An infrastructure engineer discovers the secrets to success during his workcation in Miyakojima: a real report from his 9-day, 8-night trip

Hmmm! (Welcome!)
I'm Lin, an infrastructure engineer.

In recent years, with the spread of remote work, the working style known as "workation" is becoming a more widespread option

However, when it comes to actually working remotely, you may have many questions and concerns, such as "What is it really like?" and "How do I choose a location and what is my budget?"

Our company also has a workation system

This was my first time working remotely, so I had many concerns and things I couldn't imagine during the planning stage

So, this time, will share my experience of working remotely in Miyakojima for 8 nights and 9 days

• The reality of workation in Miyakojima
• Key points for success
• How to create a good working environment
• Points to reflect on
• Overall impression

We have summarized this from a `` realistic perspective

I hope this will provide some concrete tips for those who are planning to work remotely.
Here you go!

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■ Overview of this workation

• Location : Miyakojima, Okinawa Prefecture
• Duration : 8 nights and 9 days (4 days of which are work days)
• Timing : End of November
• Rough cost : 150,000 yen
  *Airfare: 50,000 yen, Accommodation: 30,000 yen (bargain), Rental car: 30,000 yen (cheap), Food and miscellaneous expenses: 40,000 yen

The purpose of this trip was not so much to travel, but to try out a life of working in a natural environment .

It all started with the desire
to live in Miyakojima, an ideal place for me, as it is my dream to live near the beautiful sea It is difficult to take such a long vacation and stay at a travel destination, but with workation it is possible to make it happen! I had been looking forward to it for several years.

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■ Concerns before working remotely

As this was my first workation, I had some concerns beforehand

1. Where is the best place to go?

• I don't know where is suitable for workation
• I can't imagine how to balance work and nature

2. How do you ensure a good working environment?

• Private room required (due to a meeting)
• Rental offices are expensive
• The working environment at hotels is unstable

3. I can't gauge the budget

• The positioning of "travel" and "lifestyle" is unclear
• It's hard to know how much it will cost

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■ How did you decide?

● Deciding on a destination

My goal was to get away from the city and work in nature, so I chose
Miyakojima, which is rich in nature and has a nice climate Since the end of November is the off-season, I was able to keep airfare, accommodation, and rental car costs lower than the market rate, and I was able to easily get into popular izakayas.

● Choosing accommodation

Since there were no coworking spaces in Miyakojima, I used my lodging as my workspace.
a stable network is essential for remote work , I contacted the hotel in advance and had them measure my internet speed .
The result was about 30Mbps

● Keep your budget to a minimum

This time, it wasn't a luxurious "trip," but rather an "experiment to change where I work."
For that reason, I planned to keep costs as low as possible by using Agoda's discounts for accommodation and renting a cheap car.

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■ How to spend your workday

I set a fixed schedule for my work days to create structure

• Go to the beach early in the morning and watch the sunrise (the perfect time to reset)
• Return to the inn and carry out your normal duties
• After work, I go to the gym

It was the best time to wake up and go to the beach to watch the sunrise.
Getting up early is even more wonderful when you're in a place surrounded by nature.

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■ How to spend your days off

I used my days off to relax and refresh myself

• Marine Activities
• Explore Miyakojima's nature and famous sites
• running
• Drinking at local restaurants

The clear distinction between "work" and "vacation" made my days off very satisfying

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■ The surefire way to succeed at workation

"Recreating everyday life" is the key

Workation may seem fun at first glance, but my honest opinion is that it's actually quite stressful

The reason is that you will be living and working in a different environment than .

Therefore, I felt it was important to bring in of my "everyday life"

Things that take everyday life into consideration:

• Meals (mainly prepared meals)
• Exercise habits (gym/running)
• Bedtime
• Favorite daily items (toothbrush, skin care, hair dryer, etc.)

● Preparation for killing time is also essential

Although the countryside is rich in nature, there are often many blank moments.
It was really helpful to be able to watch Netflix and U-NEXT on the TV at the inn.
I laughed my head off watching "Aiseki Shokudo" during my stay.

● If possible, stay near Don Quijote!

I went there almost every day because
they have everything from food and daily necessities to souvenirs It may sound like a joke, but Don Quijote was a huge help in recreating my everyday life

Focus on cost-effectiveness as much as possible!

Since you'll be working at the same time, it's difficult to relax 100% even on your days off .
Therefore, accommodation, airfare, rental cars, activities, etc. with cost-effectiveness in mind, you'll be able to finish your workation with high overall satisfaction!

● If possible, cook your own meals. *If you are staying for 4 days or more

You might be wondering why you should cook for yourself while traveling, but if you eat out for every meal during your stay, your food expenses will increase, so cooking for yourself is recommended. (Though it's a must to find a place with a kitchenette...)

In fact, I bought ingredients at Don Quijote, prepared 5-6 servings, stored them in airtight bags , and prepared them so that I could eat them right away by heating them in the microwave. I
highly recommend this method because it makes your meals closer to your everyday meals and is also good value for money.

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■ [Work] Ways to maintain productivity

● A mobile monitor is essential

It's essential to maintain productivity. It's probably impossible to work on just one screen. (It depends on the type of work you do.)

● Logitech "MX ERGO" is a godsend item

Since there wasn't enough space to move the mouse I brought along
MX ERGO , which can be operated with just your thumb It shone brightly in the limited space on the counter table.

● Work is limited to three days

I worked for four days, but in terms of concentration and back strain, I felt that three days or less

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■ Points for improvement

• I could have taken a day to indulge myself.
• I should have brought a cushion (working for long periods of time affects my back)
• Just like traveling, having a plan makes
  the experience more (I ended up spending more time lounging around in my room after sunset than I expected).

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■ Overall review (impressions)

was a very fulfilling experience

• Experience the nature, geography, and culture of Miyako Island
• There were no major problems with work
• Living in a different environment from my everyday life has given me new stimulation for my thoughts and feelings
• I wanted to continue this at a pace of once a year

Working remotely in Miyakojima is a little different from traveling, and feels a bit like a survival lifestyle , so I'm already motivated for the next time, thinking, I think I can do better next time

I hope this article will help encourage your workation even a little

Thank you for reading to the end!

P.S. I will also do my best to post technology-related articles!