4 Insanely Awesome Opportunities to Work Remotely from Abroad Want to co-work in Barcelona, Prague, Seoul, Bali? Companies are waiting to take you there.
By Shannon Kaiser •
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By 2020, more than 40 percent of the workforce, according to Intuit, will be freelance -- a combination of the the self-determined, the "self-evacuated" and those who have been pushed out of full-time jobs as benefits jobs have decreased.
Related: Office, Schmoffice: How 3 Big-Name Companies Succeed With Remote Working
For many workers, this means that running your own business and choosing the remote lifestyle is the way to go.
I left my own corporate job in advertising, after experiencing burnout six years ago, so I could be my own boss and work from anywhere in the world. But for the past three years, I've been working from my home office in a suburb of Portland, Ore.
I have an oversized map mounted to my wall, and it entices me to go play out in the world. And, though each day the opportunities to travel and work remotely continue to beckon, like many business owners, I've been too caught up with the daily aspects of running a business.
Most of us are so busy trying to build or run our companies, we forget to follow our hearts and do the things we've dreamed about, like traveling and exploring other places. Left unchecked, however, these routines we've fallen into threaten to strangle our creativity and block our productivity.
Another obstacle to my dreams to travel the world while working remotely -- and I've done it a few times -- has been the absence of steady wi-fi. What's more, working remotely can be isolating and lonely when you're on the road. Until now.
A slew of services targeting new adopters of the remote lifestyle have developed, with each host company catering to remote workers, freelancers, entrepreneurs, contractors and business owners who can work remotely and want to do it from all corners of the globe. Are you ready to take your job abroad?
Related: 4 Ways International Work Experience Helps Entrepreneurs Succeed
If so, and if you love adventure and have work or work for a business that supports remote locations (none of the following host companies provide jobs), consider that for about the same price as rent and utilities in a major U.S. city, you can pack your laptop and actually do that.
These four companies provide housing, flights to each location, travel insurance, networking opportunities, co-working spaces, excellent wi-fi and best of all, a community of like-minded people.
1. The Remote Year
Remote Year is heading into its fourth and fifth full season of travel. Seventy-five remote workers will visit 12 different locations, one for each month of the year. The itinerary: Central and Eastern Europe, as well as Central and South America. The program is now accepting applications for the sixth program, which will launch in August 2016.
What's included: full accommodation, all travel between destinations and a common workspace available 24/7 in each city. This company also organizes city tours, special events, honorary speaker days and other activities.
Cost: $27,000 for the entire year. Applicants must submit a $5,000 deposit and then pay $2,000 a month for eleven months, plus a $50 application fee.
2. Terminal 3
Terminal 3 will launch July 1, 2016, and go to six different countries in six months. You also have the option to do three months at a time. The three- to six-month adventure will take 30 successful applicants around the world. Kicking the program off in July, participants will visit and work in Rabat, Morocco.
In August: they'll go to Berlin; in September, Budapest; in October, Seoul, South Korea; in November, Chiang Mai, Thailand; and in December: Bali, Indonesia. The program is now accepting applications.
What's included: full accommodation and travel between destinations, central co-working spaces in each location, twice-weekly get-together meals with the group, weekly language and yoga classes. Terminal also participates in "community impact days," social and networking workshops and events.
Cost: Once an applicant is accepted, an upfront fee of $2,900 is required to book a spot; then, a monthly fee of $1,750, payable a month in advance for six months, is needed. If you join for three months, you simply pay an upfront fee of $2,000 and a monthly fee of $1,750 payable a month in advance.
3. The Remote Experience
The Remote Experience will kick off its first journey in June of 2016. Four months, four countries, 30 remote workers. The experience will take 30 successful applicants in June to Split, Croatia. July will include a visit to Turin, Italy; August, Barcelona; September, Prague. The program is now accepting applications.
What's included: full accommodation, all travel between destinations, monthly social and networking events, co-working spaces dependent on each city and reliable Internet throughout. Remote Experience will also provide traveler's insurance, as well as local ambassadors in each destination to guide travelers.
Cost: $10,000 for four months. Applicants must submit a $3,000 deposit and then pay $1,750 a month.
4. Hacker Paradise
Like the other programs, Hacker Paradise is a company that organizes trips all over the world for developers, designers and other entrepreneurs who want to travel while working remotely or focusing on personal projects.
The trips are typically three months long, but you can go for as little as two weeks. The company's first trip was to Costa Rica in September of 2014, and since then it's had 140-plus people join the community. Next up is Bali and Thailand, then Portugal, Tokyo, Barcelona and Costa Rica. The program is now accepting applications for the ongoing program.
What's included: full accommodation, all travel between destinations, weekly social and networking events, BBQs, shared co-working spaces and reliable Internet.
Price: Each country and week breaks down to a different price; see the website for full investment.
With these abundant choices, it's now easier than ever to honor your wanderlust while earning a paycheck -- essentially getting paid to travel.
Related: Surprisingly (or Not), You Can Get a Lot Done Working From Across the Globe
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