Workcation in a Remote World

In March of 2020, much of the working world had a drastic shift in environment. Those of us that were working in an office suddenly found ourselves working from our living rooms, dining room tables, or even while laying in bed. While the discord and disruption of the pandemic raged on, I found myself being grateful for the smaller things during my day. I started to notice the quiet in my house while I worked. The ability to go for a walk midday by the ocean without disrupting my work flow. The afternoon snack I could easily get from my favorite sandwich shop down the street.

What I really found was that remote work suited me. As I continued to experience what many of us previous office dwellers did, I started to move from my at home desk (the dining room table) to the patio in the warming spring air. I often thought to myself “isn’t it amazing how I can do this work from anywhere?” Little did I know, I would be able to take that thought to the next level in my next career move with TCG.

I started at TCG in late fall 2021 after almost two years of starting my remote work journey. My previous employer was requiring all employees to come back into the office, and I found myself asking why – why did I need to give up my quiet, my comfort, my freedom to move about? As I searched for a new position, I looked for roles that were solely remote. TCG offered me not only a remote workplace, but an amazing environment with wonderful colleagues and flexibility.

As I settled into my new role, I started thinking bigger. “What if I could explore a new part of the country?” “What if I could work from 7-3 instead of 9-5?” “What if I was able to work and get a couple hours of skiing in all in one day?” I approached our CEO, Alex, and asked “What if I worked in the Rockies for 3 months this winter?” I was met with a resounding “DO IT!” and so began my journey.

I have been spending the last three months working an east coast schedule in mountain time and living in two of the biggest skiing cities in America. In Salt Lake City, UT, I found myself at an amazing climbing gym every afternoon, re-igniting my love for bouldering. My sister and I (who made the temporary move out here with me) spent every weekend either skiing some of the nicest mountains out west, or driving a couple of hours to the many natural wonders that Utah has to offer. We also, of course, spent many hours climbing and enjoying the in-house beer garden at the gym during low key Saturday afternoons.

In the middle of our time there, we were also able to take a week long vacation out to Big Sky in Montana. My sister and I drove up from Salt Lake City, where both of us were able to spend a couple of hours in the car (yes, in the car!) working on some projects that needed finishing before our vacation. I once more thought about how grateful I am to have that type of flexibility in my life. 3 years ago, who would have thought that I could reasonably work on a project while riding through the Grand Targhee National Forest as the co-pilot on a road trip?

I am now living in Denver, CO through the end of March, 2022. Since getting here about two weeks ago, I have explored so many amazing restaurants, met up with friends I haven’t seen in over 4 years, climbed a ton, and (of course) skied every weekend. I am so grateful to work for an organization that offers this kind of flexibility, and still be able to positively contribute to the growth of the company.

What is your organization doing to provide flexibility and opportunity for personal experiences? We want to know! If you are looking for a new opportunity in a fast growing, empathetic, and flexible consulting organization, feel free to reach out. We are always looking for new contractors and full time employees!