Relocation and Remote Work: How Focus Trumps Chaos

Change is rarely convenient. It interrupts our routines, challenges our assumptions, and often requires more energy than we’d like to spend. But it’s also the thing that forces us to grow. For me, nothing has highlighted this chaos more than the intersection of relocation and remote work. Not just once, but over and over – again and again.

As a young adult, I was a freelancer and took chances living abroad in Spain and Mississippi (yes, Mississippi counts as abroad in its own way). Years later, in the midst of my “corporate career,” I left Michigan for two years in Istanbul, Türkiye, and just last month made the permanent move from the MidWest to the Phoenix metro area. Moving across states and oceans has been more than a logistical headache; it has been a crash course in the power of focus and flexibility – with an occasional side of panic. Remote work may have made these transitions possible, but mindset and persistence turned them into lessons worth keeping.

Relocation Is Never Simple

Relocating is hard – physically, mentally, emotionally. Anyone who’s packed up their life knows the feeling. Whether you’re trying to wedge your entire house full of belongings into easy-to-transport cardboard boxes; navigating airline baggage restrictions, layovers, and cancelations; or pulling the trigger on the DIY route and going cross-country with a rented truck and way too much coffee, it’s never as easy as the house hunters on HGTV make it look (spoiler: nobody’s moving cross-country with just three suitcases and zero visible stress). Some people outsource it all to moving companies; others grit their teeth, rent the biggest U-Haul they can find, and decide to take on the highways themselves. I’ve done both. And let me tell you, no matter how you get from point A to point B, it’s never without its share of stress, sweat, and “why did we think this was a good idea?” moments.

Planes, Trucks, and Too Many Boxes

If you’ve ever thought flying is stressful, let me introduce you to my most recent nightmare: a two-day U-Haul marathon from Michigan to Arizona. We drove a U-Haul truck nearly 48 hours straight, bouncing along the highways like life-sized versions of the tiny hula-dancer glued to the dashboard. Every bump became a growing reminder that relocation and remote work often requires inventive problem-solving – including how to move all your worldly possessions across the entire country. Somewhere between exhaustion, fast-food delirium, and the eternally bumpy state of New Mexico, I started questioning my creative problem solving skills. Seriously – why didn’t we choose to drive 2,000 miles caravan-style in multiple vehicles?

At one point, I found myself thinking that maybe the much celebrated campaign slogan of Michigan’s Governor Whitmer could be extended westward… “Fix The Damn Roads.” Someone get New Mexico’s Department of Transportation on the line, because my spine still hasn’t recovered. Our journey wasn’t luxurious or even Insta-worthy, but it was ours. And when we finally pulled into Phoenix – bleary-eyed and buzzing on bad gas station coffee – we felt like road warriors who had conquered the impossible… or at least conquered the highways of New Mexico.

The Bumpy Road to Adaptability

Here’s the thing: even through the chaos of relocation and remote work, flexibility was my anchor. For nearly a decade, I’ve had the privilege of working remotely. Whether you call it being a digital nomad, working remote, or being part of an asynchronous team, this work-life balance is what has made all of these moves even remotely possible (pun intended).

When I lived in Istanbul, I quickly learned that an eight-hour time difference doesn’t negotiate. My solution? Become a full-time member of the “second shift.” Mornings were spent navigating chaotic streets, dodging scooters, weaving through bustling markets, and soaking in a city that seemed determined to keep me on my toes. By mid-afternoon, I’d flip into Eastern Time mode – working straight through until midnight so my team back in Michigan could rely on me as if I were sitting right down the hall.

It wasn’t glamorous. Frequently, my Zoom meetings would happen just as the call to prayer echoed from a dozen nearby mosques. Sometimes I sipped tea at sunset while my co-workers in Michigan were headed to Starbucks for a mid-morning pick-me-up; other times I was hammering out emails while the city hummed with life outside my window. But this chaos became my anchor. That schedule, that structure, and that discipline kept me connected, productive, and grounded, even when everything else around me felt unfamiliar. Flexibility wasn’t just a buzzword – it was survival.

