I’m not sure if you all know, but I spend a lot of time on trains. I currently split my time between Cambridge and Sheffield but also find myself in Suffolk, London and Manchester quite regularly. As you can imagine, I always need to be ready to do my work on trains, in hotel rooms or at a local coffee shop. I love my current lifestyle because I embrace change and it means I never get bored of one place (not yet anyway).
One of my long term goals is to book an apartment on the other side of the world, pick up my laptop and go and work there for a month.
Today I thought I’d share the things that make up my travelling office with you. The list changes in accordance to how long I’m away for and where I’m going. There are times when all I need is my laptop and phone and other times when all I need is my camera. This list includes everything I would take with me for 3/4 weeks away. I like to travel as light as possible so make sure that everything always fits into my laptop case and backpack.
Let’s dive into my travelling office:
– Laptop – This is a pretty obvious one. If I’m away for more than 2 days then my laptop comes along with me. I can get on with my blog and freelance work easily and I usually take a hard drive with me to store my photos and video footage.
Pro tip: Carry an empty hard drive when you travel instead of one with years of your work on it.
– iPhone – On a 2 day trip I can usually get a lot of my work done using just my phone. It all depends on the projects I’m working on. Isn’t it amazing that we can now do so much from just our phones?
I like to ensure I always have a protective case on my phone when I’m travelling. It’s easy to drop your phone, especially if you’re always pulling out your phone to take photos and share Snapchat stories like me.
– iPad – I saved up for my iPad a few years ago and it’s been a very good purchase. I tend to bring it along for reading books, making notes, writing blog posts and doing research when I’m on the train. These are all things I could also do on my phone, but I like having the option of a bigger screen and I’m pretty sure it must be better for my eyes. If I’m only away for a couple of days then I take my iPad in place of my laptop.
As with a phone, I highly recommend having a sturdy case for your tablet of choice.
– Notebook – Although a lot of the work I do is computer based I keep a notebook in my bag at all times. It’s useful for jotting down ideas and brainstorming. I like stocking up on new stationery and often pick up notebooks on my travels (any excuse, right?). At the moment I’m using a couple of Onetenzeroseven’s notebooks, they’re small, colourful and fit neatly into my bag.
– Diary – I still enjoying using a real life diary and have been using a Filofax this year. I think that in the long-term I will fully move over to organising my dates digitally but for now, I have the perfect excuse to make use of pretty stickers.
– Headphones – These come in handy when I need to edit videos in a public space. They’re also useful for helping me to zone out or listen to my favourite podcasts.
– Camera and accessories – Some of my work, a lot of it actually, involves multiple cameras. My Canon 7d and G16 are always in my bag or hanging around my neck. I also keep a mini camera tripod with me at all times. I currently use the Pixi Mini from Manfrotto was a very practical birthday gift from Phil. It works with all of my cameras, even my big 7D.
– Battery pack – I know I’m always talking about my Anker, but it’s just so useful. I can charge my phone from it around 7 times and it’s rare that I leave the house without it. As much as I love sharing stories on Snapchat and Instagram it’s just not possible without extra phone juice.
– Accordion file – This only comes with me on trips where I’m away for a month or more. I keep all of my paper work and accounts in an accordion folder which makes it much easier to locate things. I have a section for invoices, accounts, banking, home stuff and more. I don’t keep everything in it, I have a main one at home for that. I just keep anything I think I might need to refer to when I’m on the move.
If you’re looking for useful office supplies then Engelbert Strauss have a wide selection of workwear, tools and office supplies. I like to stock up at the start of the tax year and make sure that I have all my finances and work in order. I’ve learnt that things can get messy and unorganised very quickly so it’s best to keep on top of things from the start.
– Clear wallet – I keep a simple, clear plastic wallet in my backpack and pop all of my receipts into it. If I don’t do this then I always end up losing them and that’s never a good thing when you’re self-employed.
– Pencil case – My fantastic watermelon pencil case works to keep everything organised. This was another practical birthday gift from P. It has 3 compartments and I like to keep any small wires and headphones neatly inside one. Another is for pens, pencils and of course, my trusty Charlotte Tilbury Lip Pencil in Pillow Talk. Finally there’s also a mirror and a bunch of my business cards in the third section.
I’ve found that separating my things into pencil cases or small bags is a good way of keeping the inside of my handbags organised – that’s a post for another day.
– Post-its – Over the last 2 months I’ve done away with daily to do lists (I keep a digital monthly list) and have started to write out 3 goals for each day. It’s helped me to become much more focused and productive.
Are you self-employed? Leave a comment below and let me know where you’re working from today.
This is a sponsored post.