Blog – Page 2 – Marion Englert

January 1, 2020October 29, 2022

New Year’s Eve the Chilean way

New Year’s Eve or Silvester as we call it in Germany is usually the biggest party of the year. You go out, dance on the streets and marvel at the countless fireworks at midnight. Not here in Santiago de Chile. At least not this year. Because of the unrest in recent months, there was no official firework and private fireworks are not allowed. It was an unusual sight to walk the streets in Santiago after midnight and not spotting a single soul.

Nevertheless, celebrating the start of a new year and a new decade here in Chile was memorable. In this part of the world festivities like this are a family affair. Being very family orientated, the Chileans prefer to have their parties at home with family and friends. Something I admire. And if they go out – as we discovered during our NYE dinner show at a reputed restaurant – they include the whole family. We had four generations sitting at the table next to us, obviously having an amazing time together and interacting with each other, chatting, laughing, dancing – no mobile phone to be seen. Unfortunately, in our yet so modern world, we do not see this very often anymore. Actually, pretty sad.

Interesting to see was also that NYE parties here in Santiago only start after midnight and it’s mostly the younger generation that turns night into day and party until the sun comes up. So, the people here in Santiago de Chile certainly do know how to party – they just do it in a more family orientated way.

December 23, 2019October 29, 2022

A tiny bit of home at Lima’s Kulcafé

To stumble upon a piece of Germany was the least I expected as I roamed the streets of Lima, one of South America’s largest cities with a population of close to 10 million. But there it was – a tiny café tucked away from the major roads of the busy metropolis.

This cafe is wonderful, it has a beautiful interior and is a place to relax and enjoy quality time with friends. This cozy place, run by the German Christiane Pfuhl, has become one of the favorite places for those who want to relax with a good coffee or German food such as a bratwurst.

The highlight for me was to find German Christmas cake there – Christstollen. A blessing at this time of the year.

Merry Christmas to all my friends celebrating!

December 20, 2019October 29, 2022

When the going gets tough, the tough get going

Hot ginger tea and some sleep will always help when you’re sick.

Life happens, even when you travel and work remotely. Seemingly minor things like a cold or a flu that life throws at you at this time of the year becomes a different dimension when you’re on the road. At home you just suck it up, snuggle up in bed with chicken soup and hot tea and try to get better… when the going gets tough, the tough get going.

Well, you do the same while working remotely – the big difference is that you might miss a big part of your experience. Because being on the road also means that you stay in one place only for a certain amount of time and if – like in my case – you spend a week of your four week stay tucked away from the outside world, 25% of your local experience in this particular city or country is gone.

It’s not that I bathe in self-pity now and count all the things I might have missed, but admittedly there is a tiny taste of melancholy and the wish that I could turn back time. But as I said earlier, the tough get going, and I just need to do the exploring the Chinese way now.

In any case, it was also a great experience as it showed me how caring people can be that you’ve only met a few weeks ago. I was well looked after by my travel family and got more loving care I guess than back home.

And it was a good example that no matter where you are on this planet or what you do, your life continues to happen: The big wheels are turning.

Enjoy life!

November 26, 2019October 29, 2022

Working across time zones

It’s said that working remotely gives you the freedom to work at your own terms and to work wherever you feel most comfortable. That much is true, but it is also challenging. You have to be disciplined, organized and structured plus as with any job – you need a certain routine. It took me a while to find mine. A routine not to just find the right balance between work and explore but also to figure out the best working hours and where I need to set up my office to be productive.

In contrary to most of my fellow remotes I prefer not to work from the Selina Co-Working space in Medellín. I choose the quiet of my apartment over the lively open plan office we’re offered at Selina. Despite missing out on the energetic vibes and the occasional chit-chat with my fellow remote workers, it gives me the freedom to be a bit more flexible in my working hours – and that is crucial as I learned in my first week.

Never underestimate the time difference!

I really underestimated the challenge of working across time zones – especially if your clients are six respectively nine hours ahead of you. When they fire up their laptops and enjoy their first cup of coffee, I’m fast asleep dreaming of new adventures. And once I get up in the morning, they are busy making plans for their evenings.

Lucky me to have understanding clients who share my passion for remote work or at least allow me the freedom of doing so. One of them even postponed a scheduled conference call from 9am to 12pm so that I can be part of it without getting up at 3am in the morning. Nevertheless, I still sat there red eyed and with my video camera switched off – 6am is still tough for a serious and productive conversation. But that’s nomad life and a small price to pay for the flexibility and freedom that I enjoy working remotely.

November 12, 2019October 29, 2022

Lost in translation

When you think your Spanish is proficient enough to master the friendly chat with your doorman or the casual conversation with your Uber driver and figure out in the end that they are just too polite to tell you that what you meant to say is not what you actually said… I’m in Medellín for a little bit over a week now and I’m still lost when it comes to speaking Spanish, not to speak about the Colombian Spanish. But the good thing is that I’m confident that all of this will change soon. Spanish lessons are in full swing and I do make it a habit to have these little conversations on a daily basis, no matter how bad they might me. They are always good for a hearty laugh.

Love at first sight

Other than that, Medellín already stole my heart. It was love at first sight. And I cannot even tell what it is – is it the landscape with its incredible views, the life loving and welcoming attitude of the people here, the somewhat Caribbean vibe on the streets or even the admittedly dark history? Anyways, Medellin is definitely a place I’d like to explore further and even more so Colombia. Next week I’ll have the chance to learn about the coffee culture, get some exercise while practicing Bachata and Salsa, take a day trip to Bogota and Guatapé and hopefully dive even further into Colombia’s past, present and future.

