Work internationally, support locally

At Storyblok, we work with people worldwide, based in different countries, of different nationalities, and at times, living in parts of the globe that even they aren’t initially from. I am inspired by them each day and love hearing their insights and daily explorations into their lives while we are all working remotely. I can learn about so many cultures with every virtual coffee chat that there is always something in store - whether that be a historical or social lesson, it certainly is worth more than the school lessons I had 20 years ago.

Yet, at the same time, I can live my life in the place I like. In my case, I live in the city where I was raised, where my family is, which means a lot to me. Even when working through a hybrid/office system in the same city, my previous job involved moving from one place to another, taking tedious public transport into the city center, or commuting via car or bicycle. With Storyblok, I can work from my own home, and prioritize my life around me, my family.

Working from home changes your perspective of your work environment and the lifestyle you have around you. Until now, I always thought that my place was quite far from the city center. Yet working from home has changed my mind. When you take a moment to focus on what is around you, you notice a community-based ecosystem around you of closeby necessities such as great playgrounds for kids, concerts, events, gyms, swimming pools, coffee shops, restaurants, and more all in the vicinity of 3km.

With the opportunity to work from home and with Storyblok entirely remotely, I can support local and small businesses on the way from sending my children to school rather than having to detour to a big store. I am able to support local farmers in my area selling home-grown and organic produce and eggs. I also found a great hairdresser in my neighborhood within walking distance who could accommodate both adults and kids (it may sound funny but having a toddler who hates having long hair makes the need of going to a nearby hairdresser every 2 to 3 weeks a must). On top of that, I also discovered local gyms, a bicycle route, and convenient fitness studios that are all run by the local community. I was able to join a local neighborhood community group and became active there to organize events for kids.

Through working remotely, I have also met many people in my neighborhood and the local community. This has let me make new friends, spend weekends together, go to local coffee shops, and even look after one another’s kids if one gets sick to support each other in working remotely in peace.

Looking back to my Storyblok journey, I haven’t just saved time on the commute to work, but it has opened the door to fully support my local community and the small businesses within it. It has let me prioritize myself, my family, and my community while allowing me to get to know my colleagues based around the world, allowing me to work internationally and support locally.