Drew has found ways to see the world without sacrificing his full-time job - and now he’s teaching others to do the same with is new ebook.

Drew Sing is a full-time working professional who has built a life that allows him to travel full-time. Rather than being a freelancer, contractor, or business owner, Drew has chosen to take a different approach and strategically found ways to balance both full-time work and travel. In light of COVID-19, he decided to turn his personal experiences into a book to help other professionals who may now have the freedom to work from anywhere. We chatted with Drew to learn how his book came to be, his best tried and true remote work tips, and the challenges he’s faced along the way.

Hi Drew! Tell us a little about yourself

I’m a fully-remote, U.S. based Growth Product Manager who enjoys outdoor adventures, tasty local meals, and living simply. Last year I pursued #vanlife and explored North America in a van I outfitted while working full-time. I also spent time surfing and working from Santa Teresa, Costa Rica last winter. Since March 2020, right when COVID-19 hit, I chose to stay in Lisbon, Portugal and work U.S. hours from here. In short, It’s been very doable and I’ve been extremely thankful to how the Portuguese government has handled the entire pandemic. Choosing to stay abroad while the U.S. struggles through it all is one of the best decisions I’ve made. You can see more about my day to day on Instagram @eatmorespinach.

What inspired you to create your ebook “Work from Abroad?”

During the COVID-19 lockdown, friends were asking me how I was able to manage working U.S. hours from Europe. So with the spare lockdown time, I decided to write a book on how to work from anywhere as I saw that more professionals would be fully remote in the future and may be interested in pursuing the lifestyle I’ve been living. And voila! Work from Abroad was written.

I wrote this book for the people who aren’t necessarily running away from the real world’s obligations and commitments. It’s written for professionals who work full-time 40+ hour per week jobs. People who must work within their company’s expected office work hours to ensure team meetings are attended and whatnot.

In your opinion or experience, what do you think prevents people from working abroad?

The uncertainty that comes with trying something unknown and different, and pre-existing notions around how we should be living our lives.

It’s easy to chat about how cool it would be to work from another city or continent, but when it comes to actually executing such a trip or lifestyle change, there are a few things that can hold people back. From real-world logistics (will I be comfortable working from somewhere else? What do I do with my apartment lease? Will I be successful working from another timezone?) to the fear of change and the unknown. It’s not hard, but you need to create a plan that works for you to fulfill the dream of working from foreign countries.

Also, to get the most out of working from abroad, you need to think open-mindedly and consider out-of-the-box work and lifestyle solutions. For example, a lot of people are intimidated by the idea of working from say 1pm to 9pm in Europe to crossover with Americas hours, but you’re still able to go out to eat dinner in countries like Spain and Portugal and get to sleep in every day. Dropping pre-existing notions of when you’re suppose to “work” can actually be liberating and allow you to craft a schedule that’s perfect for your hobbies and interests.

What are some challenges you faced yourself?

Grappling with what timezones are sustainable to work from that fit my lifestyle interests, and balancing work with traveling.

I was initially very nervous about working U.S. hours from Europe, so I initially planned to do it for two months, which I could tolerate if the hours were too difficult. I quickly realized I quite like this schedule during pandemic times, so one of the challenges is simply trialing new work hours and seeing if they work with your lifestyle. Central and South America are very doable, but Asia seems tricky and I haven’t worked remotely from there yet.

Also, making sure you set yourself up for success when it comes to working. Everyone works differently. Some need silence, while others need the buzz of others around them. Learning how you work, and making sure you have these resources near your accommodation (eg. a coworking space convenient to where you’re located) are important things to figure out every time you move.

What are some remote working tips that you could share with others?

Slow Travel

Instead of spending a few days in a city to check off surface-level sites, spending as long as possible in one location allows you to tune in to the subtle rhythms of daily life. If you’re working full-time, I recommend staying in one location for at least one month. It’s easy to get excited about seeing everything when you first begin working from abroad, but this becomes exhausting with all the logistics and time it takes every time you move. It’s important to live and not just travel if you want to be productive in your work and get the most out of your experience abroad.

Build a Routine

When people think of routines, they think of boring and predictable, but predictable is what you need to ensure you’re productive in your work and able to live sustainably. Map out how a “normal” workday will go every time you move. This will help you not get distracted and keep work and personal pursuits separate while you’re abroad.

Get a laptop stand

If you’ve never worked from a laptop stand, it may seem like a frivolous item to bring while working remotely. When I worked abroad from Costa Rica, I didn’t bring one. After working from my friend’s laptop stand, keyboard, and mouse for the day, I realized how much more comfortable it was for my neck and back. It was like night and day and could help prevent me from becoming a hunchback.

What are the biggest takeaways you’d like people to receive from reading your book?

That you can work from anywhere too. If you enjoy exploring the world and now have the flexibility to work remotely, there could be no better time to work remotely from anywhere. Yes, there are travel restrictions that are barriers, but you can begin planning now as countries figure out how to live with COVID-19 and the world begins to open up further. It’s a fulfilling lifestyle that a lot of newly remote working professionals can unlock and enjoy.

Tell us about your favorite spots to work in Lisbon.

If I’m not working from my apartment, you’ll find me working from Outsite Lisbon, which is right by the trendy Timeout Market by Cais De Sodre. It’s located in a central location that’s easy to walk to from various neighborhoods in Lisbon. I’m not a big coffee shop guy and like to focus, so quiet coworking spaces like Outsite Lisbon are great for me.

And last but not least, tell us where we can find you and how others can learn about Abroad!

You can learn more about the book at Work From Abroad, which also has blog posts on how to work a U.S. job from Europe and live and work internationally during COVID-19. You can also check out what I’m up to on Instagram @eatmorespinach. Thanks and I hope you found this article useful!

Working From Abroad with Drew Sing