While most of us who work would love nothing more than to pack our bags and start traveling the world on a whim, there is usually one thing holding us back. Work. Unless you’re extremely fortunate, there’s a good chance you need your job to pay the bills. You can’t just up and leave it, even if you do have itchy feet. However, it’s not impossible to travel more if you work full-time. Here are five tips to help you do just that.
Work around your vacation
If you’re lucky enough to get any kind of paid vacation at work, definitely use that to your advantage. Of course, as a college professor, I have summers and winters out of school, which makes it easier for me to achieve this. However, there are plenty of ways to make your vacation time work for you. Go for long weekends, which will mean taking a day or two off instead of a whole week off. Use the public holidays to your advantage too, if you get those off. The fewer days you can take off work to go traveling, the better. It might mean traveling little and often, but sometimes those are the best kinds of trips.
Extend a work trip
Do you ever leave your hometown for work trips? Whether you travel to another city, state, or country, you’ve got a big advantage here. Try to schedule your work trips to be at the beginning or end of the week, so that you can spend the weekend in a new place. Alternatively, ask your work if you can spend an extra few days in the area. They might be willing to let you spend more time there if you say you need to scout it out. Plus, if you can do any work from your laptop, then you’re technically not taking any vacation time!
Rent out your home while traveling
For some people, the reason they can’t travel as much as they’d like to is because they can’t afford it. After all, rent and bills don’t go away just because you’re globetrotting. If this is the case, consider renting out your home when you’re away. This is especially handy if you don’t get any paid vacation time at work. You don’t have to become a serial AirBnB entrepreneur (like me), but getting some of your rent and bills paid for when you’re traveling can be a big lifesaver.
Ask for a sabbatical
How long have you worked in your current job? Do you get on well with the boss? If so, you might want to ask for a sabbatical. This tends to be around a year off work, with no fear of losing your job, so that you can go and see the world. Not all businesses do it, but if you’ve been a golden employee for some time, then you might get lucky. Those who want to spend longer abroad, visiting places such as Thailand with nothing but a backpack (and travel insurance, because that’s a legal requirement out there!) should definitely consider asking the boss if they can get a sabbatical.
Become a digital nomad
If you’re in the right line of work, you may want to consider becoming a digital nomad. This basically means working from wherever you are in the world, whether that’s for a company or as a freelancer. There has been a significant rise in the number of people becoming digital nomads in recent times, as it offers so much flexibility. If you have a job that you can do from your laptop, then there’s no reason you can’t become a digital nomad yourself. Imagine getting paid while you travel the world!
There’s nothing saying you can’t travel more if you work full-time, it just needs a bit more forward planning. Use these top tips and feel free to add your own in the comments below.
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