Open your laptop, the sound of the sea in the background and work as normal – is that really possible? Anna-Sophie and Niklas wanted to find out. Both decided to spend six months on a workation and swapped their usual office routine for new places, foreign cultures and lots of self-organization. While Anna-Sophie stayed in Europe, Niklas was drawn to another continent.
For us, flexibility is not just a nice buzzword, but a lived reality. Anyone who wants to can take their workspace to wherever inspiration awaits – whether in Lisbon or in a co-working space in Calgary. What it was really like, what surprised them, what perhaps didn’t go so smoothly – and whether they would do it again: They tell us all about it in this article. Personal, honest and with lots of impressions.
Choice of destination
Anna-Sophie: Lisbon in spring. The first rays of sunshine are streaming through the window, life is bustling outside – and I’m sitting at my desk with my laptop in my apartment in the middle of the city. Not a vacation, but a normal working day. Just not in Vienna, but in my second adopted home.
I’ve always enjoyed traveling and have spent a lot of time abroad through internships and semesters abroad. But somehow I was always drawn out again. So I seized the opportunity again and went back to Lisbon for six months.
Niklas: When I wake up in the morning and look out of the window, there is a thick blanket of snow over everything. The world outside is bathed in white – calm, quiet and beautiful. But as idyllic as it looks, the temperatures are anything but pleasant: towards the end of the year, the thermometer here in Canada can drop to as low as -25 degrees Celsius. Why did I end up on the other side of the world? It’s simple: I decided to spend a semester abroad – and if I was going to do it, I wanted to do it properly. Canada was my first choice. A country I had only heard good things about – friendly, diverse, breathtaking nature – and with another plus point: Mount Royal University.
Even as a child, I was fascinated by the big North American universities you see in the movies – with huge campuses, football games, ice hockey and a very special campus culture. That’s exactly what I found in Canada. Mount Royal University in Calgary not only offers excellent study conditions, but also a lifestyle that is fundamentally different from studying in Europe.
Working on the move
Anna-Sophie: To make sure I had enough time to really experience the city and country alongside my work, I reduced my weekly working hours to 34 hours – split over four days. The one-hour time difference to Austria and the new rhythm were a bit of a challenge at first, but after two or three weeks everything was well adjusted.
The collaboration with my colleagues also worked smoothly from a distance – all meetings with applicants and clients went flawlessly. On the contrary, the conversations often even loosened up naturally because many of them had already been on vacation in Portugal themselves. There were always nice anecdotes and things we had in common – that also made my workation special.
Niklas: To make the most of my time here and stay on the ball professionally at the same time, I decided to continue working two days a week – Mondays and Wednesdays. The eight-hour time difference was a real challenge. As a result, direct communication with my colleagues was sometimes limited and not always easy. Nevertheless, everything worked well – thanks to reliable support from the team and regular meetings via Microsoft Teams or on the phone. With a little organization and flexibility, everything could be reconciled – even 8,008 kilometers away from home. I spent four months there – because that’s how long the semesters in Canada last. I shared my time in the heart of the country with a university colleague from Austria and two Canadians in a shared flat. An exciting cultural exchange included!
Professionally, everything continued as usual. I worked from home, just like in Austria. The daily routine was familiar: getting up, having breakfast, checking emails, attending appointments – and, of course, regular communication with my colleagues. The biggest difference? The eight-hour time difference. While my day was just starting, most of the others were already on their way home. An adjustment, of course – but manageable with a little organization.
Leisure and surroundings
Anna-Sophie : I had quite a long bucket list – with beaches, restaurants and places that I really wanted to see. And because I wanted to experience as much of it as possible, it also really boosted my productivity during working hours. Not least because although I had 4.5 hours less available to me due to the reduced working week, the workload remained the same.
After work, we explored the city almost every day – mostly on foot, often accompanied by a beautiful sunset. Discovering new neighborhoods, tasting good food, relaxing at the end of the day – Lisbon made it easy for us. At the weekend, there were always excursions on the program: to various beaches or to cities such as Porto, Ericeira, Aveiro or down to the Algarve. During these six months, I really tried to take in as much as possible – and above all to soak up the Portuguese attitude to life: the serenity, the fantastic food, the beautiful places, the warmth of the people … and of course lots of pasteis de nata.
Niklas: One of the best things about my semester abroad was how many people from different parts of the world I was able to meet. It was fascinating to experience how different some of us were – in mentality, culture or everyday life – and yet we all had one thing in common: we had decided on an adventure. For a semester abroad.
This common ground quickly welded us together. We planned numerous excursions, trips and events – sometimes spontaneously, sometimes weeks in advance. One absolute highlight was our trip to the USA: with a group of 14 people, we explored the impressive nature of Yellowstone National Park. Breathtaking landscapes, wild animals and unforgettable campfire evenings included. I traveled to Vancouver with a fellow student from Germany – a city that immediately captivated me with its mix of nature, urbanity and relaxed atmosphere. I also went on tour with my flatmates from the shared flat: together we visited Montreal and Toronto, marveled at the mighty Niagara Falls and discovered many other sights that Canada has to offer.
