Transcript

Soleil: [00:00:00] Hi there. Welcome to another episode of sweat strategy and success. I'm your host Soleil Rain, and I have a deep desire to learn about the experiences of entrepreneurs and professionals in the health and wellness industry. As a marketer in the space for the last few years, I wanted to be able to learn about what these professionals were experiencing, the challenges they were having and how they would solve them.

Soleil: The ultimate goal of this podcast is to help you become the best version of yourself personally and professionally This podcast is going to be a little bit different today because I have been traveling Through Spain for the last month It has been such an incredible experience And I wanted to share What it has been like working and traveling through Spain And if you are somebody who has considered traveling with [00:01:00] your remote job or you're a freelancer considering traveling, I highly recommend this episode because I have learned a lot in this experience and I just can't wait to share it with you guys because I now feel like I can say I'm qualified to talk about this.

Soleil: So essentially today we're going to go over the lessons that I've learned from working abroad in Spain. And I really hope you enjoy it because it is something that I highly recommend to other people. It's a challenge and we'll go over that. But it has been such a luxury to be able to remote work and travel at the same time.

Soleil: So let's get into it.

Soleil: So, I want to go back in time a little bit, and talk about why I decided to travel to Spain. I've been traveling to Europe for a few years now. When I was 18, my mom took [00:02:00] me on a graduation trip to Ireland and England, and that was my first experience traveling outside of the United States. And Ever since then, I've gotten hooked onto traveling.

Soleil: I would travel with family. I came to Italy with my family when I was 19. And at that time I decided that I was also going to take an opportunity to study abroad for a month in Copenhagen, Denmark. So I spent a month in Copenhagen studying in 2019.

Soleil: Studying in Copenhagen was my first time coming to Europe by myself. And there was other students from the United States who were with me, so it kind of lessened the impact of solo traveling quite a bit. Um, but it was such an amazing experience. So, after I did that study abroad experience, I decided to take another study abroad experience for a full semester.

Soleil: And that was going to be [00:03:00] in the wonderful year of 2020 that we know. In January of 2020, I went to Florence, Italy to study there for four and a half months. I think we kind of know where the story is going. In March of 2020, me and every student in the world got sent back to their home countries because of COVID.

Soleil: And I think that experience of being sent home from Europe in the midst of me traveling kind of made me want to travel even more because I got kicked out of the country because of a virus and I didn't get to have all these experiences that I was so ready for and so really it just made me want to travel more.

Soleil: But of course, because of COVID 19, we couldn't travel for a while. In 2022, I traveled to Germany for a [00:04:00] month by myself. Um, and I stayed in Berlin for a month and got to know the area really well. Um, stayed in two different parts. I stayed in. And then I stayed in the south of Berlin also, I'm forgetting the name of it right now But stayed in both of those places in Berlin for about a month and it was an incredible experience and I loved it and Now I'm here I'm traveling through Spain it's been a full month now and I'll be here for another three weeks just about that The reason why I decided that I wanted to come to Spain this time is because my family is considering moving to Spain from Mexico and in that light, I wanted to figure out if it's a decision that I wanted to make too, if Spain is a place that I can see myself living and having a career in.

Soleil: [00:05:00] being here in the culture of a different country. And so that's really why I wanted to come and travel to Spain to see if it's something that felt genuine with me and what I wanted in life. I don't have the answer to that question yet, and I'm not going to try to answer that question until I'm done with this experience.

Soleil: But because of that, um, I decided to come here. And that's the ultimate reason why I, Ended up in Spain. And if you haven't been to Spain before, it is a beautiful country. Amazing people, delicious food, incredible architecture. The art that people create here is just so vibrant and colorful and unique. I just, I can't say enough good things.

Soleil: about Spain,

Soleil: and when I was [00:06:00] deciding what I wanted to do in Spain, I decided that I wanted to jump around to get the idea of different cities, because I had heard in the past that all these cities are different from each other. Barcelona, Madrid, the south of Spain, like Seville, Granada, Malaga, the north of Spain, Bilbao, San Sebastian. And,

Soleil: All these places of Spain are a little bit different from each other, which totally makes sense. Um, just as it is in most countries, you know, depending on what area that you're in is different. And since I am considering moving here, I wanted to get to know a little bit of all of the different places.

Soleil: So I had a full understanding of what I was going into, and that required me to jump around. So, I started my first two weeks in Barcelona. I spent An incredible two weeks there, getting to know the culture of Catalan [00:07:00] and met incredible people and did some really beautiful things. Gaudi, incredible architect.

