How to travel more while working full time

Mindset

If you want to travel the world but have a full-time job all you need to do si prioritize and change your mindset. Most people think that in order to travel the world you need to quit your job. However, this is just but an assumption, if you really want to travel you will prioritize it. You don’t have to start by going international, you can just start with a local domestic trip. A short weekend trip can just be as good as a two-week vacation. It’s all about changing your perception and your mindset. Change your mindset on travel and watch yourself be intentional.

Be Intentional

Include travel in your annual plans like you would any other goal. Having goals about how many times you want to travel in a year is crucial because this way you get to align your time and finances. Start with a manageable plan. If your finances are tight you can plan for several domestic trips that won’t cost a fortune. Don’t go broke trying to travel the world. Set travel goals that don’t stretch your budget. As you make your plans be sure to consider time, if you have a full-time job this could be your biggest challenge.

Time Off

Depending on the nature of your job and the industry you work in you get 2 off days in a week. If you do the math that’s about 104 off days all year. This is a lot of time to schedule in your travel time. This is exclusive of your vacation days and public holidays. If you think about it, you have almost a third of a whole year worth of free time. So yeah, you can actually travel more while working full time. This is all dependent on your priorities.

Extend your weekends & Vacation Days

At times the universe aligns with our needs and gives us a public holiday right before or after a weekend. This gives us an extra day or two during the weekend. Make sure to plan for long weekends as you’re making your travel plans. Long weekends help you save on vacation days. Take advantage of traveling on weekends to save on vacation days as well. If you travel between Thursday and Tuesday these are only 3 days you’ve utilized as opposed to Monday to Friday.

Short Trips

Depending on the time you have, you can always opt for shorter trips. Instead of waiting to take your vacation days for two weeks to travel long-distance, you can choose to go on a three-day short weekend. Just because you want to travel doesný mean you should only go for long trips.

Early Bird

It does not matter the mode of transport you’re using. The earlier the better. If you’re flying you might want to grab the red-eye. When driving start your journey early. This way you avoid traffic and you get to stay and explore your destination before it gets crowded.

Fly Smart

If you plan on traveling more often, you need to fly smart. Book for your weekend flights on Friday and Sunday night. This will make sure you have two full days to have fun on your mini vacation. Don’t be afraid to take flights with layovers. Be smart enough to select the ones with places you can explore. If you have a six-hour layover don’t just sit at the airport go out and explore. Just remember to be back on time.

Work From Home

Most companies have become more flexible when it comes to working from home after the pandemic. Talk to your boss about working from home and the possibilities of working from home. Depending on your job and the industry you work in, it’s usually possible to work remotely. As long as you have wifi you’re good to go. If you can work remotely then you can be a digital nomad and travel the world.

Staycations

If you love traveling, you know it has nothing to do with proximity or leaving the country. There are plenty of destinations close to you to explore. Make the most of where you live by going out to explore. You can have staycations in a different part of town as you explore. It’s all about mindset. Do things that tourists come to do in your hometown.

Travel Opportunities at work

Some companies have travel opportunities in the workplace or the ability to change workstations from one city to another. This way you still get to travel while working.

Vacation Days

Most companies give a minimum of 20 to 24 days of vacation days each year. If you love traveling don’t take a couple of days just to Netflix and chill. Use your vacation days wisely. You can plan your vacation days to include more travel and spare a couple of days in case of an emergency.

Book in Advance

If you travel a lot you will want to book your hotel room, Airbnb, and even experiences before you actually travel. This makes it easier to work with your budget and stick to your budget. You don’t want any surprises after traveling.

Travel Solo

If you want to travel more often, you might have to make peace with the fact that sometimes you will have to go alone. Not everyone shares the same dream as you so not everyone will be up to travel every weekend. Planning trips with your friends almost always never happens. People have busy schedules, budget and something always comes up last minute. Traveling solo also means you get to do what you want when you want to.

Consider Finding a Job That Involves Travel

If you want to travel and still have a job, you might want to consider finding a job that involves alot of traveling.

Career Break

Depending on how passionate you are about traveling, you can always take a sabbatical or a carer break entirely. If you work in a really posh and understanding company you can take a gap year to travel. Career breaks can be very important. They can lead to improved personal growth and efficiency. It can also shed light on what you’re really passionate about. Career breaks are also known to increase efficiency once you go back to work. Besides, man was just not made to work, sleep and pay bills. If you want to travel, get your finances in order and take the leap.