How Working Remotely in Lisbon Made February My Favorite Month

February is arguably the hardest month in the North East. Aside from Valentine’s Day, and for us Philly folks, the Super Bowl (this year, at least), there’s really not much to look forward to. Throw in the cold, dreary weather, and it’s pretty much the perfect recipe for wanting to escape. If there was ever a month to skip town, February would be it!

A few years ago, my husband and I were watching House Hunters International when an episode featuring Lisbon caught our attention. That was the moment the seed of an idea was planted. We didn’t want to permanently relocate overseas, but what if we could spend a month—February, the worst month of the year—in sunnier climes?

Fast forward to this year, and we made that dream a reality. We rented a tiny Airbnb in a five-story walk-up with a fabulous view overlooking the rooftops of Lisbon. And just like that, we were ready to leave the cold and snow behind.

Arriving on a Saturday gave us the weekend to settle in, as well as find a store to buy a couple of monitors. We both rely on second screens for maximum productivity, so we snagged two for less than $100 each. Our Airbnb had a small desk tucked into one corner with beautiful views, and my husband claimed that spot. As for me, I set up shop at the kitchen table, where I can enjoy a view of the Cristo Rei statue and Lisbon's beautiful 25 de Abril bridge. I’ll definitely miss this once we leave.

We’ve been working US hours, which means we get to sleep in a bit, grab breakfast at our local coffee shop, and then head out to explore the city for a couple of hours. We’ve visited museums, ridden on one of the famous trams, and generally embraced the role of tourists until 1 pm, when we head back to the Airbnb to start our workday.

We usually work until around 8 or 9 pm and then head out for dinner at one of the many cozy bistros nearby. Working US hours took some adjusting. Since our computers still run on US time, we’d often forget the local time, miss lunch, and then wonder why it was getting dark so early. By the second week, we finally found our groove, breaking around 2 or 3 pm for a quick bite.

What I didn’t expect was how often we’d eat out. But Lisbon is surprisingly affordable. Dinner for two, including a glass of wine, costs on average less than $50. Since neither of us enjoys cooking, we found that this little splurge didn’t end up costing us much more than our monthly grocery bill back home.

What we’ve really loved about this experience is the slower pace of travel. Normally, when we take a week off, we cram in as many sights as we can, trying to do it all. But with a full month, we have the luxury of time to savor the city at our own pace.

And the Ubers? Incredibly cheap. We’ve taken 20-minute rides for around $5. It’s been such a successful experiment that we’re already talking about finding another spot for next year. The only concern? We started with such a great destination, I’m not sure how we’ll top it! Still, if the goal was to escape February at home, it’s definitely been worth it.