A break from the routine

For online freelancers or work from home professionals (whichever you want to call it) like me, there can be days when you would need to have a new environment to work in. Imagine having the same environment for work as your place for R&R? It generally works for me, but I would sometimes need to just escape the usual day to day routine.

We just recently relocated to an island in the Philippines, called Cebu. First thing that I had to make sure that’s working was my home office. It’s pretty simple, really. Setup your internet, have a desk, a small lamp, an electric outlet and just place your laptop on the desk. Voila! You have your home office.

So, going back to breaking your routine – which really matters, BTW, if you work remotely.

Being married with no kids, I am most of the time left at home while my husband works and travels to nearby cities. It gets TOO solitary, believe me. Television, books and household chores help keep me distracted, but sometimes, you really just need to see people and YES, the outside world – away from the four corners of your home. We live in a 50-square meter condo unit, and there’s really not much to see or do in a small place like that.

With several places that you can choose from, where you can work in the big city, the options are endless. BUT! I’m super thrilled to write about this “coffice” that I just recently discovered here in Cebu City.

The place is called The Coffee Factory. Here’s a map if you want to check the place out. It’s an awesome space, not only for online freelancers, but even for students. One thing that really got me fascinated were the books that they have displayed – they have lots of options. So if you forget to bring a book and you decide to read while you’re there, feel free to choose from the collection of books they have available.

Below are the top things I loved about the place, but at the same time, these are things that you might want to consider when you look for a place to get some work done:

• Fast and reliable/stable internet. The most important thing among this list. They don’t have blazing fast internet like your home fibre. It’s pretty reliable if you want to work on projects, join video calls with your remote teams, do research, write, etc. May not be too good for hardcore downloading or streaming though. They provide a 3-5 Mbps download speed which is pretty decent, if you ask me. With the type of environment that it offers, it’s a good trade-off.

• Power outlets everywhere! You don’t need to worry about your laptop running out of juice, or even think about bringing that heavy power bank for your mobile devices. Almost all of their desks have dedicated power outlets for you.

• Conducive work environment. What’s also very important for people who want to get work done is there should be no distractions. It’s a very quiet place. You don’t get to hear boisterous people talking. I guess everyone in that place understands that the place is really for people who’d like to focus and get things done.

• Coffee bean options. You don’t always get to find a coffee shop that allows you to choose the type of coffee bean you like for your drink. Being a coffee addict, the internet speed is as important as how good the caffeine fix they can provide is. Having the option to select from a variety of coffee bean options was one thing that I found really cool.

• Team meetings/group work needs? Not a problem! This place also has their mini meeting room for any group work activities or projects that you’d need to get done. My favorite part of the room? The table! Power outlets are enough for everyone!

• Study nooks are also available for you. If you just want to do your usual reading, or you’re more comfortable working in a tight space, with less distractions, then the nooks that they have here are great for you.

 

It was my first time to work in that place, and I’m definitely going back. Not only because of the things listed above. Did I mention that they also make super good chocolate chip cookies? (drooooool!)

It’s a great place for online freelancers to take a break from the usual home office setup and routine, or just have a new environment to work and be productive. If you happen to be in Cebu, feel free to check this place out.