How to Balance Work and Travel - Tips from a Working Traveler

In 2019, I went on 9 trips, including Florida, Bermuda, Spain, France, Monaco, and Colombia. I work one full time job and two part time jobs. So I ask you: Is it possible to balance work and travel? My answer is yes!

How to balance work and play, tips from a working traveler. Flying over an active volcano in the Azores on a bright sunny day — Flying over an active volcano in the Azores en route from Spain to New York

When I see people I haven’t seen in a bit, the first thing they usually ask me is, “Where to next? Any good trips planned?” I guess I have a reputation. And actually, the people who don’t know me as well forget that I have three jobs. Are you wondering how I balance full time work and travel?

You don’t need to quit your job to travel the world. Don’t get me wrong, this does help. And I was one of those people! I quit my job and 2014 and booked a one way ticket to Spain, got a job teaching English, and traveled Europe for 9 months every weekend.

Balancing work and play definitely helps when you get a job while you're traveling! — Look Simba. Everything the light touches is our kingdom.

But I came back to the U.S., got another job, and still manage to travel abroad at least once each year. Of course, I did choose a career path that gives me lots of time off, but anyone should be able to see the world with their job!

1. Save Up Those Vacation Days!

I work in education, so I automatically get a lot of vacation time: holidays, a week at winter break, a week for spring break, and two months for summer break. That means I don’t get any vacation days to take off just for myself, but it also means I have lots of days I can plan for travel!

Balancing working and travel by traveling during paid holidays. Spring break as an adult looks a little different than it used to! — Spring break as an adult looks a little different than it used to! Montserrat Monastery, Spain

Before I found a job that gave me this much vacation time, I worked in corporate America with 5 days of vacation time for the whole year. Yuck.

Plan those vacation days wisely! 5 vacation days means you also get two weekends on each side – an extra four days. If you plan over a three-day weekend, that’s an extra day too. If you can get away for a holiday like Thanksgiving, that’s two extra free days. You can definitely get a solid vacation in at least once a year with only five vacation days, just make sure you try to keep them together. And as you continue to work, you will accrue more vacation time and be able to travel more. Put in that time!

2. Be Flexible

Traveling during holidays is more expensive. Traveling during worldwide festivals gets hectic and busy. Sometimes it’s hard to take off during busy times. Just because you don’t get to go to Oktoberfest doesn’t mean you shouldn’t visit Germany.

Towns like Rothenburg are adorable any time of year. Oktoberfest who?!

Do some research and find other great times to visit the places you want to see. You can always go during off times, especially if they line up with days you have off for holidays from your job. Rothenburg ob der Tauber is such a cute little village in Germany that gets overlooked by the beer drinkers visiting Germany!

3. Work From Home

With the American economy moving towards remote working, your job might be willing to let you “work from home.” Home is a loose word here. See if your boss will let you work remotely without having to take days off. Just another reason to get that amazing new laptop you’ve had your eye on!

Definitely perfecting the art of balancing work and travel by "working" on a canal in Florida. — Definitely practicing the art of balancing work and travel by “working” on a canal in southern Florida

4. Plan a Vaca Around a Work Trip

If you’re lucky enough to have a job that sends you on trips already, try to get that early flight out and that late flight in so you can see some of the location outside of work hours. It will be exhausting, but that’s what they make Starbucks for.

Any new city could be exciting if you look at it from a traveler's point of view! Go sightseeing anywhere, like San Antonio, Texas — Any new city could be exciting if you look at it from a traveler’s point of view! Go sightseeing anywhere, like San Antonio, Texas

If you are really lucky, you might even be able to take a day or two on either side for a little side trip. Call it a mental health day.

5. Take a Quick Trip

You don’t have to go around the world on a vacation. At least, not until you’ve accrued a few extra vacation days. Sometimes it’s exciting to explore your own backyard!

Philadelphia is my backyard city. Sometimes, playing tourist in your own city is fun and exciting! You find things you never knew were there

A weekend road trip is a great way to feel like you’re in a new place. A two or three hour flight is very doable for a weekend and opens a lot more doors. See a new city that you don’t get to often, attend a nearby festival or celebration, or find an exciting adventure close by.

Grab your family and go play tourist in a nearby city. For me, that's New York City! Two hours away and we get to see Radio City Music Hall, Times Square, and the Statue of Liberty. Plus, sightseeing at night helps you work during the day. And this is how we balance work and travel! — Grab your family and go play tourist in a nearby city. For me, that’s New York City! Two hours away and we get to see Radio City Music Hall, Times Square, and the Statue of Liberty

For example from New Jersey, you could see the cherry blossom festival in Washington, D.C . for a weekend. Go see a Broadway show in New York City. Run up the Art Museum steps like Rocky in Philadelphia. Camp out with the wild horses in Assateaque, Virginia. Or go hiking and chasing waterfalls in the Delaware Water Gap. Find out what exciting things you can do in your own backyard!

Smelling the Cherry Blossoms in front of the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C. It's easy to balance work and travel when you travel close to home. — Smelling the Cherry Blossoms in front of the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C.

6. Don’t Give Up!

I know working is exhausting. When you have free time, it can be tempting to take a staycation and rest. If you always use your vacation days to stay home and rest, you’ll never see the world. Don’t give into temptation – use those days for what they are meant for!

Go ride a camel in Africa. You only live once!

Any given weekend you can rest and recuperate. I know some weeks will be harder than others, especially surrounding a vacation when you’re trying to make up all that time you’ll be out for. But push yourself. If you always do the same thing you’ve always done, you’ll always get the same result you’ve always gotten. Get out there and see something new!

If you always do the same thing you've always done, you'll always get the same result you've always gotten. Share on X

Balancing work and travel is definitely possible. It takes some careful planning and creativity sometimes, but you can do it – with any job. Don’t expect everyone to be supportive. Expect to run into a lot of push-back, jealousy, and criticism. Don’t let it get you down! You can plan your free time as you see fit.

And remember: the more jealousy and resistance you run into, the more you know you’re doing it right.

The more jealousy and resistance you run into, the more you know you're doing it right. Share on X

How do you balance work and travel? Do you have other tricks I forgot to mention? Talk to me in the comments below!

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