Another personal highlight was the cultural aspect of my stay: As an art lover, I was able to visit numerous museums and be inspired by the diverse exhibitions. But if I had to highlight one experience in particular, it would definitely be our stay in Toronto: We stayed on the 63rd floor of a skyscraper – with a huge glass front and a breathtaking view over the city. A moment I will definitely never forget.
Balance & Mindset
Anna-Sophie : As soon as you work from home, the boundaries between work and leisure time start to blur – I felt that clearly both in Vienna and in Lisbon. I have to be honest: it’s not always easy for me to make a clear distinction.
That’s why I consciously created little rituals for myself in Lisbon. My most important trick: after work, I switched my cell phone to flight mode, changed my clothes and went out straight away – for a walk, simply out of my own four walls. That helped me to mentally wrap up the working day, almost as if I were leaving the office in Vienna. By exploring the city every day, I didn’t feel like I was just working in a different place – I really felt like I was away. And that’s exactly what I would recommend to anyone planning a workation: Get out, consciously soak up the new surroundings, allow life to happen on site. This is the only way to turn a workplace with a beautiful view into a real experience.
Niklas : When you live in student accommodation and study, work and spend your free time there, the boundaries quickly become blurred. That’s exactly what I experienced during my semester abroad. Everyday life took place almost exclusively in one room, which demanded concentration but also structure. Due to the large time difference, my colleagues started working when I was going to sleep. Sometimes I answered emails briefly in the evening to keep in touch. But that wasn’t stressful for me, it was a good way to stay connected. At the same time, the time difference helped me to better separate work and leisure time. Because my working day often started when others had already finished work, I was able to organize everything well. This flexibility was a real advantage. What made the whole thing special was the feeling of being really far away. Everything was different. If I had done my semester abroad in Europe, this feeling would probably not have been as strong.
Looking back, it was exactly what I wanted: to get out and gain new impressions. I was able to combine my studies well with work. Now I’m back at home and look forward to going to the office every time. The atmosphere there is simply special and gives me a good feeling.
Workation ≠ Vacation
Anna-Sophie : As soon as you hear “workation”, many people immediately think of vacations – I’ve often experienced this in my environment when I’ve told people about my plans in Lisbon. Comments like: “It’s great that your employer is giving you six months’ paid vacation” or “Now you can lie on the beach and just type on your mouse pad.” But to be honest, that’s not exactly what Workation is.
Workation means working – as normal, just in a different place. The tasks, deadlines and daily job are waiting for you just like in the office. The difference is that you move your workplace, not your work stress. It doesn’t make the work any less, the laptop any lighter or the to-do list any shorter. So if you think you can simply relax and “take a vacation” during a workation, you’ll soon find out: False alarm.
What workation really means is new challenges, a lot of self-organization and still the chance to experience a new environment intensively. For me, there were three things that shaped my time: Diversity, new opportunities and wonderful friendships. Workation is exciting, challenges you and opens up opportunities that no normal vacation can offer. You can discover a city or a country without stress and get your work done at the same time – and meet new people along the way. My circle of friends, for example, was formed through the Wings for Life Run – and of course through our shared passion for food.
Niklas : I’ve always attached great importance to good time management – and that has definitely paid off in recent years. During my time at HR_4.0, I not only worked there, but also spent a few hours working in the family business at the same time. There I do regular accounting work, send out invoices for customers, take out insurance policies and more. The special thing about it: I did all of this from abroad – from Canada, to be precise. I did it completely remotely and it worked just like at home in Vienna or Lower Austria.
The key to this? Structure and planning. I entered fixed working days in my calendar and consciously kept time slots free for university, work, sport and leisure. This allowed me to clearly separate everything and I never had the feeling that I was missing out on anything. Of course, this requires a certain amount of discipline, but it was absolutely worth it. In fact, working remotely didn’t change much for me – apart from the lack of personal contact with colleagues on site. In many ways, it was the same as before – just different. And that was a good thing. Because it showed me that many tasks can be done just as well from anywhere else in the world. Time difference or not – with clever planning, most things still work smoothly.
Of course, there are tasks that require a specific time or presence – but the majority can also be organized remotely and flexibly. For me, this was a valuable experience and further proof of how important personal responsibility and organization are, especially in an increasingly digital working world.
Between work and real moments
Anna-Sophie: Even at Workation, everyday life catches up with you more often than you think – for example, when I was still studying for my project management certification in the evening. At the same time, there were also many moments when I felt very far away from my everyday life. On Fridays, when we got in the car early to discover new beaches. Or when I went for a run along the Tagus several times a week. The almost three weeks in which the Portuguese celebrated the feast of Santo António were particularly impressive – and we were right in the middle of the hustle and bustle!
