How to combine the work of freelance designer with travel

The life of a freelance designer is not always as charming as it might seem at first glance. It often happens that you just need to do a certain job, even if it intersects with a planned trip.

Sometimes you have to do work on freelancing during a trip related to work (another activity or other freelancing), and sometimes it happens that you have to finish some work during an entertainment trip. And although we don’t like to discuss it very much, there are some tricks and tools that allow us to use our time more effectively when traveling.

My personal story

Despite the fact that I write often, you will not find a lot of personal stories among my works. But today is a special case. I'm a freelancer. In addition, I have a permanent job. And I travel.

So, most of the tips listed in this article are taken straight from my personal experience. Over the past years, I have developed several techniques and discovered a number of tools and techniques that make it easier to combine work and travel. The best advice I can give you - do not work while traveling during holidays, weekends and holidays (take a break at last)!
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This is not always possible, but it is worth striving for. If you travel while doing tasks related to another job, understanding what you need to do when you are not at work is the first step towards becoming a freelance designer who is traveling.

Make sure you have internet access.

Very few projects can be done and transferred to the customer without an internet connection. Before you book a hotel or plan a trip, you need to know what is there with an internet connection and whether there will be Wi-Fi access (there are still many “dead zones”).

Another option is to buy a portable access point and take it with you on trips. I like Karma in this regard - a portable hub with a Wi-Fi connection on a prepaid basis (this actually eliminates most of the problems if you spend a lot of time traveling. If you are something like me, you probably also hate Wi -Fi and connection quality at airports).

Use tools for remote access or cloud storage

Before leaving the city, make sure that you can access your documents at any time. This can mean storing information in a laptop’s memory, in a cloud, or a configured VPN network that provides access to the files you need.

I'm a Dropbox fan, but there are a few more options. Adobe Creative Cloud users get access to the repository of work files and libraries almost automatically when they pay for a subscription. In addition, there are other companies providing similar services.

Stock up cords and adapters

It is quite difficult to describe in words why it is necessary to make sure that you have cables for all occasions. If you are traveling to other countries, you just need a cable that will work anywhere throughout your trip (electrical outlets in different countries have a different design). The battery of your device (phone, laptop, or other gadget) will definitely run out until the completion of a large project. You always need to have on hand the appropriate cable.

Buying cables and adapters in advance at home will save a lot of money. Cheap cables can be bought at airports or hotels, but in most cases they sell at these places with a huge surcharge.
Get a convenient suitcase for small things

As for the issues of technology, one of the things that every traveler just needs to have with him is a good suitcase. You need something light and durable, allowing you to protect things from mechanical damage. Most likely, you need a larger suitcase than you think.

During my first trip as a freelancer, I took out a gorgeous laptop bag, which fit nicely in a laptop and charger. And that's all. I had to push the USB cables, the card reader and the mouse into another bag (not so perfect). Of course, this bag went into the luggage, so I stayed at the airport without tools, making work simple and enjoyable (I, of course, learned this lesson).

Create a travel order

Before the trip, consider the order of actions, what and how to pack. Keep things in strictly defined places and use the same procedure for collecting the necessary things to reduce the likelihood of forgetting something.

This procedure will help you to feel calm and confident on the trip and in work, and will give you confidence that you have not forgotten anything.

Download all updates

Constantly log in to all programs - especially for users of Adobe Creative Cloud, who must log in every 30 days - and download updates, ping the server and check the activity and performance of accounts. If you work mostly on a PC and travel with a laptop, this is especially important.

Check all programs for performance. Make sure that all fonts and tools are installed and ready to use, and do not require a prior Internet connection.

Back up

Nobody wants to think that the equipment can be stolen or it can be lost, but the probability of this increases during the journey. Make sure that you have backup copies of all your work in a place that you can immediately access if you lose your computer.

Personally, I prefer to carry an external hard drive. I make copies of all the information on my laptop every day and keep it separate from my computer (for example, my laptop is sent to a computer case and the hard drive is in luggage or a purse). A hard disk is relatively inexpensive, can contain an exact copy of your work and file system, and is easy to use in the absence of any other tools.

Take decent clothes with you.

If you are traveling to work, it does not cause questions. But what if you are on vacation?

You should always take decent clothes with you in case you need to meet with a client. If you work as a freelancer, then you can meet potential customers everywhere. Do not miss the opportunity to make an impression and add a client (or job) to your portfolio.

Print a list of contacts and places

Despite the fact that most of your contacts and your travel schedule are likely to be stored in digital form, print a backup and keep it in your carry-on bag or computer bag. Despite the fact that during the trip you will have access to the Internet, there is always the possibility that you will need information, but there will be no access.

A printed copy will never let you down.

In such a printed list, all points of the route with all the stops, addresses and contacts (if necessary) should be described. Also, you should have a list of all clients for current projects. A printed list will help save time if you need to call back or reply to a message during a trip.

Plan your work time

The most important thing to do if you plan to combine freelancing and travel is to determine the specific time of work. Add this time to the calendar, if necessary, but you need to clearly know how many hours you need to complete the work, and plan them.

Working during a conference, business trip or vacation can be especially difficult. Before leaving, you need to determine for yourself working hours. And consider the time zone shift, if necessary. It is possible that in order to synchronize work with clients you will have to work early in the morning or late in the evening.