1. The “your life is a vacation” perception. Anyone out there who works from the road has come across this one. I once posted a facebook status that said “work is work, no matter where in the world you are,” and immediately, the comments rolled in. “Are you kidding? Your life is a vacation!” “Cry me an f’n river.” “Oh, give me a break. You are traveling.” What my dear, supportive friends fail to grasp is that work really IS work; only the location is different. Eight regular hours per day (usually more), conference calls, meetings, deadlines, co-workers, bosses, clients. Except I don’t go into the office, and I’m stuck behind a laptop. All day. I don’t get to leave for meetings or business lunches. And when the work day is done, the office doesn’t go away–there is no physical separation from work. Now, I am certainly not complaining–I am incredibly fortunate–but it is a great frustration to deal with the opinion that my work is somehow easier, or that I put in less effort.

2. Other travelers. There is a type of traveler that takes it as a personal offense to see another traveler with a laptop. They will glance at you with disdain as they stroll by in their ratty cargo pants, stroking their dreads/piles of woven bracelets/absurdly tan skin, secure in the knowledge that they are a “real” traveler, experiencing the culture while you are clearly unable to leave the rat race behind. If you remain behind the computer for more than an hour, they will make comments that reek of superiority, reveling in their enlightened status. After eight hours, they will be in spasms of critical delight at the discovery, which they will be able to complain about for months to come. (”You wouldn’t believe this girl at my hostel in Panama…”) Ironic, because these characters are only able to witness your atrocious fixation with “being connected” because they have not left the hostel. All day. And when you return from dinner and an evening of exploring, they will still be there, smoking a joint with other non-locals and congratulating themselves on being masters of the travel universe.

3. Staying motivated. Imagine, if you will, the following scenario: you’re on a stunning tropical island, lying in a hammock. A group of travelers spots you and extends an invitation to a beach tour that will cost practically nothing. You smile, say, “No thanks. I wish I could, but I’m working,” and look back down at your laptop while they dance off to the boat. After a few minutes spent staring wistfully at the fading wake, you turn dispiritedly back to the press release you’re writing. In this and countless similar situations, be prepared to remind yourself why you’re doing this. List off the places you’ve been, and the places you’re going, and remind yourself that the beach will still be there on the weekend and after work.

4. Finding internet. There is no panic like the panic you feel when there’s an important web meeting in 20 minutes and your hostel’s internet goes out. After a futile–questioning of the desk worker–WHY do they never understand internet connection?–you throw your laptop in a bag and run for the door, desperate to find a cafe with decent wireless. Also delightful is a wasted weekend in a new place spent searching for a hostel with decent–or any–internet connection, because you’re three hours behind the office and will need to start work at an hour when even the roosters are asleep.

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