Learning and Working Remotely at Your Exploria Resorts “Home Away from Home” As challenging as life has become for many people during the pandemic, there are opportunities to take advantage of some of the ways life has changed. In fact, even though most people are looking forward to the day that everything goes back to normal – taking the kids to school, heading to the office for work, going out to eat at a favorite restaurant – some of the changes we've experienced have come with surprising benefits. For example, the millions of people who now work from home have likely saved a lot of money on gas because they haven't had to commute to work. Similarly, people who went out to lunch every day or simply ate a lot of fast food have probably seen their diet improve and have saved even more money. Another item for the plus column is that, when you have one of those work-from-home jobs and hold virtual meetings on Zoom or some other online platform, you can get your work done from just about anywhere you want. So, as travel restrictions have loosened, many people are discovering that they can just as easily work from their favorite travel destination as they can from their kitchen table. School-cation for kids who attend school “in-home” Adults aren't the only ones who benefit from this trend, which is being embraced around the world by the hospitality industry. Children who participate in remote online and homeschool programs can also attend school from any location that has a good internet connection, no matter how remote the location is. That said, if you're planning to take a school- or work-cation, there are a few important things to keep in mind before you start booking your reservations. It takes a little planning and research to make sure your adventure is successful, productive, and educational. Make sure you'll have reliable internet. It's hard to imagine what the COVID-19 pandemic would look like if it had happened 30 years ago, before we had the internet. Working and attending school from home online has been vital for businesses around the world. Because the internet is so important to your work and school, it's not a good idea to assume that every hotel or resort has reliable Wi-Fi. Instead, you should call ahead to check, and read some online reviews to make sure you don't get there and find that the internet is down or extremely slow. This is especially true if you'll have several family members attempting to be online at the same time. There's nothing more frustrating than being on a virtual meeting and freezing up. For children, it's an even bigger problem because, if their connection is unstable and they have buffering problems, they are more likely to lose focus. Set up a productive workspace. Ideally, working and attending school remotely works best if you're not crammed too closely together. Imagine trying to concentrate on your work or participate in a work meeting if you're sitting at a table with two of your children in different virtual classrooms. The best solution is too book accommodations that have bedrooms separate from the living room and dining room. This will allow you to be productive while not distracting each other. Make sure you have everything you need. For a school- or work-cation, you definitely need to do some planning and organizing beforehand to make sure you bring all of the school books and supplies your kids will need, as well as any important papers and devices for your work. It's not like a regular vacation in that you can't simply run to the store and replace that all-important math. Spend a little time making a list of all the things you and your kids will need and check each item off as you pack it for the trip. Remember to take your break! Don't force yourself to simply re-create your home life during work and school hours, but take advantage of doing it in a place where you can have more fun - plus experiences in the evenings and on weekends you can't get at home. Why not turn your study break into some pool time, playing mini-golf, or riding the zipline? You'll have such a blast planning your fun around the work and school demands that it'll hardly seem like work at all. Pay attention to virtual meeting etiquette. This is important no matter where you're holding your virtual meetings from. When you're on a school- or work-cation, however, being in a resort environment makes it easy to forget the rules of virtual etiquette. The most important of these is making sure you're dressed appropriately for work and that your kids are dressed as if they're going to school. Be aware of things that may not look right in the background behind you, such as an unmade bed or an open door to a bathroom. Nevertheless, it's good manners to keep your video on while attending the meeting, which means people could see what's behind you. Work-cation and school-cation at Exploria Resorts. Two of the best resorts for this type of travel within the Exploria Resorts portfolio of resorts are Summer Bay Orlando in Central Florida and Gatlinburg Town Square in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Both resorts offer spacious luxury suites up to two bedrooms in size, giving you plenty of room to create comfortable workspaces for everyone. Plus, they are both equipped with secure, high-speed Wi-Fi at no additional charge. Summer Bay Orlando is located just minutes from the entrance to Walt Disney World Resort and is convenient to Universal Orlando, the International Drive area, and many other attractions. Gatlinburg Town Square is located in the heart of downtown Gatlinburg, about a mile from the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and convenient to the dinner theaters and attractions in Pigeon Forge and Sevierville, including Dollywood. Ready to add a little fun to your home routine? View our current seasonal offers and book today! View Seasonal Offers
