Sep 10

Sep 10 If You Have to Work Somewhere.......

If you have to work somewhere…

These days we all have more and more flexibility on where and how we work. I have been a full-time remote employee for nearly 7 years. Although I primarily work in my PJs home office, I have been known to have my laptop at dance practice, PTA meetings, sporting events, while walking to the bus stop (open and on a call at the same time), doctor’s offices, parking lots, the gym… you name it. I’ve worked there. I can, and do, work non-stop everywhere (even when the jury foreman is giving me dirty looks).

Our family vacation to an all-inclusive resort in Mexico had been planned for several months but when it came time to buy flights, I realized (duh) that buying flights for 6 people anywhere is expensive. I started playing around with dates and realized that if I moved my departure date up by 4 days, I could save a significant amount of money on flights. Shifting our entire vacation was out of the question but… could I turn 4 extra days in paradise into actual savings*? [fastens superhero cape around neck] Dear reader, let’s find out!

Taking off an additional 4 days of work was just not practical and my husband’s job doesn’t have as much location-flexibility. If I was going to pull this off (and capture those sweet, sweet savings), I needed a resort with the following:

· Excellent & free highspeed Wi-Fi (unfortunately, this is not always included)

· Excellent & nearly unlimited kids clubs

· Great views & places to work

· Family-friendly vibe

· Variety of food to keep us all happy

I didn’t have to look far to settle on Finest Playa Mujeres, a resort in The Excellence Collection. Rather than blowing money on the usual assortment of awful day camps, I invested the money towards the extra resort nights. Hyperbole aside, the cost was almost a wash. After picking the perfect resort, “Camp Mexico” and the 4 most relaxing work days were born.

My 3 youngest kids and I traveled to Cancun and took the short transfer to Finest Playa Mujeres. Immediately, I knew I made the right decision. The kids ADORED the kids club. I had the freedom to take the kids to breakfast (and not have to clean up!), drop them off for activities (including horseback riding on the beach!), pick them up for lunch and a little beach time, and then go back to work while they enjoyed some afternoon games and crafts in the kids club. All of the kid’s activities were completely included!

"I don't have to cook or clean!"

Lunch break tacos!!

While they were playing, I was able to work with a view. Cell service works just fine in Mexico (and with AT&T, at no additional cost) so I was able to join all conference calls and take/receive calls just like I do from my home office. Internet speeds are great so joining webinars and sending/receiving large data files was not an issue. I was able to get a full day of work in but without the stress of having to cook and clean in the evening. I knew my kids were getting once-in-a-lifetime experiences. It turns out that working remotely and working very remotely are almost the same thing. Basically, it’s the most brilliant thing I have ever done when it comes to a work day. I will 100% do this again. If you have to work, Finest Playa Mujeres is a heck of a place to do it!