I've been working from coffee shops, as a digital nomad, long before it was cool. For more than 10 yeas, I guess. I worked for so long that, at some point, I had to write a book about being a digital nomad, but today's article, the 22nd of my 30 days challenge, won't be about that, as a whole.

It will be about something more specific, namely what exactly am I looking at when I'm choosing a coffee shop as a place to work from.

It's been a little over 3 weeks since we moved to Valencia, and for the last 2 of them, I had to work (I only took one week of vacation). So, not really wanting to start with a coworking space (although I plan to test a few, really soon) I was left with two options: work from home, or from a coffee shop. Ok, three options: work from home, from a coffee shop, or from a Starbucks.

I worked so long from Starbuckses that I got a strange feeling of belonging in that space. I worked in Starbuckses in Bucharest, Paris, London, in Tokyo, in Auckland, in Bangkok, in Hong Kong and in a few other cities. I got a little bit fed up with them, especially since they capped their internet access, so I don't use them unless I really have to, like some sort of last resort. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy working from a Starbucks, every once in a while, and I'm usually quite productive, but because they look and feel the same everywhere on this planet, I get this strange feeling that I never left. And sometimes I need to prove myself that I'm really in a different city.

So, back to coffee shops.

Valencia has a lot to offer in this area, but you have to be careful. Places that look "laptop friendly" may open only a few hours a day, while spaces in which they serve delicious food and look more or less shabby are way more suitable for the job. It all boils down to how they answer to my personal "score sheet".

Without further ado, let's see the questions on this "coffee shop as a workspace score sheet":

1. Do they have WiFi?

Is it free? Is it stable? That's fundamental. Without a "yes" here I can only use them as emergency places, for max 30 minutes to an hour, for work that can be done using my mobile phone hotspot.

2. Do they have power outlets?

How many? Are they placed near tables? This is also important, as without a "yes" here, my presence will be limited to a max of 3-4 hours. My laptop battery lasts for a good 5 hours, but I never drain it completely, I like to have some juice left for emergencies, or for charging my phone or power bank.

3. Is the space conducive to work?

This one is a bit more complex, but it's usually a combination between "not too noisy, interesting decorations, not too peoply but not too empty, good music". It's hard to shoot a "yes" at all of them, but even if I get 2 or 3, I consider the space to be conducive to work.

4. Is the staff friendly?

More often than not this is not really an issue, but I had a couple of situations in which I clashed with coffee shop owners who didn't want laptops on their tables. But, like I said, this seldom happens.

5. Is it close (from home, hotel, friend's place, etc)?

Surprisingly, I often look for a "no" to this question, simply because I love to explore. So, if the coffee shop is in a remote but exotic part of the city, it has more chances to host me than the one at the ground floor of the block where I live, that's for sure.

6. Can I meet interesting people?

I'm not a very social person (go figure!), but every once in a while I enjoy social interactions, so a coffee shop where I can meet interesting people usually scores higher.

So, that was it for today, and, oh, I hate to disappoint you, but this post wasn't written in a fancy coffee shop, but at home, under a comfy blanket, after enjoying a delicious dinner.

I hope you're at least getting the comfy blanket and the delicious dinner too!

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Previous posts in the challenge:

• 30 Days Challenge Fall 2018 - Day One: All Ultramarathons Start With Just One Small Step
• 30 Days Challenge Fall 2018 - Day Two: How Much Garbage Do You Carry With You?
• 30 Days Challenge Fall 2018 - Day Three: Pushing Things To Happen Versus Letting Them Happen "Through" You
• 30 Days Challenge Fall 2018 - Day Four: The Rain In Spain Stays Mainly On The Plain
• 30 Days Challenge Fall 2018 - Day Five: Books, Coffee And The Smell Of A Gentle Autumn
• 30 Days Challenge Fall 2018 - Day Six: Revisiting The Harry Potter Trees In Turia
• 30 Days Challenge Fall 2018 - Day Seven: Sand Castles
• 30 Days Challenge Fall 2018 - Day Eight: Be Careful Of New Beginnings
• 30 Days Challenge Fall 2018 - Day Nine: Tuesday's Free Writing
• 30 Days Challenge Fall 2018 - Day Ten: The Power And Toxicity Of Lists
• 30 Days Challenge Fall 2018 - Day Eleven: Unblocking Writer's Block - A Primer
• 30 Days Challenge Fall 2018 - Day Twelve: Riding The Wave Of Change
• 30 Days Challenge Fall 2018 - Day Thirteen: When All You Have Is A Hammer, Everything Looks Like A Nail
• 30 Days Challenge Fall 2018 - Day Fourteen: Sunday Stillness
• 30 Days Challenge Fall 2018 - Day Fifteen: The Next Major Social Disruption Will Be Technological
• 30 Days Challenge Fall 2018 - Day Sixteen: The Difference Between Sound And Light
• 30 Days Challenge Fall 2018 - Day Seventeen: Ten Years Of Bitcoin
• 30 Days Challenge Fall 2018 - Day Eighteen: How Long Is Long Enough? Spoiler: Until It's Done...
• 30 Days Challenge Fall 2018 - Day Nineteen: The Surprising Benefits Of Gratitude
• 30 Days Challenge Fall 2018 - Day Twenty: Just A Photo Journal For Today
• 30 Days Challenge Fall 2018 - Day Twenty One: 5 Things I Noticed So Far In Spain

Steem on!

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I'm a serial entrepreneur, blogger and ultrarunner. You can find me mainly on my blog at Dragos Roua where I write about productivity, business, relationships and running. Here on Steemit you may stay updated by following me @dragosroua.

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