Remote Work Isn’t a Perk Anymore

If you’re a business leader reading this and thinking, “That’s exactly why I couldn’t hire someone who works remotely,” think again – the future of the workplace is going to continue to include asynchronous workers. According to Forbes, remote work challenges include burnout, isolation, and proximity bias. But their article also notes that an async strategy is going to be a part of all future operations – throughout almost every business category. Remote work is here to stay. For you and your team, maybe that’s where flexible staffing comes in. Maybe it is time to rethink your hiring – sometimes you don’t need full-time, you just need the right-time.

While its not always easy, remote work can be seen as both a convenience and global hall pass. It modifies cross-country and international moves from career-threatening decisions into life-enhancing adventures. It makes it easier to say yes to opportunities and gives you the chance to live in a new place without sacrificing professional momentum. For me, relocation and remote work meant I could experience Turkish culture, return to the USA when it was time, and now plant roots in Arizona, all without missing a beat professionally. It’s the freedom to explore the world without hitting pause on your career. And let me tell you: seeing a sunrise-glow-up over the Bosphorus or a sunset fade below Camelback Mountain beats a Michigan winter any day. Any. Day.

Flexibility Needs Structure, Too

That said, remote employees who are part of a core team should not overlook one important detail: sometimes you still need to show up. Whether it’s a quarterly strategy session, a team-building retreat, or an in-person client pitch, there are moments when being on-site matters. Which means budgeting for those trips – both time and money – is part of the equation. Remote work gives us freedom, but it doesn’t give us a permanent hall pass from face-to-face collaboration. Sometimes that means hopping a flight back to headquarters, or yes, loading up the car for yet another road trip. The key is to view these moments not as disruptions but as investments in your professional relationships.

Just as I needed continuity through multiple relocations, FlexTal provides that same stability for freelancers and Flexible Talent. For people dealing with relocation and remote work, flexible talent networks, like FlexTal, can be a game changer. We help remove one of the biggest roadblocks associated with a move: career continuity. By connecting people with meaningful, remote-friendly opportunities, networks like ours allow professionals to embrace change without worrying about falling behind – just as it did during my multiple relocations. For me, this kind of structure has been the silent co-pilot through my moves, enabling me to say yes to adventure while staying on track with work. And it’s empowering to see so many others do the same, exploring new cities – or continents – while remaining productive, engaged, and fulfilled.

Got That Wanderlust Itch? Start Here.

If you ever feel the itch to explore – or relocate – but don’t know where to start, our digital nomad guide helps you pick places where infrastructure, community, and remote work compatibility align. We also recommend checking out the rules, laws, and tax implications for both your home country and the destination before you finalize your plans. Boundless published a guide to relocating and remote work: Working Outside of Your Home Country. It is a good place to get started, but information changes all the time, so be sure to double check important information.

Focus: Your Anchor in a Sea of Change

The lesson I’ve learned through all of this is simple: change is hard, but sometimes it’s necessary. It forces growth, resilience, and adaptability. It teaches you the value of structure, the gift of flexibility, and and yes, the importance of a good chiropractor if you ever drive a 35-foot U-Haul across New Mexico’s highways.. But if you stay diligent, keep focused, and embrace the freedom that remote work provides, relocation doesn’t just become manageable – it becomes transformative.

So, if you’re thinking about relocating and remote work – whether you’re planning a cross-country move, considering an international adventure, or simply bracing yourself for a big life transition – remember: it’s not about avoiding change, it’s about harnessing it. Pack an extra suitcase, leave room for souvenirs (or stray cats), and keep your routines steady. You’ll discover that thriving through change isn’t just possible – it might even be the kind of adventure that changes not just your zip code, but your perspectives about the world.