---
date: 2017-08-05
modified_at: 2017-08-05
tags: [lifestyle, philosophy, productivity]
description: A framework for working and studying while traveling, exploring the three phases of settling into a new location and how to maximize productivity through cultivating a habit of change.
---
# What is the perfect way to study and work on the move?

The coming years I am planning to travel to about 5 to 7 places in the world
every year. Of course, this might change, but it's a great way to explore the
world so I will do this until I decide otherwise. In this article I explain why
I think it's so good, how you could travel, and the three phases that I
discovered when being in one place.

Decide what you want
How do you want to live? One of the biggest reasons that I choose to live a life
of travel is to create a habit of change. A habit in which you travel to a
completely different environment every 7 weeks. An effect of this is that you
get to know yourself and you get to know what you want. You start understanding
what makes you happy and what makes you unhappy. You start understanding what
gives you energy and what takes it away. By continuously having to develop new
habits, you are developing your mindset and lifestyle into a better one.

Do you want to live in a big city or do you prefer a small village? Do you like
the mountains or do you like the beach? Do you like a place with lots of parties
or do you fancy a more quiet environment?

It also depends on the goals you have at a certain time in your life. If you
follow your gut, you will find the environment that makes you happy.

Decide on your crew
It totally depends on your goals. With the more people you travel, the more time
you spend with people that don't know the place, and the less new people you
will interact with because you're interacting with people that are traveling
with you already.

Alone The advantage of traveling alone is maximum interactability with locals
and new people. The disadvantage is that many relations stay shallow.

Partner or friend The advantage of traveling with a partner or good friend is
that you always have somebody to talk to and to do things with. The disadvantage
is that you have less freedom because you have to make compromises.

Crew The local immersion will probably be less and the number of new people you
meet will also drop. However, this can be a great way to really get to know
people because you basically live with them for a longer period of time, like a
family. You will make lasting connections.

Phase I: Exploration phase
The first week you should put a lot of energy into the following things to make
the rest of your time as enjoyable as possible.

 1. Accommodation & facility hunt
 2. Making friends
 3. Planning habits
 4. Learn basics of local culture, language, and customs.
 5. Make a list of things you want to do and see in this city: think of weekend
    trips, day trips, day-part trips and evening activities. There can also be
    work-related things you need to do, like meeting with people, attend to
    networking events or visiting companies.

Phase II: Getting used to it & enjoy
After a week or two, hopefully, you have settled in, you are enjoying the way
you are living and you are having fun. In an environment like this, you can
focus on getting work done. You have decided on how much you are going to work
and how much time you will have for other things. Now, the habits take over for
the most part, which means your productivity will be higher, and you can work
full 8-hour days (if you want).

Phase III: Moving on
The last week is the week that you have to say goodbye. A goodbye party is not a
bad idea if this is possible. It can be tough to say goodbye and maybe you
forget some people. I feel like meeting new people in this phase can be boring
because you're not going to stay connected to them for long.