Soleil: I think Gaudi is like one of the biggest reasons why people go to visit Barcelona because his architecture is just otherworldly. It

Soleil: he puts you into a space that makes you want to experience life more fully. I don't know how to explain it. It just brings out the inner child in you, I think. And I I just, I loved Gaudi and his architecture and the architecture of Barcelona in general is just beautiful. Oh my gosh. Anyway, I, I do not have enough good things to say about Barcelona.

Soleil: It was a beautiful city. And then after that I went to Valencia for a week and I'm just finishing up my week in Madrid and after this I am going [00:08:00] to a different city in Spain.

Soleil: And because I was traveling to all these different places, and I also knew that I wanted to continue my job while I was traveling, I needed to figure out a way that I could do both. Travel consistently. and also still work my job. There's so many cool platforms nowadays that allow you to rent out certain spaces, or go with a group of people.

Soleil: Like, Remote Year, they do a full year of traveling, and they allow you to work while you're traveling with them for a year, which totally makes sense if you're traveling for a year. You want some sort of income so they stay in 12 different places each time for a month for a full year and You work remotely.

Soleil: There's that there's other companies such as Live Kindred, which is a members only home swapping network. There was another one that somebody had told me [00:09:00] about that is He was participating in where essentially you swap homes for a month or two, depending on, you know, just the, the different things that are available.

Soleil: So there's stuff like that also, but I knew that I wanted to be jumping around and also meeting people, right? A part of understanding the culture. of a country is getting to know the people who are there and their experiences and seeing if that's something that I could step into. So that was also really important to me.

Soleil: Now as I've been traveling through Spain for the last month and meeting people who are also remote workers and feeling like I am Now I can say I think an expert on a remote work while traveling I want to go over the lessons that I've learned from this experience For anybody who may be considering it because there is definitely things that I think [00:10:00] that you may not be aware of That I want to make you aware of so you can feel fully prepared to take this incredible step of Using the opportunity of remote work if it's possible for you or your freelancing gig to Get out of your country and go somewhere new and travel and take advantage of this opportunity You I know that there's so many companies that are going back into the office these days.

Soleil: So if you can, while you can, go and travel. Even if it's just like to a new state or something, go find somewhere new to travel. Anyway, let's get into it. These are the lessons that I've learned from working abroad in Spain.

Soleil: So first and foremost, if you don't have a dedicated workspace where you're staying, let me tell you it is an adventure trying to find somewhere quiet and respectable [00:11:00] to take your calls. Now, I don't want this to deter you, but let me explain to you my experience so far. Since I have been traveling, and I stay with family and friends sometimes, but I've really been staying in a lot of hostels.

Soleil: And if anybody else has stayed in hostels before, there's a few different types, and they're actually a great resource now for travelers of all kinds. Especially for solo travelers because you get to know so many amazing people and they put on all these events where you can get to know the city or go on bar crawls.

Soleil: And so staying in hostels is just an incredible experience for all kinds of travelers and I highly recommend it if you're looking for a fun experience while traveling. But, when it comes to these hostels, there's some hostels that do offer private, like, working spaces, dedicated working spaces. Usually those are more low key and chill, [00:12:00] and don't offer a lot of social activities, which is totally okay.

Soleil: I booked one, oops, one. I booked one hostel that was similar to this. A lot of the other hostels that I've been staying in are more social hostels. So, it's difficult to take calls when there's so many people around you talking and enjoying themselves. And, you know, that's what I wanted, but I also needed a dedicated space where I could take these calls.

Soleil: And in that vein, this has been probably the most difficult thing about working abroad in a different country. It is challenging to make sure that you are at the same level of discipline that you are at while working abroad, um, that you would at home, right? At home, you don't have to worry about going and trying to find a space where you can take a [00:13:00] call like you would if you were working abroad and you're staying in hostels and stuff.

Soleil: There's so many opportunities to stay in Airbnbs and hotels, but like I said in my experience That's not what I wanted to do. I also wanted to travel cheap, right? It's not cheap Jumping from Airbnb to hotel room to Airbnb to hotel room. So staying in hostels was the best option for me So that is the most difficult thing about working and traveling so far But on that note, almost every large city has co working spaces.

Soleil: I have used them in Barcelona, Valencia, Madrid, and the other places that I'm going to next, and they're even small towns too, also have co working spaces. So this is just going to cost you a little bit more extra money, right? So if you are traveling and working, it is a good opportunity [00:14:00] for maybe you put all of your meetings on two days.

