Between Fantasy and Reality: Why Cafés Don't Really Work as My Office
I discovered that the digital nomad dream of working from charming cafés isn't suitable for every task
📍El Nido, Philippines
This confession is a bit embarrassing - despite being a former barista and someone who buys coffee there with ridiculous frequency, the realization that cafés aren't my ideal workspace made me feel like I was breaking some sacred convention.
As a beginner digital nomad, I haven't yet found a fixed work routine. In Manila, while working on setting up my Substack, I locked myself in my apartment. But here in the islands, I decided it was time to live the dream - working from cool cafés with a view. These are the images we all see on social media, right? Someone with a laptop in front of a stunning view, a cup of coffee beside them, and the whole world as their office.
That morning in El Nido, I packed my laptop and set out with determination. I started at a café that offered an excellent breakfast, stayed there for two hours, moved to another café for a few more hours... and felt a persistent discomfort.
It turns out there's a huge gap between fantasy and reality. I searched for outlets like a skilled huntress. I begged for WiFi passwords that worked intermittently. I sweated in the absence of air conditioning. The whole time I was accompanied by a feeling that I was "hogging a table" despite ordering drinks. Perhaps it's trauma from my years in hospitality when I knew the other side of the counter? I know exactly how waiters look at someone who occupies a table for four for five hours with just one iced coffee.
But the real challenge was concentration. I simply couldn't focus like I could in my quiet room. Productivity plummeted, I lost my train of thought at every moment, jumping from task to task without completing any. It's embarrassing to admit, but yes - I'm addicted to work, and it drives me crazy when I'm not working efficiently.
I tried to convince myself it was just a matter of adaptation. Maybe it was just the first day? Maybe I chose the wrong places? Maybe I should have looked for a quieter, more air-conditioned corner?
I couldn't ignore the economic paradox either - as a nomad trying to save money, ordering coffee after coffee during a full workday is exactly the opposite of saving.
The next time I tried to work "outside" was while waiting for a flight. I sat in an air-conditioned café at the airport, and then I realized something important - there are tasks I can perform in an external environment, and others that require the absolute focus of four walls. But I still felt the "pressure" to order more and more drinks to justify my presence.
I'm still searching for balance. Maybe it's not black and white? I can vary - work part of the time at home with full productivity, and go out sometimes when tasks are more suited to a dynamic environment. Perhaps the solution is not at the extremes but in the middle?
Because at the end of the day, what works for me is what allows me to be the best version of myself - even if it doesn't match the Instagram image of a digital nomad.
Your support helps me keep experiencing new worlds – and sharing them with you through my words. Sometimes, one cup of coffee can make all the difference.
Thank you for being part of this journey.
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"Because at the end of the day, what works for me is what allows me to be the best version of myself - even if it doesn't match the Instagram image of a digital nomad."
Soo true.