I first stumbled into the world of remote work (i.e. working from anywhere) back in September 2015, when I “quit” my full-time office job to go backpacking in Central America, and was instead offered the opportunity to work part-time from the road.
But like most remote freelancers and employees, I didn’t get here overnight. In fact, my journey to location independence took about two years – and it was filled with plenty of missteps and mistakes.
Here’s a rough timeline of my remote work journey:
- December 2014: Graduated from Clemson University (go Tigers!)
- January 2015: Began working a full-time, in-office marketing job in Houston, TX
- June 2015: Applied for a part-time, low-paid writing gig on the ProBlogger Job Board (just to get my feet in the door; I still kept my office job)
- July 2015: Was offered the gig, and began writing blog posts on an as-needed basis (making roughly $80-100 extra income per month at first)
- September 2015: Quit my full-time office job in Houston to go travel in Central America for a few months, and was offered the option to work remotely during my travels instead
- January 2016: Returned home from my trip; briefly tried working as a travel agent, realized it wasn’t for me, and quit in March
- March 2016: Scored my 2nd freelance writing client
- April 2016: Began working for my old employer part-time in the office again, and continued getting new freelance clients through referrals
- January 2017: Began working 100% remotely as a freelance copywriter/blogger/social media manager for multiple clients
Ever since I founded this blog in Feburary 2015, my vision and mission has remained the same.
From my “About” page: This blog is the story of my endeavor to balance a “normal” lifestyle with an adventurous spirit. My hope is that my travels and stories will inspire others to see more of the world, without feeling required to give up the comforts of home in the process.
Having the freedom to work from anywhere is, for me, the ultimate version of that mission. When the mood strikes, I’m free to accompany my husband on a work trip to China, fly home to visit my family in Texas, or book a solo getaway somewhere tropical and gorgeous…without sacrificing my productivity or paycheck.
Today, I enjoy sharing my remote work tips, tricks, resources, and stories – both successes and failures – with my readers to help those who may be interested in pursuing a similar career path.
