How To Travel With A Full Time Job

Hi. My name is Sherice and I have a full-time job, and I am a travel blogger.

Yes, I am chained to a desk 9-5, but I do find time to travel the world. One of the major excuses that I get from people that don’t travel often is that they have full-time jobs, and my response is always the same, ‘so do I.’ While everyone’s situation is different than mine, there are some standard, sneaky and creative ways to getting the most out of travelling with a full-time job.

But, before I let you in on these little secrets, let me say this, travel has to be something that you are committed to, if not; you will always find reasons not to book that flight, or not to take that drive across town. Once you have made up your mind that travel is somewhat a priority, all the pieces will fit right into place. Trust me; I’m a living example.

Enough preaching, on to the good stuff; here are some major tips to traveling with a full-time job.

Travel On The Weekends: You can’t go super far on a weekend travel trip, but not every getaway has to be super extravagant; once you are getting out of town and experiencing something new, you’re winning. I live in The Bahamas, therefore weekend travel to me would be a day away or a quick getaway to another island. If I want to go a bit further, Florida is within my reach; it’s 30 ish minutes and still gives me enough time to get back to work refreshed. If you live in London, a weekend break to Paris would be right up your alley.
Be Smart With Holidays: In The Bahamas, most of our holidays are celebrated on a Friday or a Monday, making me one happy traveler. Holidays running into the weekend give you the opportunity to go a bit further, take a few more days to relax or explore uncharted territory. If you want to go further, you can even pair your vacation days with your holidays and of course weekends.
Days In Lieu: If you work at an organization that honors days in lieu (a paid day off you can take later), this is key. In 2016, I was able to take two vacations because I racked up so many extra days working on weekends. You have to make sacrifices to live the life you want and going the extra mile at your full-time job when you don’t necessarily want to, always pays off. If you’re a hard worker, people will always have your back, especially when you need extra days off.
Business Trips: Business trips are so clutch. I always try to extend work trips to get the most out of the destination that I am visiting. It’s less expensive because you don’t have to pay for your flight or hotel, except the one or two extra days that you may stay after your official work duty ends. In your off-time, if you have any, go and see the city or country. Take a walk, a short tour or eat at a local restaurant.
PTO/Casual Days: Some companies offer employees ‘personal time off’ or casual days’. I have an allotted number of casual days that I can take in a year, and without a doubt, these are used to extend my vacations. I usually take casual days on a Thursday & Friday, that way I have four days to jet somewhere. If you don’t have personal time off, ask your employer about it, you may have them but not aware.
Vacation Days: The most obvious way to travel more with a full-time job is by fully utilizing your vacation days. I read in U.S. Travel Association’s Project Time Off survey that 55% of Americans don’t even utilize their vacation days. How? Why? In 2017, take that time off, all of it. Go somewhere different, and if you’re strapped for cash always remember you can also take a staycation.

There you have it.

My secrets, and you didn’t have to pay for it! 🙂 One more thing! When you have decided to incorporate travel into your life, you have to begin planning! Make sure to carefully plan your vacation ahead of time to fully maximize these major tips. Take out a calendar, highlight all of the holidays and see how you can stack your days off against them. Remember, your job is important, but it shouldn’t be your entire life!

Have you mastered the art of traveling with a full-time job? What are your tips? Let me know below in the comment section below!