4 Tips to Working While Traveling.

Now that I'm married I seem to be traveling even more than before.  I still have a lot of work trips that I'll have to travel to alone, but I love those rare trips that Lance and I can go together.  Most recently Lance's job took us to Mobile, Alabama, which turned out, to my surprise, to be a beautiful city.  I was expecting a built-up urban area but discovered instead some very charming spots.  I snuck out one afternoon to explore the area around our hotel, but for the most part I spent the trip working while Lance was at his conference.

As I get older and more set in my routines, I have to find a certain sweet spot to get work done, and usually that means routine and familiarity.  And as you guessed, those are hard to find while traveling.  In partnership with HP and the Meghan Trainor, "That Bass Tour" I wanted to share...

My 4 Tips to Working While Traveling

1. Make sure you have everything you need.  On this trip I had a lot of editing to do.  So I took my HP x360, my external hard drive and a power strip.  (I always bring a small, universal power strip wherever I go.  It really helps my popularity at airports when there are never enough ports.)  The HP x360 was great to have.  It's much lighter than my Powerbook and has a touch screen that I utilized while I edited.  It's really revolutionary to be able to edit an image directly on the screen.  The HP x360 also has four different modes. I generally use the tablet and laptop modes when I'm working and the tent and stand modes for watching videos and using the internet. It's a lightweight, versatile computer for travel. You can see more about HP's new x360 computer on Twitter or Instagram with #BendTheRules.

2. Dedicate time in your day to sit down and work and stick with it.  Wake up at the same time you would if you were home.  This way you can utilize the early mornings for work and be out the door by 10am to explore. Keeping up a routine keeps those boundaries you had when you were working at home, even if it's for a day.

3. Find a coffee shop to focus and get you out of your hotel room.  It's hard not to sleep in a hotel room with plush pillows, a comfy bed and blackout curtains.  Trust me, I could sleep for days in hotel rooms.  But you have to work, so if you're like me and the temptation to sleep is too much, get some fresh air and walk to a local coffee shop.  The coffee and buzz of the shop could help you with the focus you might need.

4. Take small breaks.  I usually read to recharge. Sometimes you sit in front of your computer for so long you start to lose momentum.  Get up and stretch your legs or get a snack. Whatever it is, allow yourself a couple minutes to disconnect.

In the spirit of bending the rules, HP has partnered with Meghan Trainor to document her first-ever tour with "All About That Tour," a six episode documentary of the "That Bass" Tour. In each episode, they'll offer a glimpse at what goes on behind the scenes--focusing on everything from tour life to the tour's costumes.

This post was sponsored by HP & the Meghan Trainor "That Bass Tour" and HP gave me the HP x360 but all the opinions are my own.  Thank you, Lauren, Lauren & Molly for your help being my models!

Mobile, Alabama. February 25, 2015 | Fuji x100s & iPhone 6