Cafés, Currywurst, and Coworking
…That’s What Berlin Does.
As a fellow Loosecuber once so eloquently put it, Berlin is not so much “hipster” as it is “hippie.” The people are relaxed, the cafés are plentiful, and the graffiti (read: street art) is ubiquitous. Not so surprisingly then, coworking is widely embraced by the communal Berliners and the folks at MobileSuite, Agora, and Co.up are fine examples of the strong and diverse coworking movement there. If you’re planning a workation anytime soon, Berlin is an absolute must.
I’ll spare you the stories of currywurst binges, ridiculous beer festivals, and public karaoke in the park (500 people singing Lady Gaga? Yup) because you honestly need to experience those yourself. What I can help with, however, is making your next workation as fun and productive as mine. Here are some handy tips from my first solo workation:
1.) Work closer to U.S. hours.
Being 6 hours ahead in Berlin, I worked from around 11 AM to 7 PM local time. That allowed me to wake up early and complete a morning full of touristic glory before heading into the office. I then had even more overlap with my colleagues stateside. Depending on the time difference at your workation destination, I’d suggest a variation of those working hours. Just be sure to check the business hours of your Loosecube first!
2.) Chat up the host and some fellow coworkers.
Locals know the lay of the land. They also know where to drink and eat. Ask them for some recommendations and you may even find yourself with a new drinking buddy for the night. The best night I had in Berlin was based off of the recommendations of a host.
3.) Buy a Macbook Air.
Seriously.
4.) Download the Gmail Offline app in Chrome.
You will inevitably find yourself without WiFi at some point during the trip but don’t let it slow you down. Gmail Offline downloads your current mailbox and then lets you read and respond to emails while you’re offline. It then sends those emails once you’re reconnected. Ahhh, technology.
5.) Work on the airplane.
You will have plenty of time to kill when you’re cruising at 35,000 feet. Save some work for the plane and spend some more time exploring the city.
Workations are awesome. Try it.
Prost!
Kevin
