This is a guest blog from my buddy, Josh Neuroth.
Six weeks ago, I stepped out of my comfort zone to do something different. I temporarily moved from rural Michigan to Brooklyn, NY on a “workcation” and what a personal transformation it’s been. I wanted to experience urban life and everything that came with it. Like many people who work in the creative/marketing/media industry, I was able to keep my job while working from my mobile office aka my iPhone / MacBook combo.
A few days before I left I posted this Instagram:
And moved to this:
Things I’ve learned while living in this amazing urban wasteland called Brooklyn:
NYC is an expensive place, and living here forces you to be creative with how you spend money. For example, when I lived in Michigan, I had no problem affording eating out. With NY’s high cost of living, I’ve had to reinvent the way I eat. Before, I didn’t cook for myself nor did I like shopping at giant grocery chains. I’ve had to figure out how to eat healthy on a budget which has been a fun challenge. I’ve found that with every meal comes an opportunity to create.
When you move to a new place, you’re forced to make friends and rub shoulders with people you wouldn’t normally talk to. What happens when you have no companions to hang out with? You start to get lonely which forces you to be more friendly with strangers. You begin to make friends with people you wouldn’t normally talk to. A lot of times this means making friends with people of different work and cultural backgrounds.
Solitude helps you learn a lot about yourself. When you’re not focussed on passing time in the usual ways with the usual people, you begin to explore new things, hobbies, and places. With the help of Foursquare and Yelp, I’ve spent many hours wondering around the city–looking for trendy coffee shops and places to hang out at. I recently purchased a Bustin Brooklyn longboard for commuting around the city. Six weeks ago I would have never seen myself as a longboarder and now I love it.
It’s easy to reinvent yourself. When you’re around the same group of people, it’s easy for friends and family to put us in a box. If we show up to a social gathering with a totally different style, people think we’re crazy. Moving somewhere, even if only temporarily, makes it easy to come back with a new hairstyle, clothing style, or hobby.
If you’re a freelancer or can convince your employer to work from anywhere, why not move somewhere on a workcation? Airbnb.com allows you to rent apartments or single rooms for a few weeks or months. Save up money, grab your laptop and a bag of clothes, and experience a new city or country.
For anyone who’s interested in learning more about this experience, I would be glad to connect on Twitter or Skype.
About Josh:
Josh Neuroth is a Business & UX Designer at SpokeHQ. You can find him on Twitter or his blog at joshneuroth.com.
I’ve always wanted to do something like this. I like the whole idea of traveling while I am young. People like to ask “What do you want to do with your life?” My response often times is this. TRAVEL!
They think i’m crazy, but I honestly feel like this is the heartbeat of the millennial generation or “20 somethings” as they are often called.
I think travel is pretty key to any creative endeavors we attempt…it helps open the mind to create something bigger than our little world.
I’ve always wanted to do something like this. I like the whole idea of traveling while I am young. People like to ask “What do you want to do with your life?” My response often times is this. TRAVEL!
They think i’m crazy, but I honestly feel like this is the heartbeat of the millennial generation or “20 somethings” as they are often called.
I think travel is pretty key to any creative endeavors we attempt…it helps open the mind to create something bigger than our little world.
Sounds like an amazing experience. Thanks for sharing it with us.
It seems like when I am on vacation I always have the best ideas. It really get the creative juices flowing…
It’s getting outside that comfort zone. 🙂
Sounds like an amazing experience. Thanks for sharing it with us.
It seems like when I am on vacation I always have the best ideas. It really get the creative juices flowing…
It’s getting outside that comfort zone. 🙂
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Hello, I just hopped over to your website thru StumbleUpon. Not somthing I might normally read, but I liked your thoughts none the less. Thank you for creating something worth browsing.