Ever dream of answering emails from a beach café? Or joining team calls with mountain views?

Your remote work flexibility is the key to making it happen, to Thrive Remotely. Not someday – now.

In this issue, we'll help you see how to transform your work life through travel, whether it's a weekend getaway or a month abroad. You'll discover how to maintain peak productivity while creating adventures that combat isolation and boost well-being.

Ready to make every workday an opportunity for exploration?

— Ric, Shellie, & Jessica

TRAVEL

Travel Story: A Personal Story

by Ric Pratte, Thrive Remotely, founder & editor

Travel isn't just my word of the year – it's my secret sauce for living fully while crushing it as a fractional executive.

Sure, my travel has been light the last couple of years. But this year? I'm manifesting it, making travel happen with three distinct flavors of adventure:

First up: workations. These are my extended weekend escapes where work happens on the edges while I soak in local vibes. Picture this: tackling morning calls, then diving into local cafes, craft beverages, and hidden gems. By working the margins, I free up prime time for pure exploration.

Then there's my "Live Like a Local" master plan. Instead of racing through tourist traps, I'm plotting extended stays to truly absorb city rhythms. Think weeks of shopping at neighborhood markets, finding favorite coffee spots, and blending work productivity with authentic local experiences.

Finally, there's my favorite travel hack: micro-adventures. These close-to-home escapes prove you don't need a passport to break free. Just last week, I hit the slopes at a new mountain for a day. One spontaneous decision, zero email checking, pure exhilaration.

As remote workers, we're sitting on a golden ticket to design our ideal lifestyle. 

Travel – whether it's a two-week immersion or a two-hour drive to a new hiking trail – isn't just about changing scenery. It's about intentionally crafting joy-filled moments while delivering our best work.

Remember: Your laptop has wings. It's time to use them.

QUICK TAKES

Receive Joy from Traveling

✅ Top Companies That Pay You to Travel: Remote Jobs with Travel Perks 

✅ Micro-Traveling For People Without The Time, Money, Or Resources To Take Extended Trips

✅ Are Wellness Festivals the New Music Festival?

✅ How To Work Remotely While (Shhh…) Also Traveling

✅ The Expert Guide to Combining Work and Travel

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LAST WEEK’S POLL RESULTS

What aspects of travel contribute most to your wellbeing as a remote worker?

LOOKING AHEAD

✍🏼 Want to share your story?

Here is our newsletter theme calendar for the next few weeks.
Readers appreciate hearing stories from their peers and we’d love to share your story.

• Peer Leadership

• Personal v professional growth

• Importance of community

• Motivation and inspiration

• Plus others…

Please check out our new Upcoming Themes page for deeper descriptions and more information.

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POLL – NEXT WEEKS TOPIC

In our next issue we are diving into the delicious art of peer leadership: how to lead without the crown, inspire without the corner office, and make magic happen without formal authority.

THRIVING TRIBE CHRONICLES

Travel as a Remote Worker: Balancing Work and Play

I love Western North Carolina. After all, it’s where I chose to build a life, become part of a community, and even try my hand at gardening. 

But as great as it is here, I’m a traveler at heart, always craving adventure, new experiences, and unique places.

Remote work has helped me find a balance between the two. With the flexibility of hybrid/remote roles, there’s no need to stockpile vacation days before travelling. 

You can take extended trips where exploration is mixed into your schedule, checking out new places after work or making the most of time zone differences. Remote workers can save money and avoid stress by traveling on off-peak days, then working from your destination. 

In short, us remote workers can both live our travel dreams and have the stability of a job and homebase.

One way I’ve embraced this lifestyle is traveling for my favorite winter hobby: snowboarding. 

Each year, I buy a season pass that covers mountains across the U.S. (and sometimes internationally). I stay with friends or family near those destinations or plan trips with remote-working friends. When meeting schedules allow, working from a coffee shop or coworking space near the slopes lets me get a few hours on the mountain as soon as east coast work hours are finished. 

On weekends, I’m already there, making the most of my time. These trips mixing work and play have been a great way for me to do more things I love, without having to move or take long periods off of work.

Whether you’re traveling to do more of your favorite hobbies, see friends who live far away, explore a new country, or for any other number of reasons, having flexibility of where you work unlocks so many possibilities. It’s easy to get stuck in the day-to-day grind of feeling like you must work from that desk in your home workspace, but it doesn’t have to be that way. 

So, today I challenge you to ask yourself: How can I design my life to do more of what brings me joy? 

If that just so happens to involve traveling more…welcome to the club!

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Until next Thursday! 🕺