I was at the airport lounge, waiting to board, already thinking about work.
It wasn’t new. I’ve felt this before.
Every time I travel, there’s always that quiet awareness in the back of my mind. The trip is exciting, the destination is something to look forward to, but I know I’ll still be working in between.
Not because I have to, but because this is the life I’ve built.
This trip was supposed to feel like a full escape.
Cruising from Singapore, waking up in different parts of Vietnam, and spending days at sea with nowhere to rush.
But remote work doesn’t pause just because you’re traveling.
It moves with you.
A Different Kind of Trip
I spent two nights in Singapore before boarding.
After checking out from Dao by Dorsett AMTD Singapore, I made my way to Marina Bay Cruise Centre and stepped into a completely different pace of travel.
The ship, MS Volendam of Holland America Line, is smaller than most modern cruise ships, carrying around 1,400 guests. It felt calm, easy to navigate, and almost quiet (except in the Lido Deck, where most of the food is served, lol!) in a way you don’t expect from something moving across countries.
No long lines. No chaos. The crew, officers, and even the captain felt incredibly welcoming.
Just a slower kind of movement.
But the itinerary itself was not slow.
Seven days across Vietnam.
Four sea days.
Three docking points.
Fast-paced, but worth it.
What Remote Work Actually Looked Like
I worked every day.
Not in a strict routine, but in batches.
Mostly in the afternoon moving into the evening, depending on how the day unfolded.
I made sure to finish my clients' work ahead of time before the trip. Usually a week or two in advance and that made everything lighter.
Clients' project always came first.
Then my side hustles.
Then my content.
Some days I worked in my cabin. Other days I found a quiet corner somewhere on the ship, away from the crowd.
It wasn’t aesthetic. It wasn’t perfect. It was just real.
Slack stayed on “remote work” status the entire time. I wasn’t fully offline, but I wasn’t fully working either.
Some nights I opened my laptop after a full day.
Some nights I didn’t, because I was too tired.
And I gave myself that space.
When Everything Around You Feels Hard to Ignore
The first day on the ship, I didn’t even have the internet yet.
I had to wait for access, adjust, and accept that not everything would go as planned.
Fatigue was real.
Sea days, activities, and just the constant movement made it easy to feel drained.
And then there were the distractions.
The excursions. I attended two afternoon teas, one at a local tea house and another at the Shangri-La Hotel.
The activities on board. One tea session at the World Stage and another afternoon tea at Club Orange. Not to mention the trivia challenges at the Crow’s Nest, such an interactive game where we got 9 out of 15 answers right.
It turned into one of those quick, fun afternoons before the evening shifted into something more dressed up. A night of music, a dressy evening for the passengers, and a lovely dinner where we got to meet some of the cruise officers.
The food at Lido Deck, the Free Dive burger (chef’s kiss!), Club Orange, Pinnacle Bar, and Canaletto. Coffee, tea, and whatever you feel like having, always within reach.
There was even a small library tucked next to the coffee shop. The kind of place you want to sit in for hours. And these were just the areas that caught my attention.
There was also a salon, a spa, boutiques to browse, a casino, the Ocean Bar and Piano Bar, even pickleball and a basketball court.
I wished I had more time to dip in the pool too, but the gym was non-negotiable for me. I made it a point to work out before sunset, and it turned out to be one of the best parts of the day.
Imagine doing your workout while looking out into the vast South China Sea, the sun setting right in front of you as you go through your routine.
Everything around you is designed for you to enjoy the moment.
And you want to.
There were moments I honestly wished I wasn’t working. But at the same time, I knew this was part of the life I chose.
Choosing What Matters
What helped me was not trying to do everything.
I worked in blocks. Afternoon into evening. Batch by batch.
I prioritized only what needed to be done. And I made a decision I didn’t expect to make.
I skipped two destinations. Phu My and Danang.
Not because I didn’t want to go, but because the timing felt too tight. I didn’t want to rush or risk missing the ship.
That choice changed everything.
Sometimes, balance doesn’t come from doing more. It comes from choosing less.
The Trip, In Between Work
Singapore felt like the start of it all.
Seeing Marina Bay Sands, going up the observation deck, even trying my luck at the casino. I didn’t win, but that wasn’t the point.
Vietnam felt different.
I stayed on the ship for most of the stops until Halong Bay, which was my final destination for the cruise.
That was when I finally stepped off and slowed down again.
I stayed overnight at the InterContinental Halong Bay Resort, with club access that made the whole experience feel a little more exclusive. I remember just standing on the balcony, taking in the view of Halong Bay right in front of me, and letting the moment settle.
The next day, I took a two-hour drive to Hanoi and spent two nights there before flying back to Manila.
The routine followed me, just in a different setting.
I worked most afternoons in the hotel lobby, sometimes switching to their workstation, then stepping out to explore a little in between.
I visited Train Street, ate at a local restaurant, and experienced the city in small moments.
The only thing that really caught me off guard was the traffic. The motorcycles felt nonstop, and crossing the road didn’t feel like there was a system at all. If you’re not careful, you’ll definitely get injured, lol.
Even in a completely different place, the rhythm stayed familiar.
What This Trip Reinforced
This trip didn’t teach me anything new.
It reminded me of something I already knew.
Remote work is not about working anywhere, anytime. It’s about having the structure and systems that support you wherever you go.
Because without that, everything starts to feel scattered.
I always say this, and this trip proved it again.
Structure keeps me grounded.
Travel keeps me growing.
You can travel.
You can work.
You can do both.
But the balance doesn’t happen naturally.
You build it.
If you’re building a remote work lifestyle and want it to feel sustainable, not chaotic, my ebook Remote Work Playbook: Travel & Thrive walks you through the systems and mindset that helped me make this work.
Because remote work is about structure.
