How to Travel More While Working Full Time
So, you dream of traveling more often but cannot figure out how to make your travel dreams become reality because you work full time? Being able to travel and working full time are often seen as two things that are mutually exclusive; you can either work full time or you can travel full time, but the truth is…it is possible to do both.
You don’t have to put your desire to see the world on hold until retirement. You also don’t have to quit your job, sell all of your belongings, and become a nomad in order to reap the benefits of travel. It’s 100% possible to have a career and be a jetsetter. Here are my suggestions for how to travel more while working a full time job.
Work Remotely
If your job is one that allows you to work from anywhere, then working remotely is a great way to spend more time traveling. Sometimes, all it takes is a laptop, internet connection, and a quiet spot on the beach for you to be a productive employee and pursue your passion for travel.
Plan travel around holiday time off
Most of the time when I travel, I make sure to plan my trips where my holiday time off coincides with my travel plans. This gives me an extra day or two for travel without forcing me to use one of my paid days off. Sometimes traveling around the holidays can be more expensive, but by planning your trip in advance and traveling to destinations that do not celebrate that particular holiday, you can get really low flight fares and hotel stays.
Use business travel to your advantage
Sometimes I get the opportunity to travel for work. Even though a majority of my time will be dedicated to work-related engagements, I often try to add some additional days to the trip in order to engage in personal activities. For example, when I had a weeklong conference in Las Vegas, I convinced my girlfriends to fly up on a Thursday and stay over the weekend with me for a girls’ trip. We had a blast, and even though I was in meetings all day on Thursday and Friday, I was still able to spend some time with them after work hours and over the weekend.
Travel on the weekends
If you’re short on paid time off, then do most of your traveling on the weekends. Go on short 2-day trips, or take some paid time off at the end of the week and extend your travels into the weekend. This will help you to take less time off from work, while still satisfying the travel bug. A short, weekend trip can be just what you need for a boost of morale and motivation.
Use unpaid time off (if you have any)
I’ve been working full time for over 15 years, and I always, always, always forget about taking unpaid time off. Don’t be like me – ask your boss if you can take unpaid time off and use it for those times when you really want to travel, but don’t want to use any vacation days.
Work part time
For some reason, society has convinced us that as adults we’re required to work full time, but this is so not true. If you really love to travel and cannot find time to do so while working full-time, then stop working full time.
I have a friend who is single with no children and she recently reduced her work hours to a part time schedule. She was tired of working full time and decided that she wanted to spend more time living life. There is nothing wrong with that! If you can make it work financially, then make it happen. You’ll definitely have a lot more time in your schedule to see the world if you’re spending less time working.
Find a job where travel is part of the job description
Whether you work as a pilot, flight attendant, on a cruise ship, or if you’re a photographer, there are lots of careers where travel is part of the job itself. If traveling more is important to you, then pick a career that gives you the opportunity to do so. I know many people who have decided to teach English internationally in order to have the ability to travel frequently and freely. Living in a place like Europe, where other countries are in close proximity, makes it easier and most cost-effective to travel more.
Pick destinations that are close to home
Whenever I want to travel but cannot take an extended trip due to my work obligations, I usually just road trip somewhere close to my home town. I live in the DFW metroplex, so quick trips to Austin, Houston, and Oklahoma are always better than not going anywhere at all.
Find somewhere near you that you’ve never explored before and hop in the car and go. Sometimes going somewhere close by can deliver an incredibly memorable travel experience.
