How to Travel the World While Working Full-Time
- 22/01/2024
- 7 Min Read
Balancing a full-time job with your wanderlust might seem impossible, but it’s entirely doable with the right strategies. Over the past eight years, I’ve explored incredible destinations while maintaining several 9-to-5 jobs. If I can do it, so can you! Here are the practical tips that have worked for me – and maybe can work for you, too.
NB: Remember, traveling while working full-time isn’t about doing everything at once – it’s about creating a sustainable lifestyle where your career and your adventures can thrive together.
1. Be Intentional About Traveling
Traveling while working full-time starts with making it a priority. This meant setting clear travel goals and treating them as non-negotiable appointments with myself. Whether it’s a weekend getaway or an annual leave adventure, planning and committing to those plans is crucial.
As someone wisely said, “We make time for what feels important to us. If you haven’t made time for something, you haven’t convinced yourself that it’s important enough.” Over the years, this mindset has helped me carve out time for travel without compromising my professional responsibilities.
Action step: Create a travel vision board or dedicated calendar where you mark potential travel dates throughout the year. Review it monthly to stay committed to your travel goals. I have mine here.
2. Start with Short Trips
You don’t need weeks off to travel meaningfully. Short trips can be just as rewarding and far easier to plan. Use weekends strategically – leave on Friday evening, explore over the weekend, and return by Sunday night. In Tanzania, for example, every region offers something unique, from cultural experiences to stunning natural wonders waiting to be discovered. Short trips also help you discover what travel you enjoy most, making future planning more effective. They serve as perfect “travel training wheels” before committing to longer adventures.
Malcolm Gladwell reminds us: “Practice isn’t the thing you do once you’re good. It’s the thing you do that makes you good.” Start small, and you’ll build confidence for bigger adventures.
Action step: Identify three destinations within a 4-hour radius of your home and plan weekend micro adventures to each one over the next three months.
3. Travel with Like-minded Friends
Traveling with friends makes trips more enjoyable and logistically simpler. You can split costs like accommodation and transportation and divide planning responsibilities according to each person’s strengths. One friend might excel at finding hidden gems, while another might be a wizard at booking the best accommodations.
The key is ensuring your travel companions share your travel style and enthusiasm. Be selective about who you invite – mismatched expectations can lead to frustration rather than fun.
As the saying goes, “Everyone needs this friend that calls and says, ‘Get dressed, we’re going on an adventure.'” Be that friend, or find that friend!
4. Join Travel Companies and Groups
If planning trips feels overwhelming, leverage the power of community. Tour companies and travel groups often organize weekend getaways or holiday trips at competitive rates. All you need to do is show up and enjoy the experience.
These communities also provide valuable networking opportunities with fellow travelers who understand the work-travel balance. You’ll gain insights, tips, and potentially new travel companions who share your constraints and aspirations. As someone once said, “Sharing adventures means enjoying them 100% more.”
Action step: Join at least one local travel group on social media and attend their next meetup or group trip.
5. Maximize Your Holidays Strategically
Public holidays and annual leave days are your secret weapons. Plan your leave strategically around these dates to extend your time off. For example, if a public holiday falls on a Friday, take leave from Monday to Thursday the following week – you’ll get nine days off while using only four leave days.
At the beginning of each year, keep a calendar of all public holidays and plan your trips around these dates. This approach allows for longer journeys without depleting your leave balance. Charles Horton Cooley wisely noted, “To get away from one’s working environment is, in a sense, to get away from one’s self, and this is often the chief advantage of travel and change.”
Action step: Create a “holiday maximizer” calendar that highlights strategic leave periods around public holidays throughout the year.
6. Turn Work Trips into Adventures
Business travel offers unique opportunities to explore new places on your company’s dime. If your job involves travel, extend your stay by a day or two (using personal leave or finishing the job earlier) to explore the destination correctly. Even without extending your stay, make the most of evenings and early mornings. Wake up an hour earlier to explore a neighborhood or skip the room service dinner in favor of a local restaurant experience.
Just remember to prioritize work responsibilities first. As the saying goes, “Play with your salary, not your work.”
Action step: Create a “bleisure” checklist of quick activities in any city with limited time (e.g., morning runs through parks and evening food tours).
7. Invest in a Travel-Friendly Car
Having your own reliable transportation gives you the freedom to travel on your schedule. It doesn’t have to be a luxury SUV – a well-maintained vehicle can take you almost anywhere with proper planning. If your car isn’t suitable for certain terrains, consider renting one at your destination or joining car-sharing platforms that offer vehicles for weekend trips at reasonable rates.
Jack Kerouac said, “All he needed was a wheel in his hand and four on the road.”
8. Master the Art of Efficient Packing
When juggling work and travel, efficiency becomes essential. Develop a capsule travel wardrobe with versatile pieces that can be mixed and matched. Keep a pre-packed toiletry bag ready to go, and maintain a digital packing list that you can quickly reference. For frequent travelers, having duplicate chargers and travel essentials already packed can eliminate last-minute scrambling and make spontaneous trips possible even after a full workday.
Action step: Create a standardized packing list template organized by trip duration (weekend, week-long, etc.) that you can reference each time.
9. Practice Mindful Travel
Quality trumps quantity when balancing work and travel. Rather than racing to check countries off a list, immerse yourself fully in each destination. A weekend fully present in a new place can be more fulfilling than a distracted week constantly checking work emails.
Set clear boundaries between work and travel time. When you’re exploring, be fully present – your work will benefit from your refreshed perspective when you return.
“Travel isn’t always about going far. Sometimes, it’s about seeing familiar ground with new eyes.”
10. Embrace Digital Nomad Tools
Even if you’re not a full-time digital nomad, their tools can revolutionize your ability to travel while working. Familiarize yourself with remote work applications, portable WiFi solutions, and co-working spaces in destinations you plan to visit.
Research connectivity options before traveling to new places.
Strategic remote work days can extend your travel time without using leave. If your company allows occasional remote work, position these days around weekends or holidays to maximize exploration while maintaining productivity.
“The modern traveler works not from where they must, but from where they choose to be.”
Action step: Create a “digital nomad kit” with essential apps and backup connectivity solutions for your next dream destination.
TLDR?
Balancing work and travel is achievable with planning and smart strategies. If you find juggling these tips challenging or lack the time, I can help. Contact me for personalized travel planning. I’ll create a seamless and adventurous itinerary, allowing you to focus on enjoying your hard-earned time off. Let’s make your travel dreams a reality