This time a guest blog about a different way of working and traveling. This special story by Aisling is about chasing your dreams and creating a remote work life that way. She has managed to work partly in Tanzania now, now that’s an inspiring place to work! Aisling is 34 years old and currently working as a marketing manager for a tour operator operating in Tanzania and Zanzibar.
How the adventure began
3.5 years ago I was about to emigrate to Colombia with my boyfriend, until we broke up shortly before departure. My world collapsed: now what? I had already quit my office job and somewhere I knew it had not suited me for some time. It was a difficult period, but on the other hand, the world was at my feet. After all, I had been given the opportunity to start anew and take a new path.
Together with a friend, I went on vacation to Tanzania. While booking the trip, I decided not to buy a return ticket. My plan was to take time to travel, unwind and think about my future. At the time, I thought I would probably be back in three months. What I didn’t know then was that this would be the beginning of three special years in Tanzania.
My adventure in Tanzania
Shortly after my arrival in Tanzania, I quickly came across all kinds of interesting projects. My first experience was at a homestay near Arusha, where I worked with the owners to expand the stay. Within a short time we built several new rooms and a restaurant. Then I had the opportunity to work with the Kilimanjaro Project. For several months, together with the local community, we planted tens of thousands of trees around Mount Meru, a wonderful initiative that benefited both the environment and the local people.
A year after my arrival, I found my place at the travel company I still work for today. My career began at their office in Arusha. Later I moved to one of the lodges, where I had the unique opportunity to set up my own online sales office. This office was literally located in the bush. Every day I was surrounded by wildlife: curious blue vervet monkeys that wanted to steal my snacks, a baboon that came in unexpectedly once, and zebras grazing peacefully right outside my window.
Paradisiacal Zanzibar and working remotely
After a few months I moved to Zanzibar, where I lived in the capital Stone Town for a year. Despite the beautiful surroundings, I noticed that office life there didn’t suit me either. I decided to talk to the owner of the company. For years I had been struggling with concentration problems and I discovered that I am more productive and happier when I have the freedom to determine my own workplace and working hours.
Since then I have been working remotely within the marketing department and have worked in different places in Tanzania. Thus, I have had the opportunity to visit beautiful places for work, but I have also been to different places in the country privately to work remotely. Give me a beautiful view, a good cup of coffee and my music, and I can move mountains. I am extremely grateful to have been given the freedom and confidence to work this way.
So my advice to others is: be honest about what you need. That works best, both for yourself and those around you.
Remote working is ‘the best of both worlds’
After three years, I returned to the Netherlands. It was not an easy transition: back in the hustle and bustle of the city, where everything has to be planned. Coming back to how things once were, while I myself have changed an awful lot, was confronting. What I appreciated so much about Tanzania is the relaxed lifestyle. People are incredibly friendly and there is always a creative solution to every problem. At the same time, that laid-back attitude also has drawbacks, such as it sometimes takes longer to get certain things done. Although I must say that this was a good exercise for my patience!
It’s not that one is better than the other – it’s just different. After three years, I felt the need to reconnect with the Netherlands and Europe. Yet my heart remains connected to Tanzania. In the coming time, I will commute between both continents – truly “the best of both worlds!
My plans for the near future: I am going to spend a period of time in Ireland, where part of my roots are. In a few months I will fly back to Tanzania for two months, and after the summer I will be in Tanzania for another three months. There I will continue working on a project I have been volunteering for the past few months, in addition to my regular job: setting up a business school for tourism and hospitality in the Usambara Mountains. This initiative, called Ubuntu Leadership Program, aims to provide young people in this remote region with the knowledge and skills to become leaders and entrepreneurs in their fields.
Remote working and slow travel in Tanzania
Tanzania may not be the first country you think of when it comes to working remotely. The Internet connection is not always stable and power outages are common. Still, it is absolutely possible. For example, I always make sure I have good mobile internet, which serves as a backup when the WiFi goes down, and I find out well in advance which hotels have a generator nearby that I can turn to if the electricity goes out.
For me, remote working is the way to travel. I prefer slow travel: really getting to know a country by staying there for a longer period of time and becoming part of everyday life. During my time in Tanzania, I mainly lived with the locals. This gave me the unique opportunity to experience the culture up close and really be part of the community. It also helped me to see the world and things from a different light, a different perspective. I gained an awful lot of life experience in Tanzania. Also living there was not always easy and sometimes quite confronting, but those very challenges taught me a lot and shaped me into who I am today.
This way of working and traveling gives me the freedom to discover the world at my own pace and in my own way. It is an experience beyond what you can see or experience on a short vacation. It completely fits who I am, and I wouldn’t have it any other way for anything.
