My First WFA Adventure on a Tropical Island

I often write that I decided to launch my consulting business because I want to live life on my own terms. That is true, but a huge part of living life on my own terms is also being able to live out my lifelong dream of traveling around the world.

I had my first chance to use some of my earnings as an independent consultant to test this work from anywhere (WFA) thing in July 2021. 

I figured I’d also use my first WFA adventure as a chance to do something that was on my bucket list—climb Gros Piton, one of two volcanic plugs on the island of St. Lucia.

I packed my summer dresses, swimsuits, laptop, notebook and a few files and off I went to St. Lucia, an island I’d never visited before but was eager to explore.

For those of you who don’t know, I’m from Jamaica, so exploring other Caribbean islands is always a treat.

I stayed in a Luxe Eco Lodge at Hotel Chocolat that had the perfect view of Petit Piton.

Each day I enjoyed a delicious, leisurely breakfast at Rabot Restaurant then went back to my room to work on a client deliverable or host a meeting. I even onboarded a new client while I was on the island.

I never share my location with my clients because I think it’s best to always display stability and dependability. I also make sure I never handle sensitive documents when I'm on my WFA adventures.

While I was in St. Lucia I made the time to:

• climb two hours to the top of Gros Piton (and two grueling hours down)
• visit the property’s Tree to Bar Experience and Project Chocolat
• savored a mud bath at Sulphur Springs
• relaxed on Jalousie Beach
• ate tasty dishes at several local restaurants while chatting it up with the drivers and other St. Lucians, and
• enjoyed a Saturday morning at the Soufriere Market with the hotel’s chef and assistant chef.

Lessons learned 

It is really possible to WFA with an online consulting business. However, here are some lessons I learned:

1. Get a business bank account that has low or no international transaction fees.
2. WiFi extenders come in really handy. 
3. A virtual private network is a must.
4. Even when I am tempted to continue working, I now force myself to pull away to enjoy the destination. There were a few property tours I missed because I was so engrossed in the work.
5. It is possible to design your life to make it what you want it to be.
6. Climbing a mountain on a tropical island in shorts and sneakers is a not a good idea.

My trip to St. Lucia wasn’t my last WFA adventure. I’ll write about those other experiences soon.

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