Soleil: And during those two days, you pay for daily passes to work at a co working space in the city that you're at. And then the three other days that you're working, you can still work from the hostel. You are just taking respectful calls in a quiet space like a co working center. So I would highly recommend if you are working and traveling and going through hostels that you also look at the co working spaces in that are available in that city.

Soleil: Another thing that I've learned is It's better to spend more time in one city since you will be working a lot during the week and you want enough time to explore and get to know the city. I work a 9 to 5 and here in Spain that's a 3 to 11. And so I'm working a lot of hours [00:15:00] and I also want time to see the city.

Soleil: So that's why I'm staying for quite a long time. Also is because I'm spending about a week in every place that I'm going to, if not a little bit longer, so I can get to know the area better. I will wake up, I will go explore, go get things done, go to museums.

Soleil: Do the things that I want to do in that city, um, and then I'll start working. And so, doing that and staying in places for a longer time gives me that ability to work the long hours that I have, but also get to know the city better.

Soleil: Number four. Make sure you can do everything from your laptop. I'm lucky in the fact that my job allows me to do everything from my laptop, and I don't need another screen, or a mouse, or an extra keyboard, or an iPad, or multiple other things that you could need if that is necessary for your job.

Soleil: For example, I met this guy. He [00:16:00] was from Germany, and he was coming to Valencia to live there for two months. He was doing one of those programs where you get to swap houses. And, That was incredible. And I remember asking him, Oh, well, isn't it nice that you have a desk at the place that you're staying?

Soleil: You don't have to worry about that. And he was like, Oh, you know, it, it just wasn't going to work because I remembered that I needed to buy a monitor, also a second monitor, because I can't do my job without a second monitor. So obviously he figured it out. He stayed flexible, um, which is something that I'll get back to in a little bit.

Soleil: Bye. Make sure that if there are other things that you need, it's something that you can bring with you and something you can travel with easily. Also, especially traveling to these big cities, you have to think about pickpockets and making sure your stuff doesn't get stolen. And so also keeping that in mind, also [00:17:00] that carrying expensive goods like a computer or an iPad, need to be able to, be put safely away somewhere.

Soleil: If you are traveling to hostels, always bring a lock and key with you because they will give you a space where you can lock your stuff and that's where I keep my computer whenever I'm not using it.

Soleil: Number five, obviously, Make sure to tell your supervisors. I double and triple check with my supervisors so they knew that I would be in Spain for almost 7 weeks. And obviously that's just important so you don't lose your job. Just in case, I met another guy. He was traveling from Los Angeles and I had met him in Barcelona.

Soleil: He was working LA hours till his boss did not know that he was in Europe. And so he would take calls out on the balcony, but when he would take out calls out on the balcony and the emergency sirens would pass by, because the [00:18:00] emergency sirens are so different, He was scared that his boss was gonna figure out that he was actually in Europe because the emergency sirens are so different and I thought that was just so funny and I was scared that this man might lose his job But you know, so just make sure you check in with your supervisors that it's something allowed that you're allowed to do

Soleil: Six figure out what hours you're going to work I thought I would be working earlier here since my hours are more flexible as long as I let my team know, but I soon found out that with all my meetings back in the United States, I would need to work late nights anyways, because by the time my meetings were happening throughout the day, it was already later in the afternoon here.

Soleil: My job is based out of New York, and so I'm only six hours ahead technically, so it really isn't that bad,

Soleil: But if you're from California, for example, or even from [00:19:00] Hawaii, right? And you're maybe 9 hours or 12 hours behind, then you don't want to be up taking a meeting at midnight when really it's It's three o'clock in the afternoon, California time. So just be aware of what hours you're going to have to work and make sure that it's something that's flexible for you.

Soleil: And that can be a little bit difficult, but if you plan accordingly, you can get it done. For example, being here in Spain, I thought that I, like I said, I'd be working kind of normal hours here. As long as I let my team know and I ended up working later in the night, but it actually ended up working out really well for me because People don't eat dinner here in Spain until really late and so by the time I'm done with work the people who I'm meeting in these hostels or my friends or my family that I know in Spain are Just getting [00:20:00] out to dinner, right?

Soleil: So it works out and you know, I usually go to sleep late but because I'm starting later in the afternoon, that means that I can sleep in and then I can go and do all the things that I want to do during the day before my job starts and then start work a little later. So it worked out really well for me and it can work out for you too.

