I was the typical corporate chic.
Used to the 9-5 environment. The "I cannot leave the office before my boss goes" philosophy. Used to feeling guilty about taking some days off because "work could not be done".
And, above all, used to the work inefficiencies that prevented me from some well deserved flexibility (like not being able to do much out of the office because everything was engraved in my desktop).
That was 2 years ago, when I was still working for Unilever Argentina. Yes, I'm originally from over there, that's why the weird name no one can pronounce (or type) correctly! :)
Then life brought me to the land of Oz, and a year later I'm working with one of my Uni mates for a SaaS thing and entirely in the cloud...
So how did the cloud change my life? Well, for starters, right now I'm writing this blogpost from Buenos Aires.
You must be saying... what? No way! You answered my support ticket yesterday!!!
Funnily enough, for the past month I've been here in Argentina visiting family and friends... and yet I was able to answer all your questions.
| The only difference is that instead of sipping my morning coffee and
talking about footy with Stuart, I'm here in Argentina, sipping my mate (the tea, I'm not sipping a friend!), avoiding world cup talk, while all my
family sleeps (yes, time difference can be a downer, but I'm used to
working late!). In the pic to the right, I'm with Pato, my youngest brother (looking amazed at
Paycycle's new website -coming soon-). He is studying to
finish his Political Science degree, while I'm checking emails and
updating the support page. | 
|
With the team I talk everyday.We use skype,
so we can talk or chat for a quick Q&A anytime we want. I sometimes think it's even
better, because when I need to focus and have some "alone time", I can
certainly do so and work with no interruptions.
I check my emails from anyplace. You might even get some answers to
questions you popped at 11pm by 8am next day! I update the website from over here, I follow up on you guys, keep in touch....
Long story short, I'm here, on the
other side of the world, been here for a month and staying a couple more
weeks and I can still manage as if I was in the land of kangaroos. I can
see my family, friends, kill some "saudades" and still work for Paycycle every
day.
I feel I have heaps more flexibility than I did before. And that's
not just because I'm out of the corporate world.
It's because the cloud
and all it's technological revolution changed the way we work,
communicate and relate. It particularly gave me the tools to be able to
take some time back home and, yet, feel close to my new Aussie home and
work.
That's how the cloud changed my life.
Has it changed yours?