Vol. 1 - Working Remotely Abroad in 2021 - What It's Been Like

When COVID-19 took the world by storm one year ago, the landscape for remote work and travel drastically changed. On one hand, remote work was rapidly adopted across the world. On the other hand, travel restrictions and health concerns cause a massive decline in travel.

Although the world is not back to being completely what it used to be with open borders and flights leaving daily for any city you could dream of, things are starting to look up, and we're all figuring out how to move forward with life in this 'new normal' era.

Since we relaunched in January, the most common question we’ve received is: what’s it like to travel and be in international destinations during COVID-19? 

See a first hand story below from Jessica, a member of the Remote Year community.

"I chose to stay in Medellin after my 12-month program was interrupted by COVID-19 and continued to work abroad managing my business. I ended up living there for the first 9 months of the pandemic and it was the best choice I could have ever made.

At the beginning, lockdown was difficult just like it was everywhere else, and we adhered to the local guidelines to ensure we were being responsible travelers in a foreign country. 

As lockdown eased, it was great to be in Medellin because the weather is always perfect so I was able to continue to live a mostly normal life. Most days of the week, I would head to a coffee shop (Pergamino is the best!) to do my work and was able to sit in an open air or completely outside space. After work, I would head to the gym where masks were very much enforced.

On the weekends, my Remote Year friends and I always found fun adventures to go on as there is so much to do both in Medellin and right outside of the city. I went wakeboarding in Guatape, climbed mountains, swam in waterfalls, explored Communa 13, stayed at an amazing coffee farm, and went to a number of outdoor restaurants and bars.

 I really felt quite safe the whole 9 months I was there. Most people wear masks and you have your temperature taken before you enter any business. My experience of working remotely was amazing and it actually helped me to grow my business substantially. This success shaped my decision to continue working and living abroad by moving to Mexico, which is where I am now!“

‍Jessica Hetherington, Zenith Program

Although the world may look a little different right now, remote workers like Jessica are still finding ways to safely live out their remote work and travel dreams, and find connection and growth. 

We will share more stories of travel during COVID-19 in the coming weeks. In the meantime, if you have any questions about Remote Year’s approach to COVID-19, check out our COVID-19 page or send us a question to hello@remoteyear.com.