Soleil: Just, you know, keep that in mind before you travel and work remotely.

Soleil: I also just wanted to bring up a few things that don't involve Just working remotely but also things that talk about why traveling in my opinion is Such an amazing opportunity for you to take And solo traveling specifically why I think everybody should solo travel safely It's such an incredible opportunity.

Soleil: So I just want to go over a few things that I've learned from that specifically as well. [00:21:00] If you can, stay in hostels, especially if you're solo traveling. All of that being said, getting in an Airbnb or hotel room would be easier, like I said earlier, if you wanted to work, but you can still make it work and stay in hostels like I've been doing.

Soleil: I have been solo traveling a few times now in Europe, as I mentioned before, and I've done it differently each time. When I was staying in Germany for a month, I decided that I was going to stay in Airbnbs, and so I stayed in Airbnbs the entire time, and I was there for the month of April, so it was a really rainy month in Berlin, and I was kind of Sad.

Soleil: I have no other way to put it. I was trying to think of a better word, but I can't think of a better word. I was sad because I was by myself in these apartments while it was raining, and it was cold, [00:22:00] and I didn't really make a whole lot of friends. And it was difficult to do that, you know. I, I, uh, Being there for, in a country of a language that you don't speak for a full month and not knowing people, it was really difficult.

Soleil: It was also a great experience, don't get me wrong. I had so much fun in Berlin and just walking around and getting to know Berlin and the food and the, and just the, the environment that Berlin is. so cool And it was such a cool experience. I also went to Munich, and I traveled around to smaller cities outside of Berlin as well.

Soleil: So, it was really cool. And I don't want this to deter people who are thinking about solo traveling. But, that was a hard experience for me. If you are somebody who can get out of your apartment and make friends really easily, I By going out to restaurants or going to like run clubs in a new city or something like that Then this could be a good [00:23:00] option for you.

Soleil: But at this time, at that age, I just still didn't feel super comfortable Making new friends in that way. So I kind of isolated myself during this Comparing that to my stay here now in Spain, staying in hostels, I've had a completely different experience. I've never once felt like I was alone here in Spain.

Soleil: Because I've been staying in hostels. The very first, week, I made such incredible friends in Barcelona. Just, going out and doing activities. A small activity where we went to like this lookout over Barcelona and I got to meet these really incredible people who then, you know, I hung out with for the rest of the week and just went to dinner and went to museums and hung out and The best part about solo traveling too is you can do whatever the fuck you want And when you want you can also meet up with people and figure out, Oh, [00:24:00] maybe we can do this thing together.

Soleil: I love solo traveling, highly recommend it. And highly recommend, as I said, staying in hostels because you get to know so many cool people. And it's just a great way to make sure that you don't feel lonely in your experience of solo traveling.

Soleil: Also, stay flexible. It can be tempting. I'm thinking for other people, not for me. I rarely ever know what I'm doing, but I'm thinking probably it can be tempting to create a specific plan about what you want to do. And especially if you are working and traveling, it can feel so desirable to be flexible.

Soleil: In the know of what you're going to do and what's going to happen. I do recommend some level of structure to your plans, knowing if there's co working spaces in your area, knowing what the costs look like, [00:25:00] but I highly recommend staying flexible in your plan because I promise you something will go wrong and you will need to be flexible enough to figure out how to make it work.

Soleil: For me, so far the biggest issue that I've had is transportation. I mean, literally knock on wood, because I'm going to a new city tomorrow, and if I miss this also, I'm going to be so devastated. Because on my way from Barcelona to Valencia, I missed my first train, it was my fault, I was running late, and I just did not plan on time.

Soleil: Because of that, I had to get a train for eight hours later. Thank god I had family in the area because I could go back to see them, instead of just like having to hang out on the train station for eight hours. But that meant I had to spend another 50 euro. on a train ticket and I wasn't gonna be getting into Valencia until like one o'clock in the [00:26:00] morning and it just, you know, I had to stay flexible and I had to figure out like on the spot like what am I gonna do.

Soleil: It was either that I was gonna stay in Barcelona for another night and get something earlier or I had to get a train later in the day. Ended up getting a train later in the day. When I was leaving Valencia, I realized I bought my train ticket for the wrong day. I bought it a day late. Instead of a day earlier than I needed to get from Valencia to Madrid.

