Remote YearReviews of remoteyear.com

A big thank to Remote Year for their support. The experiences, friendships, and memories that I have made through this trip will last a lifetime. You all did a fantastic job.

Generally a good experience, even with some bumps and adjustments along the way. The template for on-boarding and getting to know each other worked well and the side experiences were welcome and interesting, and a highlight of the month . The team on the ground seemed involved and responsive. I do think that a four day side trip available only to a third of the group late in the month shifted dynamics a little bit, and made the final week more disjointed and less cohesive than it could have been, especially around farewells, and would have liked exit info earlier and more clear ie options for where to wait with luggage if we were travelling on at different times post checkout. But beyond that, overall a well supported way to get to live and work in a new country and feel able to really experience being in the fabric of the community.

I signed up for the 4-month Latin America program, Ochoa, from June - September 2021 that took me out of the United States and went to Mexico City, Mexico > Antigua, Guatemala > Medellin, Colombia > Lima, Peru. This program did all the things for me…challenged me, had me doing a lot of self-evaluating, took me out of my comfort zone, had me amazed and speechless, got me laughing to where my cheeks hurt, provided some good cries, and opened my mind and heart to the world and other cultures. With everything, there are pros and cons, but the pros greatly outweighed the cons. Some of the cons would be the inconsistency of accommodations, difference in quality of co-working space and the true cost of signing up for the events/tracks that aren’t included that wasn’t communicated well in the beginning. With that being said, the accommodations provided, for the most part, all the things I needed. Having roommates was a new change of pace considering I haven’t had them in a very long time, but everything was just about a shifting of the mindset from what I’ve been used to having, to what I had in that moment. The co-working spaces worked well for me, especially being an Executive Assistant, and I utilized them about 95% of the time. Some had better and more conference/call booths than others along with some being private to the group vs others that were shared. For my job it worked out and helped me create a routine which was needed. As far as additional costs to sign up for events/excursions all of them were 100% worth it. It just would have been nice to have had the cost expectation set in the very beginning, especially for those like me who were wanting to budget and save money. The one thing that was constantly on point the entire time that I will rant and rave about was our Program Leader (Gert), the City Leaders (Omar, Josh, Sebastian and Francisco), and the RY Staff that popped in. Every single person brought a special element to my life and completely made my experience. I have learned so much from each one of them, felt safe and valued, knew I could go to them for anything and all of them will have such a special place in my heart. The RY Staff made my experience just as much as all the things I did over throughout the duration of my trip. I left the United States one person, and because of RY and my experience, went back a different, improved and better version of myself. To anyone considering RY and any of the programs they offer…DO IT! Go in to it with an open mind, immerse yourself in everything, and know it will be the best decision you have done for yourself.

Remote Year in Medellin was great. Loved the city and the workspace and the remotes and the crew. Everyone was super interesting and fun to hang out with. It was great to make connections and friendships during our stay there. The different events were well organized and thoughtful. The first weekend after we arrived we should have not scheduled the San Andes trip as most people wanted to settle in. So suggestion would be to do something locally that first weekend to get a feel for the city and get to know everyone. The apartments were clean and the views and balconies were greatly appreciated. I would totally recommend it. I am planning on becoming a remote year citizen.

The RY week long Costa Rica Retreat was profoundly life-changing for me. Personal growth beyond what I could have imagined along with many unexpected, pleasant surprises. Exceptional, healthy food. Engaging activities, yet plenty of down time to process. Awesome, accommodating staff. And connection with some of the most amazing strangers whom I now call close friends. No regrets at all!

Had a very frustrating experience due to COVID-19, but have been impressed with the new leadership and direction this company has taken in the past few months.

