WFH? I’ve been WF Europe. Be back in 2021 America.
I was suppose to be back in Seattle for my roommate’s wedding last weekend.
Instead I’m planning to live and work from Europe until 2021.
And that’s totally fine by me.
My name’s Drew, and I’ve had a fully-remote full-time job since 2018. I work according to Americas timezones and have now worked from three different continents as a Growth Product Manager.
What working a remote U.S. job from Europe for the last six months looks like
Since February, I’ve been working from Europe and chose to stay in the U.S. during COVID-19. We’ve all be forced to make unique decisions during this time. Staying in Europe has been one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life.
Overall, working American timezones from Europe has been surprisingly feasible. You could argue it’s a better work schedule for those that enjoy the daytime freedom it provides.
Before I booked my trip to Europe, I was skeptical about my ability to work odd hours. To align with U.S. Eastern Standard Time, I would have to work 2pm to 10pm while in Western European Time. My initial reaction wasn’t excitement., but then I thought rationally about the opportunity.
There are so many occupations that work outside of the traditional 9 to 5. Wait staff. Chefs. Doctors. Nurses. Police Officers. Uber and Lyft Drivers. Entertainers and more. Entire industries work evenings and weekends. There’s no reason an office worker can’t do their work in the evenings too, especially if it’s now done from home.
So when when one of my white collar working professional friends
February: Working abroad from London
In Mid February I boarded a flight for London. My Dad forced me to take two masks. I reluctantly accepted. It was a chance to see old friends, catch up with coworkers in our London office, and see Portugal, a country that’s been on my list for awhile now.
I quickly discovered that working in the evenings was arguably the best schedule for leveraging a day of exploring.
My normal workday would consist of waking up around 9am and exploring one of London’s trademark museums or scenic neighborhoods. It was less crowded with folks working during the day. I’d then have a relaxed lunch out and return to my Airbnb to begin working. COVID-19 had not yet shut down London in February, so everything was still open.
My work day would start at 2pm. By now I felt deserving of a good sit in front of my screen after a morning of being out and about. With a 9 to 5, unless we’re early birds, exploring must wait until the evening, and by then there’s rush hour and depending on the time of year, diminishing daylight.
I’d take a break to make dinner at 8pm, which perfectly aligned with lunchtime on the west coast in the U.S. By 11pm I’d be done and ready to wind down my evening with a book or mindless activity.
In a normal 9 to 5, we often aren’t in tune with how we truly want to spend our free time because of the working hours restrictions in the middle of the day and societal norms we’ve been taught. We spend daylight hours working, and without thinking twice, often resort to Netflix binging, video games, or twiddling around online with the weekday evenings of our lives. You could call these activities “filler” if you aren’t passionate about them. When you step back and analyze these forms of leisure, are they really how you want to spend your free time? Or would you rather be rock climbing, at the beach, on a leisurely bike ride, or grabbing lunch during the day with friends?
If you reflect on what you truly enjoy, you may realize the 9 to 5 is actually sub-optimal and that working in another timezone may free up the life you actually want to live.
When Friday rolled around, it left plenty of time to going out after work as well. People eat dinner later in Europe, so it would be no problem to go out for a bite and transition straight into London’s bustling nightlife.
Finding this interesting? Check out my expanded how-to Work from Abroad eBook guide.
I booked a cozy Airbnb in Brick Lane; an artsy district of London with Indian and Middle Eastern influences. The latter was the main draw, and didn’t disappoint with levels of Indian cuisine I never experienced in the U.S. It was heaven in the form of flavorful biryanis and rich lamb saags.
Bricklane Supermarket
The best part of London was reuniting with a few friends. We went out to affordable London institutions like Padella and Flat Iron, and we even entertained the idea of road tripping across the U.S. this summer in my van.
It goes without saying that being able to leave our homes is a luxury now. COVID-19 life has impacted our abilities to pursue many of the activities we love, but having my mornings free made me realize that I’d rather be productive working at night when it was dark and enjoy the day with my personal time.
So I continued working from Europe and flew to Lisbon.
March: Working abroad from Lisbon
The virus was beginning to spread in Italy and Spain right as my plane touched down in Lisbon.
In the first week of March and my home base of Seattle saw the COVID-19 infect an entire nursing home and spread through the city. The Bay Area then locked down overnight in the blink of an eye.
After I was in Lisbon for only a few days, Italy and Spain were now dealing with serious outbreaks. This was scary since Portugal is surrounded by its Spanish neighbor, and I was in a country I knew very little about.
Then Trump told all Americans abroad to return home.
I didn’t book one flight home. I booked three.
Uncertain about returning to Seattle as the virus flared up, I needed time to understand the situation and research my options. Each flight I booked had a 24 hour cancellation policy. I would book a flight departing in a few days, then spend 24 hours frantically researching Portugal, the EU, and COVID-19. I’d chat with any local or foreigner I could find to pick their brains on life and policies in Portugal. Right before 24 hours passed on my booking, I’d cancel and book another ticket and do it all again. Mid March was a period of complete uncertainty for the world, and I just wanted to figure out as much as I could.
