After four months of working remotely and figuring things out, I'm heading back to the UK to start a new role.
How It Started
What was meant to be a quick break from London turned into something much longer. A few weeks stretched into an entire summer of working remotely, which sounds more glamorous than it actually was.
The plan was simple: take some time away, clear my head, then get back to normal. Instead, I found myself questioning what "normal" even meant. When you're not rushing to catch the 8:15 to London Bridge every morning, you start to notice things about your life that the daily grind usually drowns out.
The Process
Four months gave me time to actually think about what I wanted to do next instead of just reacting to whatever opportunities came up. I could take interviews without sneaking off to "dentist appointments." Could research companies properly instead of scrolling through their websites on the Tube.
Had conversations with people doing work that actually interested me rather than just work that paid well. Discovered there were entire sectors I'd never seriously considered because I'd been too busy keeping up with the job I already had.
The remote work was useful for this. No commute meant more time for research. No office distractions meant I could actually focus on what these potential roles involved rather than just how they sounded in a job spec.
What I Found
Turns out there are companies out there doing things I'd actually want to spend my days working on. Who knew?
Found a role that ticks the boxes I didn't even know I had. The work itself is interesting, the people seem sound, and the company's approach to actually getting things done aligns with how I think things should work.
It's not a complete career change - more like a recalibration. Same skills, different application. Same experience, better direction.
The salary's decent but it's not about the money this time. It's about spending eight hours a day on something that doesn't make me want to put my head through my monitor.
The Reality Check
I know how this sounds. "Person takes time off, has realisations, finds better job." It's hardly revolutionary. But sometimes the obvious moves are the ones you need to make.
The remote experiment proved I could work from anywhere with decent WiFi. It also proved that working from anywhere gets old pretty quickly when "anywhere" is just you and your laptop for weeks on end.
I missed having colleagues you could actually talk to rather than just video call. Missed the energy of working with people who were in the same room dealing with the same problems. Missed being able to sort things out with a quick chat rather than a scheduled meeting.
Most of all, I missed having a proper separation between work and everything else. When your kitchen table is your office, everywhere starts to feel like work.
Going Back
So I'm heading back to London, but doing it deliberately this time. Not because I have to, but because I want to. Not to the same job or the same routine, but to something I've actually chosen rather than just fallen into.
The new role starts in a few weeks. Office is in a part of London I've never worked in before, which feels appropriate. New area, new company, new approach.
I'm ready to be back in the same timezone as my colleagues. Ready for meetings that happen when they're supposed to rather than being rescheduled around other people's lunch breaks. Ready for conversations that happen naturally rather than being planned three days in advance.
The Practical Bit
First stop is back to Copenhagen to collect the suitcases I packed four months ago. They've been sitting there like some sort of time capsule of who I was before this whole process started. Clothes I thought I'd need for a life that turned out to be completely different from what I expected.
There's something fitting about that detour. Collecting the things I thought I'd need before I knew what I actually needed.
Then it's London to get settled and start building something worth doing. Find a flat that works. Establish routines that make sense. Figure out how to make this version of London life better than the last one.
What's Next
Looking forward to getting back to work that matters with people who care about doing it well. To having colleagues rather than just calendar invites. To building something meaningful rather than just getting through the day.
The remote months taught me what I don't want as much as what I do want. Don't want to work alone indefinitely. Don't want work that feels pointless. Don't want to say yes to things just because I think I should.
Do want to contribute to something bigger than myself. Do want to work with people who give a shit about what they're doing. Do want to feel like Monday mornings are worth getting out of bed for.
Proper office coffee doesn't hurt either.
Right then. Time to pack up this remote life and get back to building something that actually works.