If the digital nomad life has ever peaked your interest, then the idea of working remotely from Hawaii probably sounds intriguing. At least it did for me. While I always envied the digital nomad lifestyle, I never thought that this was possible for me as an extrovert with an in-person position. In fact, I thought remote work sounded unattainable, lonely and well, remote. However, my outlook was abruptly overturned by COVID-19. While I dread using the term “unprecedented,” it truly is the best way to capture the series of events that followed the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States in March 2020.

COVID Enforced Remote Work

As a writer at an agency in downtown Portland, my mornings used to consist of walking to work listening to my favorite new songs or an inspiring French podcast. My office had a tab at a local coffee shop, socialization was encouraged, and there were happy hours almost every week.

This however, was not the case once the city, the world, was struck with this coronavirus catastrophe. Shelter in place orders shut down the city, the office was closed indefinitely, and all non essential workers were ordered to continue their jobs from home. This means that whatever living condition you happened to have at that time, became your office, gym, bar, yoga studio, restaurant, and house.

As a resident of a studio loft downtown, this means every day was now destined to be spent within the four walls (and I mean literally four walls) of my apartment. Well, the apartment I share with my partner. The initial novelty of getting to work from home, and with my best friend for that matter, started to lose its allure by month four. The reality of taking turns participating in zooms calls in the office, aka the bathroom, set in. As the months dragged on, time was marked by political unrest, social injustice, and visceral violence.

Some days we had the motivation to go for an evening walk as an excuse to leave our four walls and breathe “fresh air” through our swampy masks. Other days the four walls never opened for us.

By month nine of COVID enforced work from home, winter came around. Let’s just say that winter in Portland did not encourage these daily outings. In other words, the dark wet sky dramatically sobbing into the city streets was far from a friendly invitation for a stroll. Our routine melted into an amorphous blur, one day indistinguishable from the next. With no plans for a return to the office in sight, we decided to dismiss this depressing setting and search elsewhere.

Seeking Shelter in the Sunshine

The sun, sand, and shore are passions that my partner and I have shared since our early days studying at the University of California, Santa Barbara. And in this moment of precipitous political, pandemic, and professional pressure, we both craved the healing powers of the salty sea. So it was decided, the beach epitomized the perfect escape for us- as many of you would probably agree.

The idea of the beach became a glimmer of hope for a less depressing future, and it fostered a seed of resilience in my soul. No amount of daily darkness could dampen my spirit. Hell, I went for my evening stroll in what turned out to be a noteworthy flash flood, and was drenched to the bone with swampy street water dispelled by oncoming traffic. Still, my heart remained warmed by the idea of the sun soaked shore in the future.

As cliché as it is, I could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. The blur began to slow, and I found myself smiling beneath my mask.

Bound for the Big Island of Hawaii

While I sit strapped into my airplane seat, I feel eternally grateful for the opportunity and ability to work remotely. It’s certainly not what I expected, but if 2020 has taught me anything, it’s that expectations are overrated and we can never truly understand a situation until we are experiencing it ourselves. Both good or bad.

With that in mind, remember to check your expectations of others in these uncertain times, be kind to each other, ask questions, and listen. Not everyone has found that light yet or has access to it, but sometimes human connection can be just as warming as a sun soaked shore.

Moving Forward

I’m excited to share my stories with you about digital nomad life in Hawaii and I hope they can offer a little light, or even just a little laugh. I’m certain that they certainly won’t go according to plan, but sometimes that’s the best part.

À la prochaine!