Ask Slashdot: What's the Best Way To Work On Projects While Traveling? 273
An anonymous reader writes "I really want to go travel the world with the money I've saved up at my day job, but I also want to grow as a developer in the process. This is a long-term engagement: 2-3 years or more depending on whether my software is successful. I'll probably be hopping from hostel to hostel at first, with a few weeks at each. How do I find a good work environment in these conditions? Do hostels generally have quiet areas where work could be done? Is it OK to get out your laptop and spend the day in a cafe in Europe, assuming you keep buying drinks? What about hackerspaces — are those common on the other side of the globe? (Apartments are an option for later on, but I'm concerned about losing the social atmosphere that's built in with the hostel lifestyle.) I've never done anything like this before, but I'm really excited about the idea! Any advice would be greatly appreciated."
Coworking (Score:5, Interesting)
I suggest you look at the concept of coworking. Basically you'd rent, short-term, a desk in an open-plan office full of people who work under the same arrangement. This includes internet access, power, and perhaps snacks and drinks. The other people in the place provide the social work atmosphere you crave, and exposure to other interesting things they may be working on. You can pay by the day, week or month (week and month payments usually cover a set amount of days but are cheaper than paying by the day).
Coworking spaces exist in many cities around the world, and since coworking enthusiasts are, well, very enthusiastic about the concept, they communicate with each other and set up collaboration networks. Before you leave on your trip, I suggest you look for local coworking spaces to scout the concept, and talk to the space owners about your plans. They can certainly give you more information and tell you about the "coworking visa" which "allows active members of one space to use other coworking spaces around the world for free for a set number of days (3 is the default)."
Read more about it here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coworking [wikipedia.org]
http://wiki.coworking.com/w/page/16583831/FrontPage [coworking.com] (they have a worldwide directory).
Re:Why not just "relax" and enjoy travel WITHOUT w (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Why not just "relax" and enjoy travel WITHOUT w (Score:5, Interesting)
Because growing as a developer is enjoyment for him. I have trouble explaining to my significant other that building electronics, developing software, and yes, even maintaining my work's servers in offtime, gives me not only a sense of accomplishment, but also a feeling of growth and even pleasure.
Otherwise, I might just find a deserted island and maroon myself there (possibly with my family).
But I would expect not to have to explain that on /.
Also, development skills can (sometimes, even in isolation from other developers) be grown with little more than a book, an IDE, a compiler and time -- the kind of time he's looking to avail himself by travelling while he has no immediate debts or job responsibilities. That's leaving the question of Internet connectivity and all that entails: wikis, IRC, Youtube, etc...
Again, not the sort of thing you think you'd have to explain to a fellow /.er
Re:Been there, doing that :D (Score:5, Interesting)
If you stay at a hostel first, then you'll make friends to hang out with later, when you've moved into a short term lease apartment. Might even find flat mates. You don't want to miss out on the social connections of hostels while traveling for 2-3 years.
Re:Why not just "relax" and enjoy travel WITHOUT w (Score:4, Interesting)