The last two years showed us that efficient work could be done outside our Palas office. The balcony, back yard, terrace, coffee shop, park, and other beautiful places in Romania became a potential workplace. Some of our colleagues shared the experience of working from anywhere in Romania and talked about what flexible working means for them. Silvia is one of our "digital nomads" who got the taste of traveling and working from around the country and now couldn't imagine her life otherwise.
Working around the...country
What does a work day look like for you?
My routine has changed a lot in the last two and half years. Right now, even if I wake up earlier, I like to spend half hour in bed instead of preparing for work. Even so, I usually start one hour earlier than before the pandemic. Most of the time, breakfast is late in the day, and lunch no longer has a fixed hour. Working from home added more meetings to my calendar (no day without meetings :)). Still, working remotely offered me the opportunity to have more focused time.
Do you still go to the office sometimes?
Yes. I don't know if I would survive without office days. Even though working from home is comfortable, I like meeting my colleagues and spending time with them. The office allows us to know each other better and become friends.
“I worked for one day from a wardrobe placed in a lobby. Why? I didn't have a table, and the WiFi signal was strong enough to work only in the lobby.”
Silvia, Software Tester
What challenges did you face in working remotely, and how did you overcome them?
The big problem that I still encounter is skipping breaks. Often I am so focused that I forget to get up. To solve that problem, I bought a smartwatch that announces me to take a break, and it is working.
How do you keep "the human touch" in your team working remotely?
In each team I worked with, a must part of the work from home was the camera on. Rarely did my colleagues not open the camera. It allowed us to see each other.
Do you have a funny/ weird/ awkward story from your WFA days?
Of course! How can I not? I worked for one day from a wardrobe placed in a lobby. Why? I didn't have a table there; only in the hall was the wifi signal good enough to work.
What does working from anywhere (in Romania) mean for you?
Flexibility and more days around family and friends.
What is the most beautiful place you worked from until now?
Around Bicaz. I worked from three places: two terraces and one accommodation, all close to water.
Do you have any recommendations/ tips & tricks for our readers? (nice place to work from, how to be efficient without burning out).
Even though the pandemic was not the best period of our life, it gave us an excellent opportunity to travel around. In our country, everyone can find a place to work from. Fortunately, there are so many places in the heart of nature where the internet is working and more than that, a table might also be available. If nature is too much for your first try, then a friendly coffee shop could be a better start. I have a few recommendations which can be tried out: Tucano - Iasi, Atelierul de cafea - Bistrita, trickSHOT Bucuresti, Local Food 148 Breb, Complex Ancora Bicaz.
