Work From Anywhere Day 1: Can You Work From The Andamans?

Saurav Chauhan

Andaman & Nicobar, 15th April 2021: Are you wondering why so many people choose to work remotely from exotic locations these days? Like amidst the sky-high mountains in Himachal or a silent beach house in South Goa or from a remote village in Karnataka overlooking a lush green tea plantation?

If not, then I’ve just given you the right question to ask yourself! It is at least better than questions you usually ask yourself – ‘Is your boss a blood-sucking vampire?’ – Ohh you don’t? Then I have given you two.

As for the first question, your first few guesses are all correct. The first reason is that companies have forced us to work remotely due to COVID-19, and the other is that the internet connectivity in our country has improved immensely in the last few years.

However, there is one more reason that you overlooked which is more profound but needs a little brain scratching. That reason is that we all have our ‘calling’!

Alright, I know it sounds a little over-the-top influential marketing jargon but trust me there is! Otherwise, why doesn’t everyone do it?

COVID-19 and remote working have given what many of us only dreamt of. For some, it was spending more time with their families, who by now have realized they don’t (wink wink). For others, it is to taste the life we always wanted to but work never allowed us to do so.

If we dig a little deeper, we will also realize why everyone does not flock towards the same scenery, either to the mountains or the sea?

Trust me, as per a scientific study done by Fair and Lovely Professional University, it is so because some of us were mountain lions and some were dolphins in our previous birth. Why not sharks you asked? Ohh, stop thinking about your boss already!

Now, we have established why we should all go to exotic locations to work from. Oh, you’re not convinced yet? Don’t worry, It’s not for muggles! Alright alright, no more jokes. So back to the topic, where does Andaman fit in all this?

To those like me who have been here before maybe for your honeymoon and fell in love with the beautiful beaches and calm life, you knew you wanted to come back and want more of it. And those who have drooled over the pictures of white sand beaches like Radha Nagar on Havelock Island or seen some clips of a scuba dive among fishes in crystal clear water and wondered ‘is Andaman this beautiful?’ Trust me, it’s not. It’s even better!

So why not work from Andamans?
Because the last time we were in Andamans in 2017, there was almost no internet. We used to get a 2G network only at some places but nothing that could give you the confidence that you can work from there.

So what changed? In August 2020, Andaman got connected with an optical fibre cable from Chennai. Hence, the assumption is that internet speed must be way better than before. But who is gonna take that risk?

For your benefit, your lab rats have landed in Port Blair and are starting the workweek from today. Whatever be the result of this risky experiment, we will let the world know, and then, you can decide if you can also work from Andamans (WFA) instead of working from home (WFH).

I and my wife Apoorva both work at different software companies and have a little different work style and schedules. My wife works as a product manager at one of the tech giants.

So if this WFA will work for us both, then you can consider that it will work for all.

Thanks a lot for reading. Keep watching this space for daily updates on our WFA experience.

(Saurav Chauhan work as a tech specialist at a software company. He likes to travel and write. Apoorva Chauhan works as a product manager in one of the tech giants. She loves to cook, bake and travel.)