November 4, 2019October 29, 2022

Digitale Nomadin – Traum oder verrücktes Wagnis

Sonja Ohly und ohfamoos – Voll das gute Leben haben mich zum Thema Remote Work interviewt. Hier der Link zum Interview. (https://www.ohfamoos.com/2019/11/digitale-nomadin-traum-oder-verruecktes-wagnis/)

Digitale Nomaden, New Work, Work-Life Balance. Alles Schlagworte, die in letzter Zeit immer häufiger auftauchen. Aber was steckt wirklich dahinter, was bedeutet es ortsunabhängig zu arbeiten und warum macht man das? Wir haben jemanden getroffen, der genau das ausprobieren möchte. Marion Englert bereitet sich auf ein Leben als Digitaler Nomade oder so genannter Remote Worker vor. Seit ein paar Tagen ist sie in Südamerika. Gemeinsam mit einer Gruppe Berufstätiger wird sie nicht nur die Region erkunden, sondern auch ihrem Beruf nachgehen. Traum oder verrücktes Wagnis?

October 31, 2019October 29, 2022

Trouble in Paradise

What can I say… after South America greeted me with some amazing impressions and a fabulous time in Rio de Janeiro I had an email in my inbox that quite upset me. My trip to Santiago has to be postponed due to the unrest there and my first Remote Year stop will be Medellín in Colombia. While I understand the reasons for the change, it still got me. I was so much looking forward to my stay in Chile. But it is what it is, and Santiago has to wait just a little bit longer.

Anyways, my first impression of South America is a fabulous one. Rio de Janeiro is definitely a must visit spot – and not just for the Carnival. It’s a city of contrast with a beautiful landscape and greenery beyond belief for a place with a population close to seven million (almost 13,5 million including the region). The versatility and the life loving attitude of the people really won my heart.

And hey, despite not speaking a word of Portuguese, I got along. With my basic Spanish and a lot of hand and feet talking it was even fun to navigate my way around the city. I spent hours strolling up and down Rio’s famous beaches Copacabana and Ipanema, enjoyed marvelous views from the mountain tops and of course gazing open mouthed at the Christ the Redeemer statue on top of Corcovado. Fascinating street art, live bands, bohemian neighborhoods and the general optimistic and somehow carefree vibe of Rio made my stay.

To be continued. I’m already in love with South America.

View from Cocovado — Christ the Redeemer statue

October 25, 2019October 29, 2022

Altitude issues

Work less, explore more. My work will stay home while I explore Machu Picchu. Image by Adrian Dascal on Unsplash

Did you know that your laptop can get altitude sickness as well? While my treasured computer might not get symptoms that include headaches, vomiting, tiredness, trouble sleeping, and dizziness, it might suffer from the low oxygen supply too.

As I was doing some last-minute preparations ahead of my trip to South America on Monday, I meticulously checked my gear – mainly my portable office, to make sure everything is working just fine. And to my surprise I figured that the maximum operating altitude is 10,000 feet (3048 meters). Being the fussy self that I am, I had to get to the bottom of it and I kept the people at Cupertino busy with my questions what might happen if. They were even grateful that I raised the topic as they were also not aware about it J. But in the end, they could not really tell me what if… Just that they will not guarantee 100% functionality.

Anyways, the wellbeing of my iOS operated travel companion might be a good excuse for me to work less and explore more ;).

October 13, 2019October 29, 2022

Point of no return

Slowly but surely reality sinks in. Where is the panic button? Only one more week to go and I will officially be “homeless”. Or should I rather say the world will be my home? Anyways, I would lie if I say that everything is fine and that I cannot wait to board the plane. Truth is, that I do feel a bit uneasy. Leaving the comfort zone behind and taking a leap of faith is tough – even for the most adventurous person. I usually do not overthink things, but right now my mind is in shambles. Is this really what I want? Is this the right thing to do? Will this damage my career or will it be a boost? Too many questions. I’m a human being after all. But I believe in faith and destination. And if you know what you want, you have to go on out and get it!

October 10, 2019October 29, 2022

When you plan to go to Chile and end up in Brazil

Don’t ever leave me in front of a computer to book a flight without supervision. As I was trying to sort my (direct) flight from Dubai to Santiago de Chile – the first stop of my Remote Year adventure – I happened to notice that there is a “technical stop” during the 20-hour long flight. In Rio de Janeiro!

Intrigued by the thought of stopping in Brazil’s famous seaside city – home of the Christ The Redeemer statue, the Copacabana and the Sugar Loaf Mountain – my mind started wandering. I already pictured myself taking images of the famous coastline from atop Mount Corcovado, strolling along Ipanema Beach and checking out Rio’s Lapa and Santa Teresa districts.

Usually my favorite airline Emirates offers free stopovers, so I paused the booking process and gave them a call. To my dismay the lady on the other end told me that a stopover in Rio is not possible – we’re not even supposed to leave the plane.

Can you imagine how I felt, imagining sitting on the tarmac in Rio de Janeiro and not having the possibility to explore the world’s second largest city? So, I’ve spent the afternoon searching several flight portals and bingo – with a few twists and turns I was able to get my stopover and are now fortunate enough to spend three days in South America’s Samba capital. Imagine the grin on my face ;).

Samba, Bossa Nova, breathtaking landscape, here I come!