This time we share the story of Sharon van Eck, she went to Edinburgh on workstation. Sharon is a nutritionist, travel enthusiast and founder of the blog Travel Ingredients. She herself has experienced how difficult it can sometimes be to find accommodation where you can go if you have certain dietary requirements, now she helps others find the best place. She shares below her workation experience in Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital city.
How did I choose my workation destination?
January 2023, I had been planning my workation for some time and was hesitating between Malaga or Edinburgh. The weather forecast largely determined my choice. But deep down, I had already chosen. Edinburgh had been on my wish list for years. This city exudes a kind of magic that you can’t quite put into words. I was looking for inspiration for my platform Travel Ingredients, which I thought I would find here, so I chose Edinburgh. In my experience, this city was like a fairy tale. Once I arrived, my expectations turned out to be nothing short of reality. Edinburgh really is something else.
This is how I prepared my workation
Being an organizer by nature, I had everything figured out. From Edinburgh Airport I could easily catch the bus, which took me to the city center in just under half an hour. Naturally, I chose a seat at the top of the double-decker and feasted my eyes.
I am always amazed at moments like these, what it does to me to ‘suddenly’ be in a completely different world.
As soon as I spotted a Starbucks, I quickly got off, as an online call was scheduled. Despite my schedule, with plenty of room for the unexpected, I was still tight on time. In fact, my flight earlier that day was severely delayed. The call was moved up an hour, but it still became a challenge. Once inside, half started, I realized that the connector for the UK outlet was still at home. So much for my perfect preparation. My laptop couldn’t connect to my earpods so I had to do the call with my phone. The result after that? Battery down. So there I was. A little lost, right in the middle of downtown Edinburgh. Fortunately, as oldskool as I am, I had figured out in advance where I was supposed to be roughly. Of course, I could have found a way to charge my phone. But where’s the fun in that? 😉 So I set off packed and ready, asked people for directions in my best English and after some detours (read: walking from the lower town to the upper town at least three times unnecessarily, in a far too warm coat with backpack and suitcase) found the hostel. Once checked in, I dropped my stuff in the locker and flew to the bathroom with my shower bag. I realized how much inspiration this day alone had given me.
Fun activities in Edinburgh
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- Whisky or beer tasting
- Discover The Scottish Highlands or Loch Ness
- Underground vaults tour
- Drinking at Grassmarket
- Wandering around the oldtown
More details and tips from Sharon about Edinburgh can be found here.
The 2 main insights this workation brought
A flexible attitude works wonders
Good preparation is half the battle, but realize that things can – and do – turn out differently than expected. For example, I don’t plan meetings on the first day and I check all my equipment beforehand. By being flexible towards locals or other travelers, the best conversations and experiences arise. For me these moments really made my workation a unique experience! Your stay and location are very important
The location of my hostel was perfect for solo travelers. Right in the middle of the authentic old city center of Edinburgh. With all the activities, pubs and the well known Grassmarket within walking distance. It felt homey and given its location, I left the hostel alone with confidence, even at night. Because the hostel offers both private rooms and dorms with pods and also has a suitable work space, many different “workation-goers” came.
In short, this week on workstation in Edinburgh brought me much more than just new inspiration for my platform. I gained knowledge about the history of Edinburgh, I tasted the local cuisine and talked to a lot of fellow travelers, each with a unique story. By going out in an unfamiliar environment, you grow enormously as a person. You get to know new sides of yourself and discover new interests. For me enough reasons to say: everyone should allow themselves – or their co-workers – a workation! Curious about more workation experiences? Also read the story of Sandra, who lives in her campervan. Do you also want to work location independent, but need some help and would like to learn from a workation expert? Then book a one-time consultation with Alieke. In a 1-hour video meeting you can ask her all your questions and she will give you tips on remote work. She helps you shape your workstation. More information about our advice can be found on this page.