I ran through out all the scenarios that could play out. As each day passed, it became increasingly clear that I may get stuck in Europe for the Summer and potentially the whole year if I stayed. I noticed though how orderly people were in grocery stores, proactive the Portuguese government was in handling the crisis, and pleased to learn that Portugal is the 3rd safest country in the world. When my sister in Alameda, CA complained of having to wipe her butt with paper towels and aisles of empty food, I had fresh produce and all the bodily hygiene products one could ask for.
So I stopped booking flights and stayed in Lisbon.
I stayed in a coliving and cowork space called Outsite, which is designed for remote working professionals (get $50 off your first stay). When the U.S. sardine’d Americans returning home through JFK, I instead met a handful of great remote professionals at Outsite.
I joined up with Danny from Victoria, BC, Carla from Valencia, Spain, and Jordan from Cincinnati, Ohio. All remote workers, we got an Airbnb for the quarantine period in Cascais, a 20 min drive from Lisbon. A giant house with amenities I’m embarrassed to list, it was spacious and provided plenty of privacy for each of us. Tourism unfortunately halted in Portugal, but for those that remained, rates were greatly reduced because of the low demand. We all got along well and played multiple games of Risk and Contract Rummy. Because only when there’s a lockdown is it possible to complete a conquest of the world.
I’d wake up around noon and do a HIIT workout or go on a run. My favorite acquired hobby was meandering the giant Auchan grocery store in Cascais for delicious cheeses to try. Those aisles became a guilty pleasure. A treasure trove of sharp and stinky. Every trip for groceries meant laps around cheeses I've never seen before
The afternoon and evening remote work hours continued to be a pleasure. I began reverting to my old college hours and chose to start work even later by choice. I’d work from 3pm to Midnight. No one would have been able to even hint that I was in Europe with these hours.
Did I mention this was the perfect COVID-19 schedule? We had communal cooking parties and stayed up until 3am on the regular. It was like dorm life all over again, except with your own bedroom and actual work to do.
One thing that I love about being abroad is the perspective you see the U.S. in. When you’re surrounded by people from another country and foreigners from around the world, it helps put the U.S. in perspective. So many people have no desire to travel outside of the U.S. It’s a shame, as it’s one of the most educational and enjoyable things one can do.
You soon realize the world watches America like America watches Tiger King.
If funny how time works. As the Bay Area discusses the diaspora of tech from Silicon Valley, leaving the pricy bubble for a blue collar suburb or Bremerton, Washington is something, I was fortunate to do two years ago. Having personally transitioned from the WFH life to the WF Abroad life, I believe it’s a trend that we will see go viral as travel restrictions ease. Pardon the horrible pun.
It’s now June. We have moved out of the giant house. I’ve stayed at a few Airbnbs in Lisbon to to explore different neighborhoods with some of the other folks who’ve stayed around; one of them being this spot in Alcantara with a gorgeous view of the 25 De Abril bridge.
No, it’s not the Golden Gate Bridge, folks. But does have architectural ties to its SF cousin.
Restaurants are open at partial capacity and all stores are open as well. Beaches are set up with a clever “traffic” light system to signal their capacity. Besides bars and nightlife being closed and having to remember a mask when you leave the house, life feels pretty normal here. I’ve skipped over a few months of details, but let me know if you’d like me to further summarize and I’d be happy to.
Would you like to work from Europe as well?
If you’ve read this far and are intrigued by this experience, know that it’s something you can pursue as well. If you’re fortunate to now have a remote job, excellent. If you don’t, check out resources like Lifeshack.io’s handy list of companies that are now remote. Yes, Americans are unable to fly into the EU currently, but you can begin planning and setting up your life to work from anywhere now.
I’ve been writing about what life is like as a full-time remote employee while living abroad. Friends have been curious how I do it. It can seem scary to make the leap, but with more remote workers now than ever, I felt the timing was right to share tips that I’ve learned as a remote professional abroad. Besides Europe, I’ve worked my full-time job from Costa Rica last winter and explored North America in a van I built; all while not missing a Zoom meeting.
How to Work From Abroad - The eBook
I’ve just published Work From Abroad, an eBook that provides tips for full-time remote employees who want to live and travel internationally while still succeeding in their full-time jobs.
In addition to the book, I’m starting an online community where people interested in working abroad for the first time can connect and support each other. You may be the only one in your social circle interested in pursuing a life abroad, but you’re not alone. Sometimes you need some support and motivation from others. That’s where the WFA Slack Community comes in.
Feedback is appreciated
Both critical and positive feedback would be much appreciated as this website and book are still in the early stages. Do you have advice on launching a book? Experience building an audience? I’d love to connect.
If you find this project interesting and want to learn more or potentially work together on this or another similar project, feel free to get in touch. Be fun to partner with any of the following folks:
Visual/graphic artist,
Software engineer
B2C marketers
Writer/copywriter
Whatever else : -)
There’s much more than a book that I believe Work From Abroad can grow into. If you know someone that would value from this material, don’t be afraid to share too.
What’s Next?
Who knows : -). I can extend my visa here due to the situation, and will probably stay in PT until the fall if it’s allowed, but am open to going wherever if feasible and safe. Feel free to get in touch if you’re out in Europe during these times as well. Will be finishing up the book, promoting it a bit, and seeing what comes of it. Stay safe and happy ya’ll.