Experiences like these make a workation really special and unforgettable. My sense of time has changed enormously in these six months. I have learned to be more aware of moments, to take them in completely and to consciously spend as little time as possible away from work on my cell phone, laptop or social media. Of course, there was always the occasional post or story, but I consciously reminded myself of this: Real life is happening right in front of me – not on social media. And I’ll never get that valuable time back.
Niklas: If I had to describe my time in Canada in just three words, they would be: exciting, sometimes stressful and different than expected. And let’s be honest – isn’t it usually the case that everything turns out differently than you expect? Whether that’s positive or negative? For me it’s quite clear: experiences are always positive. Even when things don’t go according to plan. In any case, I didn’t just “go on vacation” in Canada. I really lived there. With everything that goes with it: work, university, shopping, sport, friends – just normal everyday life, only with a few more trips than in Austria.
Looking back, I would say that was also what made my time there so special: this real everyday life in a completely new environment. No constant sightseeing, no tourist mode – just real life. But what I definitely wouldn’t have wanted to do without in the last two months? My hat – and warm clothes in general. The Canadian winter is no joke. And when I think back to work, I particularly miss the short, informal calls where you could quickly exchange ideas. I always found them pleasant and uncomplicated.
Who would we recommend a Workation to?
Anna-Sophie: A workation is perfect for anyone who wants to discover new places at their own pace and has no problem working outside the typical work environment. Personally, I would do another workation in a heartbeat! There are so many wonderful places in this world – and let’s face it, we all have far too little time to explore them. A workation offers the chance to spend a long time in a beautiful place and combine work and leisure. Who knows, maybe we’ll talk about how beautiful it is in Porto, Valencia or Lombok in our next online interview!
Niklas: Basically, I can only recommend that everyone try out an experience like this for themselves. Of course, if you only do a semester abroad without a job, you probably have less stress and can perhaps enjoy life a little more intensively. But the combination of work and being abroad has a very special depth to it – you learn a lot, surpass yourself and take away lasting impressions.
Things we would change
Anna-Sophie: Looking back, I think that I was able to get my work to-dos done really well in my 4-day week. If I were to do a workation again, I would probably “only” work 32 hours instead of 34. Many people will probably now think that this is only about two hours, but you still have 8.5 hours more time over the month to watch something, do sport, etc. But this is really the only small point, otherwise I was very happy with my work and leisure schedule and the flexibility it gave me!
Niklas : Looking back, I would hardly change anything in terms of working hours and the number of working days. The ratio was just right for me. It was perfectly compatible with my studies – never too much, never too little. You were challenged, but never overwhelmed. However, if I were to do another workation, I would choose a different country. Not because it wasn’t nice in Canada – on the contrary – but precisely because I’ve already experienced it. The world is a big place and the variety is what makes it so appealing.
Review & Tips
Anna-Sophie: I can only recommend everyone to be open to the adventure and the people! If you’re not going abroad to study or work, it can be quite challenging to make connections at the beginning. So my tip is to be open to new people, sign up for different events and be patient – good things take time. If it doesn’t work right away, don’t despair! For those who are more introverted, a workation like this can be a great opportunity to come out of your shell a little more – if you want to, of course. And remember: the worst thing that can happen is that someone isn’t interested in spending time with you. And that just means you probably won’t see each other again anyway – so no need to lose heart!
Another important tip: planning is half the battle. A workation is incredibly fun and enriches every:n, but without a solid framework – such as a fixed apartment, a stable internet connection and good organization – it quickly becomes complicated.
Niklas : Most of the time I was actually fully immersed in everyday life – and to be honest, I quite enjoyed it. Sport was on the agenda almost every day. Whether in the gym or training with my volleyball team, I was able to really work out and clear my head at the same time. This routine was like an anchor in everyday life – a balance that did me good.
Of course, the little breaks were also worth their weight in gold. When you took a vacation or had a few days off, it was like a mini-reset. A week without university, without work – just switching off, discovering new things, enjoying good food and celebrating life. We tried out all kinds of restaurants, wandered through new places and simply lived in the moment. The time on site was strangely divided into two parts. Sometimes it seemed to drag on – especially in the last few weeks before the big exams. And yet somehow it all passed quickly. Looking back, it was an intense but fulfilling pace.
The important thing is to plan well. And not just the to-dos, but also the “what ifs”. Because if you are prepared, even unexpected challenges can be mastered well. Openness, a solid concept and a reliable team – in my opinion, these are the keys to making a workation a real success.
Last but not least
Anna-Sophie : My workation in Lisbon is probably best described by the Portuguese word “saudade”. It combines the emotions of longing, homesickness, nostalgia, melancholy and a kind of deep affection or loss. Saudade is the presence of absence. The longing for my time in Lisbon, which I remember fondly but will never return in the same form.
Niklas: If I had to sum up the time, then “Workation” would probably not be a quick starter – but definitely a main course. Rich, varied, with lots of exciting side dishes.
