My workation in Obergoms

In my case I would rather call it a workATION. Because on the journey home I felt far more as though I were coming back from a holiday than as though I had a working week behind me. But let me start at the beginning.

Sun, snow and cross-country skis

For my workation I chose Obergoms in the canton of Valais. I had already spent a few days there at the start of the year and fell in love straight away with this high valley at the foot of the Furka, Grimsel and Nufenen passes, which in winter is above all a favourite with cross-country skiers.

In choosing the place, it mattered to me above all that I would find good opportunities for sport in the outdoors. For many years now, sport and nature have been an important part of my work-life balance, as a counterweight and a change from work done mostly in the head. As a keen cross-country skier, Obergoms was the obvious choice.

My workation was to last a week, which is certainly on the short side. But since it was “my first time” and I did not yet know whether this merging of work and holiday would suit me at all, that length was just right. And with a journey of barely two hours, there was no reason to stay longer than a week either.

That left the choice of accommodation: hotel room or holiday flat? It was fairly quickly clear to me that I would go for the latter.

For one thing, a flat simply gives you more room to set up your “office” so that you feel comfortable and can work efficiently. For another, I liked the idea of having my own cosy home for that time. And finally I preferred being able to cook for myself. Going out to a restaurant alone in the evening is not really my thing.

So at the beginning of March 2024 I set off on my workation adventure – loaded with cross-country skiing kit, plenty of tech (I absolutely wanted my ultrawide monitor with me) and a great deal of anticipation. Obergoms greeted me with a great deal of fresh snow and a good forecast for the days ahead.

I still had the weekend ahead of me to settle in a little and cover the first kilometres on the trail.

Work first, then pleasure

I had agreed with xappido that I would work at around 50 per cent during my workation. My days then looked roughly like this: in the morning I worked for two to three hours. During that window I was always reachable and could attend the meetings that were due, which I deliberately scheduled for that time.

By eleven at the latest I threw myself into my cross-country gear and headed out onto the trail, which ran right past my flat.

The trail in Obergoms is mostly flat and follows the river Rotten for around 20 kilometres down the valley to Niederwald. Along the way there are many small villages, all of which have a railway station. So you can unclip your skis at any point and simply take the train back if you run out of steam.

I was usually out for a few hours, including a lunch and coffee break in one of the many charming little inns right by the trail.

Freshly showered and physically spent – but mentally refreshed – I sat down in front of the screen again in the late afternoon for another two to three hours and finished the rest of my work.

I found splitting the working day into two halves very rewarding. Out in the open I always had the chance to switch off, and at the same time fresh and creative ideas came to me for solving one problem or another that had been causing headaches in the morning.

In the evenings I felt very content and fulfilled. After all, I had achieved something in sporting terms, carried plenty of images of that beautiful landscape in my head, and had a productive working day behind me at the same time.

An absolute win-win situation – for the company too. I was reachable at fixed times every day, got my work done, and could recover wonderfully at the same time.

Looking back, I can say that the week was an unqualified success and a great experience. The combination of sport, being outdoors, a comfortable flat and work as the thing that gave the day its structure was simply perfect for me. For a next time – and there will certainly be one – I would not really change anything, except perhaps to add a second week.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank xappido for opening up this possibility at all and for the trust placed in me.

When do you set off?

My advice to those of you who are also toying with the idea of a workation:

Think in good time about which setting is the right one for you. How long do you want to be away? How much of your time do you want to work – a WORKation or a workATION? Do you need a fixed daily structure, or do you want (and are you able) to shape your time freely? What surroundings do you need to feel comfortable and to work productively?

And if you have found your answers: be bold and give it a try. You will not regret it.