Full-time travelers, digital nomads share advice for working from home

BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) - A couple traveling across the country in an RV is bringing a different perspective to working from home

For the Burkharts, home is wherever they park their RV. The full-time travelers said they planned their cross-country trip months ago, but they may have to make adjustments due to the coronavirus outbreak.

“When we left about a week and a half ago, we weren’t sure that this was going to affect much of everything. So much has happened in a week,” said Keith Burkhart.

They didn’t expect the closures of business, restaurants and other public facilities across the U.S.

“Wineries are closing and museums are closing and the things that we had planned to actually go and see so we’re having to readjust according to that," said Tarah Burkhart.

They’re also starting to see a lot of companies practice social distancing by letting employees work from home.

“If people manage their time, they can really shine at home," Keith said.

With a router and two computers, they’ve been doing so for years on the road. Keith works in recruitment and helps companies hire veterans like himself.

“I reach out to them to find out if they’d be willing to hire a veteran that is either getting out of the military or has been out of the military for a while,” he said.

Tarah said remote work can be a big money saver.

“When we worked in the office, I would go out to eat for lunch all the time and spend money and get coffee, and Starbucks and those things. So now we’re saving money that way," she said.

The duo said working from home doesn’t have to mean being trapped at home.

“I think you just need to be wise about social distancing. Go out and get exercise, enjoy the fresh air. Just try to avoid the big crowds,” Keith said. “Be a little bit creative with your free time.”

The Burkharts plan on stretching their schedule out before heading to the West Coast, hoping the outbreak winds down soon.

“We’re extending it a little bit in hopes that this thing eventually runs its course and stop, and I don’t know. We’ll kind of see what happens," Tarah said.

You can follow the Burkharts on Instagram and on their blog, The Burkharts Abroad, as they travel to Seattle.

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