Laptops, Luggage & Leashes: Saltaire, England w/Ruby

I bid my family "cheerio" and flew across the pond to Bradford/Leeds in January. Rick and Gillian are a lovely recently-retired couple with a 9-year-old small black lab named Ruby. They picked me up at the airport and made dinner for me when I arrived the first night. They gave me the rundown of the house and Ruby's care, then left first thing the next day (before I woke up) for the Canary Islands. They live in Yorkshire, which is Northern England, in the Saltaire village of Bradford. Baildon and Shipley are also connecting villages of Bradford.

Their 1890 Victorian home is everything you'd want for an English stay. They live on the edge of Baildon Moor, a group of rolling sheep farms and protected lands with trails that sits just above town. In addition to the beautiful surroundings, the home has been updated with modern amenities, but has kept its old-world charm. The sitting room where I'm working makes me feel like I'm in a parlor waiting on a gentleman caller. The keys (pictured below) make me feel like Mrs. Hughes from Downton Abbey. The back yard is a segmented English garden with a bee apiary. One of my new running buddies here asked if Jude Law has stumbled in drunk on my holiday yet, and the answer is still "no."

Ruby Nottidge

Ruby is a sweet old lady. I hear her bark in an English accent, but I'm sure it's only in my head. She bolts out the door for walks on the Baildon Moor with the enthusiasm of a lab, but her age and arthritis soon diminish her wanderlust after a few miles. Like me, she's motivated by food and affection, in that order. We're also kindred spirits in our appreciation and desire to chase other runners, urge to follow cats down random paths, and being content napping in front of the fireplace. We get on brilliantly, as they say.

Salts Mill & Hockney

My days here start with feeding and walking Ruby, then I get ready and head out on foot to explore. Salts Mill is a UNESCO heritage site and one of the oldest largest wooleries in England. The building now houses the history museum, a diner, some shops, a bookstore, and the largest collection by modern artist David Hockney. (Confession: I wouldn't know who that was if not for the first episode of Ted Lasso.) Hockey is from here, which was a cool thing to stumble upon. UK's oldest funicular, the Shipley Glen Tramway, is still operational and just at the end of the block from their house.

Digital Nomading in Europe

I start work between 3-5 p.m. depending on the day and what's going on at work. (My team on the Pacific Coast goes online around 5 p.m. my time.) I work until 1 or 2 a.m. I've adjusted accordingly, but it's still a bit of a struggle for my body. Having the day free has been nice for Ruby's schedule, joining local runners, and exploring. But it is hard to work so late into the night as my body is winding down, and turning off work to fall asleep right after I turn off my laptop is a struggle. Since I got the position at Inizio, I shortened my plans abroad from a few months to a few weeks. After this trial, I think I'll reserve Europe for vacations rather than remote work.