In a 100% remote company, there’s no better season than summer. Days get longer, temperatures get warmer, and everyone wants to enjoy the sun.
That’s also when most people like to travel. But there’s no such thing as unlimited personal time off (PTO), right?
Wrong! At OpenBB, we actually give our employees unlimited PTO.
But besides that, they can also enjoy the freedom of remote work and get some extra time to travel. Some of our team members have done it recently, so we asked them to share their experiences first-hand.
This is what they told us:
Didier (CEO) goes to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic 🇩🇴
I worked from Punta Cana for a week. I tend to get some work done in the morning, straight after lunch and after dinner. I use all the downtimes where we aren't in the pool or doing activities to get work done. In this case, I picked one day (Wednesday) to work from the hotel room and moved most meetings to that day. Async work makes it easy to handle the other days.
I love it because it makes me disconnect from low-level day-to-day tasks and think about the overall company trajectory. Most of the times I work from another country I end up bringing something new to the table that I wouldn't have thought if I hadn't disconnected a bit.
I believe performance isn't really tied to the location of a team member. In a culture where people are given autonomy and ownership, they will perform regardless of their location. I actually think that most people will rise to the level of autonomy they are given.
Rita (UI/UX Designer) goes to Bali, Indonesia 🇮🇩
In March, I spent nearly two months in Bali during a three-month trip around Asia. I found that traveling actually boosts my productivity, so I aimed to enjoy the trip while continuing to do quality work. This meant I had to stay flexible—working early some days, all day on others, and even late into the night.
This was one of the best experiences of my life, and I know it won’t be the last. Traveling offers unique experiences and connections that you just can’t get anywhere else. Meeting new people and diving into different cultures has been incredibly rewarding, and I can’t wait for the next adventure.
During my travels, I found some challenges, especially when it comes to working while being on the move:
Hunting for the Perfect Workspace: Finding a good place to work was sometimes tricky. The search led me to some great spots, but it also took up time I could have spent working. One of the things I used to do to avoid wasting time was to look up places to work the day before on TikTok or Instagram.
Balancing Travel and Work: Without a routine, managing time can be challenging. I usually depend on a set schedule to switch between work and leisure, but travel pushed me to be more flexible. Meeting new people often brought spontaneous plans that disrupted my minimal schedule, so I had to find a balance between my social and professional life. While remote work can be solitary, it’s important not to isolate yourself—finding that balance is key to staying productive and connected.
Missing my Family and Friends: I think this was one of the biggest challenges I’ve faced. There were days when I just wanted to catch a flight back to Portugal, but staying in touch through phone calls and messages helped. Still, the unique experiences and memories I gain from traveling keep me motivated to push through and not give up.
Minh (Product Manager) goes to Bali too 🇮🇩
Time for an OpenBB meet-up, yay!
I went to Bali for a week to meet my colleague, Rita Soares. Since we were in Asia, our mornings were relaxed for exploration. We would visit new places, such as waterfalls or stunning landscapes, and then return home in the afternoon to work or sometimes work from a coffee shop.
One thing that proved very helpful was bringing my laptop along, so whenever I had some free time, I could take the opportunity to get some work done. The fact that OpenBB emphasizes outcomes rather than adhering to a strict 9-5 schedule is a big advantage. It allows me to work flexibly, do quality work, and still enjoy the island.
Being able to explore a new city while seamlessly combining it with work is incredibly rewarding. It all comes down to managing your work schedule and meetings effectively. Once I identify some free slots, I make the most of them by exploring the city.
For me, this flexibility is invaluable, as it emphasizes that what truly matters is the outcome and output, not sticking to a rigid schedule. This approach isn’t just beneficial for traveling; it also allows me to handle personal tasks, like administrative work, in the morning and make up for it later in the evening. It’s about empowering and trusting employees, focusing on what really counts.
Rita (Marketing Specialist) goes to Croatia 🇭🇷
In July I packed my bags and laptop and headed to work from Mastrinka, a small beach village on the island of Čiovo, on the central Adriatic coast of Croatia. Besides having the clear warm waters right outside our doorstep, we were also really close to nice towns with lots of cultural activities and restaurants to enjoy.
The inspiration I get from new places and experiences fuels my creativity and help me to be a better professional too.
But I’m not going to lie, it’s not always fun and games. When you start traveling and working simultaneously, sometimes it’s tricky to control FOMO (fear of missing out). It’s normal to feel you’re missing out on new experiences and places outside your room when you're working, but also feel guilty when you’re enjoying those things and someone pings you on Slack. However, after a few days, you'll hopefully be able to find a balance and that’s when the magic really starts to happen.
I usually like to get my “non-negotiables” done in the mornings and then go out during lunch/afternoon. I always check Slack and emails when I’m on public transport or traveling from one place to the other. When I get back, I spend a couple of hours working on whatever has come up during the day. Either way, if I leave for more than a couple of hours, I usually bring my laptop with me just in case an emergency happens. Spoiler alert: it has never happened, but I feel more comfortable this way.
The most important thing for me is to accept and embrace how overwhelming and physically/mentally demanding it can be, and still try to make the best out of it. Sometimes you’ll be tired and want to stay in, and that’s fine. Some days you will have to work all day. Other days, a bit less.
At the end of the day, working remotely is an amazing opportunity for you as a professional and as an individual, so as long as you can make sure you're performing well at work, you should listen to your body and go with the flow. Wonderful things happen when you let yourself go.
Stay tuned for more testimonials from our team coming out soon!
