Designing on the Move: Lessons from Three Weeks in the Balkans
After three weeks of traveling through the Balkans with a baby and a four-year-old, I’m back at work today feeling recharged and grateful. Our family trip wound through Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, with a final stop in Germany so our baby could meet her Oma and Opa. It was the kind of adventure that reminded me why I chose freelancing: flexibility, freedom, and the chance to build a business around life (not the other way around).
Of course, it wasn’t all “out of office.” For the first two weeks, I worked along the way. My office shifted constantly: mostly guesthouses, but once even a bus station with decent signal to hotspot en route to Albania. I squeezed in design reviews while waiting to check into our place in Kotor, Montenegro. My days don’t look like the classic 9-to-5, but the work got done.
And more importantly: it got done well.
Why It Works
This setup works because of trust. My clients - brands like TentBox and Mates Incorporated - don’t measure my value by when and where I work. They care about results: clean, strategic design, delivered on time.
That trust allows me to structure my days differently. I can spend mornings exploring cobblestone streets with my kids and evenings polishing a responsive email design or refining a landing page. The work is high quality, and deadlines are always met, whether I’m in Portugal, Montenegro, or on the road.
The Reality of Freelancing
Freelancing can be romanticised as endless travel, but anyone who’s tried working with their kid nearby knows better. There are trade-offs, frustrations, and moments where you wonder if juggling both is sustainable.
For me, it works because I’ve built my practice as a freelance web and email designer on clear communication and reliable delivery. My process doesn’t change, no matter where I am:
Projects are scoped with clear deadlines.
Expectations are aligned from the start.
Communication is consistent.
Work is delivered at the standard my clients expect.
That structure is what makes remote design work sustainable. Without it, “working from anywhere” would collapse into chaos.
Gratitude in Action
What I feel most coming back is gratitude. Gratitude for clients who don’t just tolerate flexibility but embrace it. Gratitude for a career that lets me share these early years of my kids’ lives without pausing professional growth. Gratitude for the reminder that balance doesn’t mean separate boxes: it can look like drafting a proposal in the evening, and searching for seashells on the beach with your four-year-old during the day.
What It Means for Clients
If you’re a brand considering email design services or custom web design, here’s the takeaway:
Location doesn’t determine quality. What matters is process, skill, and communication.
Trust goes both ways. When clients trust their freelancers, freelancers go above and beyond to honor that trust.
Flexibility fuels creativity. Time away isn’t a distraction, it’s often where the best design ideas are born.
Back at It
Today, I’m back at work - optimising an e-commerce Cart journey, refining personal brand content, and working up highly impactful banners. But I’m not returning drained from “time away.” I’m returning with fresh eyes, new inspiration, and the energy that comes from knowing I don’t have to choose between being a present parent and a committed professional.
That’s the power of trust, flexibility, and design done well.
And if you see a designer hunched over a laptop in a bus station in Albania, don’t worry. The work will still get to you on time.