and my daughter and I were in our new home by 8pm the same evening. My husband was there to welcome us, having driven to Ibiza the week before with our dog, all our belongings and all the Christmas presents.

The level of freedom you get from moving somewhere new is incredible. It allows you to start afresh with no ingrained habits and to figure who you really are. The hardest part was always knowing if we were doing the right thing for my daughter. When we moved, she was in primary three and really happy with school but due to the pandemic, she was mostly being home schooled. My dad encouraged me that the move would give his granddaughter new opportunities and of course, he was right – we

A DAY IN THE (WORK)LIFE…

Before lockdown, I would drop my daughter at school and walk to the Shore where the office is based. The main difference now is that most work happens outside, in the sunshine. I drive my daughter to school for 9, walk the dog along the beach and, in the warmer months, head for a swim before going home to catch up on emails and calls before heading to a studio or cafe for a meeting. After school, my daughter’s play dates are on the beach or by the pool. It still feels surreal to be creating strategies or having client meetings on Salines beach but not a day goes by that I’m not grateful for this opportunity.

enrolled her in a French school so she’s learning French and Spanish. And, like us, she loves it here.

We’ve been here 14 months now, and we’ve decided to stop setting deadlines. While it works for us all, and everyone is happy, then this is where we’ll be.