There used to be a clever infographic going around that examined the major challenges of expat life around the world. The last point it covered was Sense of Humor. It claimed that relating to a different culture of humor and falling out of touch with your own can be a stressful part of expatting, more than people realize. If you use humor to relate to people, it can be downright isolating when you move to a country where you have to learn a new language.

I know my personality does not come across here in Spain because so much of American humor is based on our cultural references: Movie lines, ridiculous celebrities, memes, sayings, news stories; sub-cultural, TV and commercial references, and of course historical references…the list goes on. While I am exposed to some of it in series or memes or Instagram, these are my own private expositions, and what I carry into my every day life is lost on everyone except my expat friends.

Image if everything listed above was gone from your repertoire of funny. Everything you can convey with “these are not the ‘droids you’re looking for,’ or and simple YOLO in response to why you are doing something that is questionably safe, and what would you be left with? It’s like watching the Simpsons in Spanish. Which, if you have ever done, you’ll notice the translation may be correct, but the humor is lost, which turns the thing into a children’s show instead of the satirical sitcom that it is.

Now, impose this loss of repertoire on a top of a totally different culture of humor, one in which you are now nearly always lost. Sure, you chuckle along with the others when a joke is made, but mostly because of the situation and not so much the humor. One of the people in the group may have a hilarious high-pitched laugh, or the delivery was particularly animated and that itself was funny. And perhaps you understand what the delivery was getting  at, but it just doesn’t hit you there.

This is one of the reasons I travel to the US at least 3 times a year. I take in and enjoy the culture of humor with others. It is one thing to be surrounded by humor in all forms of media, at least when it is  in my own language. It’s another thing to observe the living culture of humor in bars and shops and while standing in lines. This offers context and opportunities to banter that remind me that, after feeling like a dullard for a fudged up delivering of a witty comeback delivered to half smiles or worse, the question como? as a response, that yes, I am clever after all.

If you find yourself in Europe, working independently in whatever profession and thus working from a “home office”, you might find yourself in the same position as me: Easily distracted in your “home office” constantly taking a quick break to do laundry, play with the cat, clean the windows, take out the recycling, run to the store, take a quick bike ride…anything and everything that your brain can throw at you to keep you from the task at hand, that of making money.

Or, you just might find yourself working and awful lot, leaving the house only when your refrigerator has nothing but some old garlic cloves and condiments in it, which makes for a lonely existence after a few months.

There is a fabulous solution to the above problems, one that has a benefit that far outweighs its cost. I am talking about cowork spaces: those desks or shared offices you rent on a weekly, monthly, sometimes even daily basis. They’ve been a big hit in the US for a while, especially for tech workers, and are gaining momentum quickly all over Europe.  I should say more momentum, as there are over 100 in Barcelona alone – and this is not a big city geographically by any stretch. And coworking spaces here tend to have a theme: web workers, designers, digital nomads, creative arts, writers, and even what you might call crafters – jewelry and clothing makers and those who create real things that not viewed on a screen and are not printed out.

I rent a permanent desk for 150 Euros a month. And while working from home would save me the equivalent of 200 dollars a month, my productivity levels cover that cost in less than a week. So if you ask me if it is worth it, I will fall over myself telling you just how worth it it is.  And not only for the productivity, but for the interaction with others that it gives you. My cowork space has a WhatsApp group that chats and send photos to everyone. And we have a monthly dinner together. We also have plans to have each coworker that wants to participate give a presentation about what it is they do. These will be scheduled the first Thursday of the month, and each person gets 15 mins. It’s like free business advertising and networking.

Other cowork spaces around town range from right around what I pay–though there are places for less–up to 400 euros a month for amazing shared spaces with terraces in the posh part of town (I am in an industrial area – in fact my office is the six floor of a converted warehouse). Nearly all the cowork spaces have meeting rooms, some type of kitchen, and lounge area. Many of them have monthly or even weekly events. Some, like mine, allow 24/7 access by means of keys and alarm codes, while others have specific hours. (I happen to be typing this in my cowork space at 7:45 on a Sunday evening-or afternoon, as it would be considered here in Spain).

Because the ROI for me is so high – that is, that the space pays for itself in just a week because I am more focused, complete projects sooner, and thus bill for them, sooner–an indulgence presents itself on those days when I don’t want to make the effort to go to the office. Instead, I stay home and work. If you have ever worked in a corporate office, you will recall those days when you would give anything to just not have to go into the office. When I am too lazy to take the 15 minute bike ride, I live out the fantasy that I am just saying screw you to “the man” and refusing to go to the office. Such a treat.

The options are endless here-basically anything you can think up. ie. 2 days a week, 8 days a month, sharing with a friend, reduced rates for an entire small company, you can arrange as most owners are very willing to accomodate you to bring you in. To get an idea of what is out there, if you are in Spain a great site to check is: Comunidad Coworking. For the rest of Europe and the World (Spain included), check out ShareDesk.net and DeskMag.com 

It’s a concept that works for travel too. If you can work anywhere, why not take advantage of it? I am planning on taking an extended to the Canary Islands soon and staying/working at The Surf Office. (Just click the link, trust me.) And I will write about it when I do.

PS: Just read an article about coworking and its reported that Barcelona is on the verge of becoming the city with the highest Coworking space density in the world!

My coworking space during a bank holiday.