Why I Left My Fully Remote Tech Job That Allowed Me To Travel Anywhere in the World
The Downsides of a Seemingly Perfect Job
As I write this article, I’m on day 53 of the rest of my life.
Okay, okay…, I’m just being a tad bit dramatic.
However, leaving my fully-remote tech job was indeed a significant decision:
A decision pondered over 9 months, several therapy sessions, and countless conversations with my partner.
The Context
In early January 2022, I started a job at a young, fully-remote tech startup.
At that time, the company was barely two years old.
One of the startup’s benefits was the possibility to work from anywhere in the world for up to 6 months a year.
This was an incredible opportunity for someone like me who loves to travel!
Additionally, it meant I could spend more time with my partner, who was mostly location-independent, but had to periodically show up in the United States for a few months at a time for work commitments.
After the initial couple of months, I was presented with an opportunity to go the States for my partner’s brother’s wedding.
I eagerly seized the opportunity to make use of the company benefit for my first time.
The Initial Disappointment Hit Me Like A Slap in The Face
When I asked my newly-appointed manager for permission to go to the States, she seemed unsure and hesitant.
The company policy endorsed remote work from anywhere, but it appeared that no one had considered the logistics of an employee working from abroad in terms of time zones and geographical differences.
As explained by the Remote First Institute in their Remote First Trends for 2023: “Managers [will] struggle as pressure [to deal with remote work policies] increases from above and from below.”
This led to the unexpected condition that I would have to align my working hours with European time, meaning I’d have to start work at 4:00 am.
It was far from the flexibility I expected from a fully remote startup.
My reaction was one of shock.
After numerous discussions, I managed to negotiate a 6:00 am start, which was more reasonable but still not ideal.
I couldn’t help but feel betrayed by the lack of clarity on the company’s remote work culture when I had shared my personal arrangements, including my need to visit my partner in the U.S., over all my recruitment steps.
My strong suspicion, later confirmed after nearly two years at the company, was that the remote working culture at the company hadn’t been fully developed yet.
Forced Synchronous Timetables Became My Biggest Problem
The enforced synchronous timetables became a significant problem.
It took a toll on my life, especially during my stays in New York City, where I had to go to bed by 8ish pm to wake up at 5:30 am.
This meant I also had to encourage my partner to follow the same sleep schedule. We often rented an Airbnb bedroom because the sky-high rent prices in the city made it impossible for us to afford a one-bedroom, short-term apartment within our budget.
On top of this, my role entailed daily deadlines.
This meant that, as a result of starting to work a couple of hours later than my colleagues everyday, I was already feeling behind with my work and had people Slacking me left and right.
Finally, I had to deal with all the challenges that young start-ups face: processes that change continuously, new software to learn how to use, angry clients and frequent escalations.
Let me tell you: travelling and working as a full-time employee is not for the faint of heart.
Accumulated Stress
The cumulative stress, coupled with the inherently stressful nature of my work, pushed me to my limits.
Despite valuing assertive communication in the workplace, I found myself on the verge of a breakdown a couple of times throughout these years.
Constantly being overloaded with work, working in a perpetually understaffed environment (hey there, tech layoffs! 👋), and dealing with ever-changing processes had become the norm.
My body and mind signaled that this couldn’t continue.
Despite the Cons, There Have Been Positive Sides Too
My journey of working at a fully-remote startup with a work-from-anywhere benefit hasn’t been entirely negative.
Quite the opposite, the bright sides have been so hard to match at other companies that it made the decision to leave rather difficult.
One of the biggest advantages this job has provided me with is the opportunity to start fulfilling my dream of traveling and working from numerous countries.
Over these nearly two years, I have traveled and worked from South Korea (2x), Italy, Portugal, Croatia, and the United States.
Furthermore, even though it can be very challenging, working at a startup is an incredibly formative experience in terms of the things you can learn.
Career growth is also relatively fast, and if you are a high-performing employee, you have numerous opportunities for growth and lateral changes.
TL;DR
My journey of working at a fully-remote tech startup with the promise of working from anywhere has been a rollercoaster of experiences and emotions.
In summary:
- The initial excitement of being able to work from various countries and spend more time with my partner was tempered by enforced synchronous timetables;
- On top of it, the challenges of managing a demanding role with daily deadlines across different time zones, along with other chronic aspects often found at startups — such as omnipresent intense workloads, understaffed environment, and constant changes in processes — made the first point incredibly difficult to manage.
- These factors led to accumulated stress, which, after almost two years, prompted me to seek a change in pace.
On the other hand, I acknowledge the incredibly favorable aspects that working at a fully-remote tech startup has provided, including rapid career growth, valuable learning experiences, and, above all, the opportunity to explore the world while working.
This particular aspect, the ability to combine work with travel, is a lifestyle I intend to continue pursuing in this next chapters of my life.
Stay tuned!
