52 Days, 6620kms, 36 Locations — Work From Road, Part 1
Friday 17th September 2021
A largely unremarkable date. It may have been an anniversary for some major global event like a celebrity birthday or an ancient murder festival, but to me this largely unremarkable day marks the beginning of something special.
It’s the day that I decided to “work from road”.
Covid-19 and its impact trained most of us to work from home. We realized all we truly need to do a great job is a steady internet connection, a good laptop, and decent mental health. Well, work from home wasn’t really great for mental health, and I found myself getting bored a lot. In August 2021, I’d gotten double-vaccinated, and by now, I truly missed traveling (more than an idiot misses a point and more than an intellect misses idiots).
Before Covid-19, I used to travel quite extensively, and over my life, the only place I’ve studied for my college exams has been Hampi. Simply put, studying in Bangalore can get awfully boring, especially since home doesn’t have table service.
So on Friday (17/9/2021), I decided to take “work from home” to another level — “work from road”. Today, my car is my home. It has all the stuff I own, an umbrella, and a repair kit. I embraced the hitchhiker’s mentality to travel light, and this was very easy, primarily because I don’t own a lot of stuff.
Today is the 7th of November (wrote this piece then), and it’s been 50 days. 52 rather (10 more than the answer to the universe). All the while, I’ve been working, adding a few new clients to my business, and spending less than I would if I was in a city. Honestly, traveling and working from the road is awfully cheaper than living in Bangalore.
Although I’ve shared a few stories and interactions in this story below, this piece is largely aimed at addressing the concerns of “working from road”.
First, some ground realities:
1. Not every job offers an opportunity to “work from road”, but more do than you might be willing to consider or admit.
2. It’s better to do this alone, or as a young couple. Even small families with children might find this unnecessarily hard.
3. I am a traveler/explorer. Not a vacationer. I don’t travel with a high budget, or with a mentality to spend money because “I’m on vacay bro”. In fact, my biggest expense over the weeks has been petrol, and we all know where to point our fingers when it comes to rising petrol prices.
Now, let’s get to what the first 52 days have been like.
Honestly, they’ve been nothing short of incredible. I’ve spent days on the East Coast and the West. In the ghats and on the coast. Among wildlife — birds and animals — and even wilder life, humans. I’ve swum amongst fishes. In terms of highlight and detailed stories, I promise to write a full book, but here are the highlights and a few observations:
- 52 days, 36 places, 6620 kms.
- The air in the Western ghats hits different — especially when on treks.
3. Only a few things can go wrong with most cars, and Murphy’s law dictates they all will. This is a reason to visit a garage, not cancel an adventure.
4. Mangalore has the best food on the Western (Arabian) Coast. Furthermore, Karnataka (except Coorg and Mangalore) really doesn’t have incredible food. Unless you’re vegetarian. Then you will love Udupi.
6. There’s too much ‘pav’ eaten in Maharashtra.
7. If you’ve friends in places you’re planning to visit, chances are, they can get you a better deal than a phone call or a booking portal.
8. Making friends is easy and if you’re traveling, it's even easier. Also, a Kindle is a traveler’s best friend.
9. My waiter in Hampi, Karnataka was from Himachal, and my waiter in Kharagpur, West Bengal was from Karnataka.
10. Sunrise beaches are better than sunset beaches. It’s the same pretty colors but in most cases, with way fewer people at the beach.
11. Work takes as little time as you allot for it — a.k.a. Parkinson’s Law.
12. There’s no point waking up early in a college town. Chances are the only thing you’ll get is more alcohol.
13. Wherever there’s a snake, a mongoose is close by.
14. It’s not the crocodile you see that you should be scared of, it’s the one you don’t.
15. Planning, is not the same as doing. This can be good or bad.
16. Adventure, culture, and wildlife travel are arguably the most exciting forms of travel.
17. Locals are generally friendlier and more helpful. Other tourists, not so much.
18. Diving is a lot more fun after you’re certified. Also, this is where I first learned of a great scientist named Haldane, who after experimenting with male goats and checking for erections decided to make dive tables for humans.
19. The slower you travel, the more immersed you are. I highly recommend walking tours over Segway tours, cars over planes, and activity-led packages over destination-led packages.
20. India is simply way too pretty.
21. I get severely bored on flights, and it is my opinion, that the pressurized air in planes contains boredom. If you’re wondering why I flew when I’d my car, it's because I’d to attend my friend’s wedding.
The two months have been quite an adventure. And over this 50-day period, a lot of people have asked me how I do this, and whether they can do it themselves. I encourage everyone to do this and I’m happy to help in any way that I can, but whether you do it is a decision that I cannot help with. That said, here are some things you might want to consider before you begin “work from road”:
1. Ask yourself if you’re a traveler or a vacationer. You cannot “work” while on vacation. In fact, a couple of my friends decided to join me on the trip and truly struggled to work in the scenic environment. Or as they say it, “Bhai, aisi jagah aake laptop kaun kholega”.
2. Figure out how you’re going from place to place. A bike can get uncomfortable unless you’ve enough experience. Public transport is ideal. But, I decided to travel in my car. A rather adorably small vehicle called Maruti Swift. This is because I always want to be in full control of my time, and not have to worry about the increased fares for last-minute bookings.
3. Pack light and pack tight.
Apart from a few t-shirts, shorts, trekking pants, and trekking shoes, I only have an umbrella, my binoculars, a raincoat, a walking stick, swimming trunks, a dive computer, a power bank, a Kindle, and a phone. If you’re someone who wants to take more, then this lifestyle may not be for you. In fact, while in Goa, I met a couple, who packed 4 bags for a weekend. This couple did not carry camera equipment, have a baby, or have baby equipment. It was just 4 bags of clothes, with no room to take back souvenirs. I feel sad for their family, born and unborn.
4. Budget for simplicity. Life doesn’t need to get expensive or complicated, especially in non-tourist hotspot places. In fact, while in Udupi, I genuinely struggled to spend more than Rs. 150 per day for 3 meals. Being the hub of vegetarian food in Karnataka doesn’t mean restaurateurs in Udupi overcharge. Not at all. They just make amazing food, and they sell it for cheap.
5. Are you comfortable talking, interacting, and hanging out with strangers? If you aren’t, not only will you never be able to find the exact directions to a place (Google Maps is pretty bad outside cities), but you’ll never be able to understand local culture and tradition.
That’s it for this piece folks. I hope you were able to learn something from it, and are motivated to explore the planet as you grow your professional life. Happy to connect with people if you’ve more pointed questions. You can reach out to me on IndieFact, where you’re bound to meet fellow travelers who may be even more qualified to answer your question too.
If you have in any way found this piece motivational, inspirational, or just fun to read, then sharing it would help a lot. The next three sentences are pointless. Instead of reading these, I’d prefer it if you hit the share button. As I said, these sentences serve no purpose at all, and the last sentence (next sentence) is equally useless. Well, now that you’re here, might as well hit share.
Cheers!
