In this series I interview people who talked to their employer about working remotely. I have met many full-time RVers who have successfully made that transition. The goal of this series is to share their tips with you, so that you too can set up a remote work arrangement, if that’s something you desire.

Which brings me to my next point: Desire.

Some people might be unsatisfied in life, but not so uncomfortable that they are willing to make changes. Change is scary. Check my article on how scared I was to leave my job here. Sometimes things have to become painful before any action is taken. But there’s a better way…

Nurture Your Desire

 

It’s ok to dream about doing something else in life. If you are tired of sitting in a cubicle all day, visualize what the alternatives are. Are you in an RV? Riding a motorcycle? Are you sailing? How does that feel in your body?

 

Nurture your desire by researching what others have done. Gather images of places you want to go. Make a vision board (see this HIffungtonpost article), a large poster board with pictures of those places and activities that you want to do.

Let that feeling of excitement grow because it will lead to action steps.

Working Remotely

 

Over the next few weeks, you will be introduced to many full-time RVers working remotely. First up is Veronica from The RV Outlawz. I met Veronica and Denny at the Xscapers Convergence in Quartzite AZ. They invited us over for wine and great discussion, and offered advice to us newbies. They are fun-loving people who chased their full-time RV dreams.

 

 

Veronica nurtured her desire. She didn’t have a fleeting thought like, “Oh full-time RVing sounds fun, but I could never do that.” Instead she stoked the flame of her desire by researching, collecting ideas, and having conversations that breathed life into her dream. She approached her RV dream like a process and her desire was step one. Read more about Veronica’s journey of working remotely.

 

1. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, what you do for fun, work, etc.

 

I’m 38 years old and born in Argentina. Lived in Rochester Michigan, where I finished my schooling and graduated from Michigan State University. After graduating I decided to relocate to warmer weather. I moved to Miami Florida on my own, and at the time it was the biggest and best adventure I had dreamed up and accomplished! I lived in Miami for almost a decade on and off, then went back to Michigan with the family, and that’s when I met Denny in 2005.

 

From then on it was the beginning of many adventures and phases to come…from moving back to Miami together for 3 years, then Raleigh NC for 4 years, and renting a lake house and buying a pontoon boat to enjoy many lake house weekends!

 

 

After that phase came RVing which is still the best so far and with no end in sight! We enjoy following the sun, seeing new places, hiking our national parks, off-roading, biking, kayaking and of course socializing with other RVers.

2. How did you get into your current line of work?

 

Before we started RVing I was working as a web designer for a bank. I started as a contractor and then became an employee. And I’m still working remotely for them on a normal schedule of 8-5 on the east coast time zone, no matter where we may be.

3. What made you decide to travel full-time?

 

It started with ideas floating around in my head, like tiny homes and tree houses that we could build on the lake. We even looked at houses to buy etc. But in the middle of all the research I stumbled on one of the Gone With the Wynns videos, and that started a whole new search trend. Then, it was about convincing Denny as well but that wasn’t too hard!

4. Were you worried about keeping your employment? What worried you the most?

 

I was at first since the agreement was to try it out for 6 months! But I guess it went well 🙂 I’m still working remotely for almost four years.

5. How did you approach your employer about working remotely?

 

I brought in a brochure of the Thor Outlaw RV that we were going to purchase. We had already ordered it and I showed them how it would work, where the mobile office was going to be etc.

6. What did you say and what concerns did they have?

 

On my end I had to guarantee connectivity at all times and also explain that it would not hinder my work or change anything while on the road.

7. How did you overcome any concerns?

 

It was proven with time, I was never late or missed an online conference call. My connectivity was and is still our main concern, and my work never changed. I think I enjoy my work more now since I’m able to live on the road.

8. How do you like traveling and working from the road?

 

We love it. It keeps us balanced and we’re motivated to keep working hard because of what it allows us to do. We can also plan for the future and still travel. I like the work life balance, we work hard during the week and play harder on the weekends.

 

9. What advice would you give others about talking to their employer about setting up a remote work situation?

 

I would first make sure that they are receptive to the idea. At the time I knew I was gambling when I asked, since I was ready to go on the road regardless. Sometimes having the guts to ask it’s all it takes. But it could have been a different answer.

10. Anything else you’d like to share?

 

I hope that my experience helps in any way…even if it’s a small push to getting closer to the dream of being on the road. The digital nomad community is growing every day, and I think more and more companies are welcoming the idea. It’s never too late to ask and pursue those dreams!

Working Remotely Can Be A Reality

 

Isn’t Veronica great? She’s so open and willing to share her journey. And she’s just like you and me, a person with a dream and desire to make her remote vision a reality.

 

You can follow Veronica and Denny, on the following:
Facebook.com/RVoutawz
Instagram: rv_outlawz
Blog: RVoutlawz.com

 

Click here to hear from Craig, a father and husband with a wife and four kids, living in an RV! You’ll read about how he put an action plan together to talk to his employer about working remotely.

Click here to read about Robert, Jessica, and their two kids, living and working on the road.

 

Are you looking for more resources on working remotely? Be sure to sign up for the 21 Remote Work resources, to help you make the leap into full-time travel.