“You are now free to move about the country.”
One of my favorite marketing slogans would have to come from Southwest Airlines. A few years ago they would run their commercial and you would hear the overhead light chime. You would then hear the captain say over the loud speaker “You are now free to move about the country.”
What a great tagline. To go with their low rates came the freedom for you to get out of town, to chase a dream, and in essence to be free.
That’s a bit what remote work can offer you as well. Although there are many benefits to remote work. This truly may be one of the best ones.
Although working remotely doesn’t offer you the same freedoms that say being financially independent does. For more on that, you probably want to see the famous Mr. Money Mustache.
Over a decade ago, my spouse and I wanted to relocate back to her home town. It took over a year of looking for a job, interviewing, and then setting up a moved to make that happen.
Ultimately, the move didn’t work out and we ended up not staying in that area for the long term. It was a difficult lesson on many fronts and we learned a lot from all that.
At that time, I wished there was such as thing as a remote job (pretty unheard of in my field at that time). Fast forward over a decade, and in my current role.
Remote work opens up new freedoms
The other day, we half jokingly brought up moving again. Granted, there are many things that would have to fall into place for that to happen. But, one less worry would be about finding an open position on my field. Applying for that job. Interviewing. Hoping I get the job. Then moving into that job.
In fact, this is one of the most stressful things to go through all that. To think you could just move your family, and still report into the same job is a true epiphany of freedom.
If we needed to, we could find a way to move to another part of the country- and really not be much worse for the ware. Sure, there is the adjustment of a new place. Finding schools for the kids. Getting into a new doctor. All the usual things.
But one major stressor that wouldn’t be there would be securing employment and starting a new job.
Indeed. We are now “free to move about the country.”