In recent years, the digital nomad lifestyle has taken off! We are constantly hearing stories about people quitting their job to travel the world full-time. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this. In fact, it may even seem like the dream to some.
However, reality doesn’t always make that dream of buying a one-way ticket easy. Quitting a stable, full-time job is not a decision taken lightly. For some people, the burden of having to pay off debt is a big one. Or, perhaps you don’t have enough money in your savings. Whatever your reason, you don’t need to quit your job to travel more! I haven’t. 😉
Here are some tips to help you travel more without having to quit your job.
Prioritize Travel
All of this can be possible if you make travel a priority.
Ask yourself: Am I motivated to travel? It’s important to know why you want to travel. I believe if you know why traveling is important to you, than you can start determining how you will travel. Read more here to see how you can make travel happen for you!
Use Your Vacation Days
You might be the type of person who seeks a work-life balance. If this is the case, using your vacation days isn’t a tough decision. It’s probably something you actually look forward to doing!
However, more often than not, using up one’s vacation days isn’t as common of a practice as one would expect. A common example of this, as we all know, is in the U.S., where in 2016, 662 million vacation days went unused! Just imagine what we can do with that many vacation days!
In short, use up your vacation time! Doing so will surely improve your happiness, well-being and professional life. We all need that time away from work to rejuvenate. Vacation days are part of our health & benefits package, right?
Plan Around Weekends and Bank Holidays
I know that weekends and public holidays are ideal for taking care of yourself, your loved ones, and getting your to-do list as small as possible. But, there’s no harm in occasionally using these days for a vacation. That trip will likely do you some good!
There are several great ways to use them. If the holiday falls on a Monday, as so many do, you could have a long weekend getaway. And if a holiday falls on a Tuesday, you can use a vacation day on that Monday to allow yourself a super long 4-day weekend. You could also use public holidays as a “free” day for that 2-week holiday you’ve been itching to take. So, instead of taking 10 working days off, you can take 9.
Bank holidays are freebies. I can’t stress this enough. Use them!
Short Haul Trips Can Be Just As Good
Traveling doesn’t have to mean going to far away places to experience a new scene. Sometimes you just need a change in your routine to rejuvenate yourself. A destination that’s a 1-hour flight or 3-hour drive away can provide you with a similar “getaway” experience as if you were flying halfway across the globe. You can even enjoy these short distance trips on a weekend.
View Business Trips as an Opportunity
Depending on your job, you may be required to go on business trips or attend development conferences. Or, maybe you have personal obligations to attend to like a family member’s wedding. Why not use these opportunities to set some time aside for yourself to explore the new environment? Do some sight seeing, meet locals at a bar, or try the local cuisine.
If you’re on a business trip, your accommodation, transportation and meals are usually covered. You could always request to arrive a few days early or leave a couple days later. Of course, you’ll be covering your own accommodation and meals during this time, but this could totally be worth it!
I know that it can be difficult to find a work-life balance. Finding that balance is something we’ve all been learning to manage for decades. Remember… if something is difficult, it does not mean that it’s impossible! We now live in an era where companies see the value of improving their employees’ lives. Take advantage of that and aim to live your best life!
Great post! I think a lot of people romanticise the idea of quitting jobs to travel. It’s a privilege to be able to do so and not everyone can realistically do this. I am glad to see more travelers and workers encouraging people to know that they can do both. Personally, I like a life of balance. I like coming back home. I like the comfort that comes with a stable income. I want to have a family someday too. Travel is special but even more so because it isn’t the entire story of my life.
Great tips. Will also like to add to make it very clear at work with bosses and colleagues the role travel plays in your life. That way they aren’t alarmed when you want to take “yet another time off” as if you aren’t entitled to it.
Love this!
Hi Ufuoma, I really couldn’t agree with you more! I like that tip you’ve added as well. It’s subtle but quite important, especially if you work in a country where taking time off isn’t seen as a vital part of our life and well-being. Thank you so much for reading!
Your tips are like my life commandments 🙂 I will never quit my job to travel as I have a family and commitments, however I have travelled around the world and hope to continue do so. You just have to want it hard enough!
This is so awesome to hear! I’m on a mission to travel around the world, and if you can do it while working, then I’m almost there 😉 Thanks for reading!
Such a great post and a really healthy way at handling a travel addiction haha. Full time travel only works for very few so this is definitely a perfect solution!
I’m really glad you enjoyed it 🙂
I love those tips! I think taking short trips works perfectly to squeeze them into your schedule, which I usually do. I went to Boston and Washington DC that way!
Thank you! That’s such a good idea. When I lived in DC, I didn’t take as many short trips as I should have. Now that I’m living in a new country, I realize how smart it is!
On you with this girl! I have a full-time job and all I hear from my friends/family is how do I manage to work and travel so much. If only everyone prioritized things properly 🙂
I hear the same thing! Everyone has the general concept of prioritizing. Traveling doesn’t have to be ALL that you do but it’s got to be near the top of the list.
Awesome tips!! I quit my job last year to travel. Almost time to return to work, so I’ll keep these tips in mind 🙂
Thanks! I’m happy these tips can be of use to you 🙂
All good ideas! I like the done about doing as much as you can around work trips x
Thanks, and a big thank you for reading! 🙂
Great to read a post like this without the suggestion of quitting my job 😉 I also love to travel, thus it has a high priority. Last year I made a trip at least once a month, although I only have 30 days of vacations a year.
That’s awesome! I’m not quite at traveling once a month but I love that concept. Let’s see if I can get up there with you, haha. Thanks for reading!