My colleagues from diconium asked me to quickly answer some questions about our trip so far - no problem 🧡
1) Hey, how are you and Vicky? Where are you right now?We're in Greece right now, Athens. As we speak, I'm sitting in a co-working space called Impact Hub. It's a great place in a very traditional building, furnished with cool furniture, even some designer pieces. The people are very nice and open, you get to talk to each other. We are doing well; we see a lot and sleep little. You can probably tell by my eye rings....
2) What has been the highlight of your trip so far?It's hard to say. I deliberately chose this route because it takes me to places I have not been personally drawn to before. I had never been to Slovenia or Romania before. My expectations were completely exceeded: such beautiful landscapes, such clean capitals and friendly people. And, I had also underestimated the innovation potential of these countries. We always felt very comfortable in the co-working spaces and were welcomed openly.
3) Has everything gone according to plan so far? There have been a couple of problems. The car had a cracked windshield in Slovenia and we had to organize for the new windshield to then be delivered to Romania because we couldn't wait for the delivery. Fortunately, it all worked out well. Here in Athens, we were hit by another car while we were parked. I had to report that to the police – you need patience for that here in Greece. And this morning, the door of our Airbnb apartment was stuck, so a locksmith had to come so we could get out. That eats up a lot of time, of course. But all that could have happened to us in Germany, too. I'm glad that we have so much support from diconium with all the unforeseen things.
4) How is it working remotely on the road?It’s worked very well. So far it has also always worked well with the internet connection in the different countries. Only once have I had to resort to the hotspot, my personal lifesaver. That was when I continued to work in the passenger seat while Vicky was driving at 120 km/h on the highway.
5) Do you work less or more on your road trip than you do at your usual work location in Germany?I work on my projects just as I would in Germany. I don't have a special role in my team just because I'm on Drive Your Life. As usual, there can always be extra work because a project has to be completed. For example, one week was really hard, so I really needed the weekend to recover. But actually, according to the plan, we were supposed to drive another 1500 km to the next location on that Sunday. Then we got in touch with the DYL team in Germany, spontaneously rescheduled the route and extended it by three days with stops in between, so that we always drove a few more kilometers after work. I am very grateful that we were able to arrange this flexibly.
6) You have now been on the road for six weeks. Would you like to share some things you learned? Yes, of course. You need good time management for such a road trip, because even during such a trip, unforeseen things can happen like the windshield breaking – for example. Since my sister and I suffer from FOMO, we want to see as much as possible of the places we travel to. That doesn't always work out, especially when there is a lot to do at work. And you shouldn't assume in every country that you can still go out to eat in a restaurant at 9 pm. My credo is: always stay flexible and positive.
7) What are you looking forward to in the next few days?I'm looking forward to routine, like being in one place for longer than a few days. And I'm looking forward to the good food here in Greece, which you can also order after 9 p.m. without any problems. On Mykonos, our accommodation also has a pool - that will certainly be a great way to cool off during the lunch break.
8) And last but not least: Do you miss the office yet?I don't miss the office as a physical place, but of course I miss seeing you colleagues in person. I can also imagine doing such a trip together with colleagues. This trip taught me that you can work from anywhere - the work is always the same! Just with the added bonus of getting to know exciting people and industries in other places!
Isabel Wuebbolt