Soleil: And I had already booked a hostel. For that day that I was supposed to be getting in. So, I had to get another ticket, I had to buy another ticket for like 40 euro for the day that I needed to be leaving. So, stay flexible. Realize that things are gonna go wrong, and that's okay. As long as you remain confident in yourself and trust your gut, Then you'll be fine, I promise [00:27:00] you Obviously also come with some savings and make sure you have enough money during your trip to remain flexible Like I just mentioned because of my missed trains and miss scheduled trains I needed some extra money to buy more tickets And because of that, you should be coming with some savings.

Soleil: If you are working and traveling, you should be most likely making income while you're traveling. So what should help fund your travels? But in case something happens. You lose your job, the company goes under, there's, you know, they actually decided that you are not allowed to be in Europe or in Southeast Asia or in South Africa or, I don't know, wherever you go in the world.

Soleil: You know, anything can happen and you should have some savings under your belt just in case a big issue happens and it always just feels nice [00:28:00] to have some money in your savings just in case.

Soleil: Now this is going to be the last tip that I've had since traveling, and I might actually make another one of these when I completely finish this trip because I've actually had so much fun making this episode, and I really hope you have too. If you have enjoyed this episode, please make sure to like, save, or subscribe on your favorite podcast platforms.

Soleil: Give me a rating also, that really helps me to know whether I'm doing a good job on this or not. And the more people that we get to listen and engage, the better. the better guests that we can have come on so you don't just have to hear me talk about my travel experiences. But I'm so happy to talk about this all the time because it's something that I love to do and I really hope I can encourage others to do this as well.

Soleil: So please make sure to like, save, and subscribe on your favorite podcast [00:29:00] platforms. I really appreciate it. And of course, if you have your own travel stories too, please reach out to me. Um, whether that's on email, my email is connected to this podcast or on LinkedIn and LinkedIn is a great way on Instagram.

Soleil: Instagram is a great way. Please reach out to me. And let me know about your travel experiences and if you are also a solo traveler, especially for my solo traveler girlies out there, let me know. I'd love to create a connection with you and figure out how solo traveling has worked for you and if you're a remote worker who's traveled even better.

Soleil: Um, so yeah, Incredible stuff. I'm so happy. Here's the last piece of advice that I have for you based on my experience of solo traveling and remote working. Don't be afraid to talk to strangers. Obviously, asterisks here. Be cautious of the strangers you are talking to. Don't [00:30:00] be dumb and just listen to your gut.

Soleil: If you feel unsafe, leave the situation. But talking to strangers in your hostel or if you're out grabbing a drink and you can Talk to the people around you get to know the person who's living in that city And what their experience has been like growing up in the city or moving to the city And it's just an incredible way to learn new perspectives, deepen your love of traveling with others, and getting to experience what it is like to explore a new city with others.

Soleil: My thing on this trip has been saying yes. Making sure that if I'm getting invited somewhere, I'm saying yes. I'm saying yes to the group dinner that they're putting on at the hostel. I'm saying yes to the walking tour that they're doing at the hostel. I'm saying yes to the group of friends that I just met at dinner [00:31:00] that we're gonna go get espresso martinis at that cute little bar down the street that everybody is raving about.

Soleil: I am saying yes, and I think you should say yes too. I have had such an incredible experience so far traveling and working abroad. I'm gonna keep doing it for the next three weeks, and I really hope this inspires you to get out into the world and take the opportunity that's in front of you if you are a remote worker and you're able to travel to get out there and do the thing.

Soleil: I'm gonna put in the description of this video. Podcasts, some of the tools that I was talking about for remote workers. Um, please check that out and like I said, reach out to me, like, save, and subscribe this podcast. And I had such an amazing time making this. I'm currently in my Airbnb in Madrid and I'm leaving tomorrow.

Soleil: It's so sad. Madrid was such a beautiful city and I had so much fun. [00:32:00] I actually met friends from Valencia here in Madrid and just getting to know them better was such an incredible experience. Oh, my heart's so happy. Yeah, That's it. Thank you everybody for listening to another podcast of Sweat Strategy and Success.

Soleil: I know this one was a little bit different than normal. We have some incredible guests that are lined up so far to talk about things that I know will be so useful for entrepreneurs and marketers and the health and wellness industry and I just I can't wait to Get those up so you can begin to learn more and become better entrepreneurs, marketers, business people, and just better people overall.

Soleil: I think, you know, these, these people that we're bringing on are really going to enlighten us on ways that we can become better human beings in general. Thank you for listening to another episode of Sweat Strategy and [00:33:00] Success.