Let me start by saying that I want RY to succeed as a company. I want lots of other people have the amazing experience RY offers. There are a lot of reviews here that are fully on one side of the positivity spectrum or on the other extreme. I want to provide review with BOTH the pros and cons, since that’s what I would want to see. There is nothing in this review that I wouldn’t tell a RY team member to their face and, frankly, I have provided most of this feedback along the way. It is SUCH a personal journey that I want to stick with more broad-policy facts that could apply to most people. I’m going to start with the cons, in the form of lessons, because they are easier to quantify and list out: Lesson 1: Nothing is a guarantee. My journey had a rocky start. The original itinerary I signed up for was cancelled due to lack of enrollment two moths before departure (surprise! this can happen!). The RY team was amazing at providing emotional and logistical support, but I didn’t have any wiggle room in my departure date. That means I ended up having to piecemeal together two itineraries - one of which I joined at the 6 month mark. It was scary and exhausting and not what my experience was supposed to be at all. That said, I got to meet TWICE as many friends and be part of TWO amazing communities so I tried to look on the bright side and make it work for me. Lesson 2: RY can (and likely will) implement new cost-cutting policies on you (see Lesson 1). My first ittn included three super fun “tracks” a month, all included in the program fee! Two weekday tracks, and a weekend track. They were all a wonderful way to explore and experience local culture and spend time with remotes you might not otherwise hang out with. Halfway through the year they stopped including weekday tracks. Same cost. Less fun. Less culture. Less community. Those same weekday tracks were now “plus” events you have to pay for, and were often cancelled due to lack of enrollment because similar experiences could be found on Air B&B, sometimes for less. Nothing replaced tracks. So, unless you’re prepared to shell out more $$ to the company you’re already paying monthly, they offer less than they used to and I do think the experience and the community suffer for it. Lesson 3: Their team is amazing, but overworked, and very human. And RY is cutting back on staff. My first program had two program leaders (PLs); one for experience and one for logistics. It was helpful. You had two people with two personalities working together, bouncing ideas off of each other, supporting each other, and focusing on what they exceed in. They had time for us. They had time to sleep. They could pick up the slack for one and other in the case of an emergency. Fast forward to now and each group only gets one PL. So they are tired, overworked, and if they have an emergency or god-forbid want to go on vacation for a week, then you are without your go-to support system. It just doesn’t make sense. For the most part they’re not seasoned travel professionals. It's true, your PLs and city teams might get drunk, make you mad, mess up royally, hook up with a remote, ignore you when you need help, even quit after your first few months. They’re trying, they really are, and they are gems, but they are just people who have been thrown into this crazy thing with barely enough support, and it’s hard. Go in knowing that and manage your expectations. Now the positives; Lesson 4: It really is SO nice to have someone else do the logistics. I’ve traveled on my own before and OH MAN does it feel great to have an apartment pick up, airplane ticket, apartment drop-off, and city orientation all planned for you. During my travels these logistics were all handled very well. There were a few extra-long travel days that did not have the best layover, but RY warns you of that, and the days go by quick because you’re hanging out with your friends in a lounge. Lesson 5: You’ll live comfortably (most of the time probably). The accommodations were for the most part nicer than I expected. I had balconies in all but two of my apartments and elevators in all but one. I often had my own bathroom! One month I even had my own apartment. There is a cleaning service! The locations are safe, central, and walking distance to the workspaces. It’s all true. They’ve generally got that part pretty well sorted out. Of course, I’ve heard rumors RY is going to start charging more for “premium” apartments (see, Lesson 2) so this might all go down the drain but at the moment it seems like it all evens out over the course of the year. Yes, sometimes you’ll have construction outside your window, or a terrible pillow that ruins your neck, or a hot water heater that gets fussy, but all in all it’s not too bad. Lesson 6: The community and experience are worth it. I generally agree with all of the glow-y positive feel-good reviews! Obviously traveling for a year, working remotely, living in a new city every month is an AMAZING opportunity and it’s probably a good idea to go for it if you have the chance. Despite some of my grievances about RY’s business decisions, I don’t regret it for a heartbeat. It will be what you make of it. There will be gorgeous days, horrible days, and a whole lot of mediocre days. There will be people you love, people you cannot stand, a lot of people you casually connect with. In that regard, it’s like any other year, but, better!

This program is run very well, logistically. You are paying for a company to coordinate flights, accommodations, work spaces, local experiences, staff to lead the group every step of the way, and access to a grand network of traveling professionals. If you're not looking to check off each of these boxes, then this program is not for you. If you simply want to travel the world, do not apply for remote year, but if you want to explore the world while you work remotely, and build your network - then this becomes quite the investment. The groups that travel together for four months or a year are not exactly racially diverse, so imagine traveling the world with a large majority of white Americans - whatever that may mean for you. The diversity more heavily exists in characteristics, professions, cultures, etc. The experiences will leave you speechless, travel does that. The luxury of paying for a company to coordinate this experience leaves you feeling as though you've delegated quite well!