At the end of 2017 I remember writing down “travel more” when I was jotting down my 2018 resolutions. So as I started thinking about what kind of tips I could share with you this year I thought to myself, I’m sure a lot of my readers have the same goal but don’t know how to actually make it happen. I decided my first post of the new year would be around sharing tips on how to travel more this year when you have a full time job!
Stop Making Excuses!
It’s so easy to make excuses as to why you can’t or shouldn’t take the time off, but the truth is that if you really want to explore new cities there are ways to do it without affecting your 9-5!
You don’t need 2 weeks off at a time to visit a different country or even a new continent. I visited Peru this past September for only 5 nights. I traveled 16 hours to Cusco knowing I would only be there a short while, but I made it happen! If I waited for the perfect time to take 2 weeks off to do everything I wanted to do in Peru, the timing may have never been right. I took the 5 nights I had, prioritized the top sites I wanted to see and have no regrets about what I didn’t get to because some is better than none in my eyes. Just make sure to plan your trips wisely so you can maximize your time there!
Another excuse I hear often is “I don’t have someone to travel with.”. I am blessed to have a travel buddy, but I don’t think that would necessarily stop me if I didn’t. Take a solo trip! You won’t have to accommodate to anyone else and you will most likely end up making new friends along the way.
Leverage Holiday Weekends
Almost every trip I take either starts or ends on a long weekend. This helps me to extend a long trip by a day without using more PTO, or to make a quick weekend getaway feel a little longer.
Travel Close to Home
You don’t always have to travel far to see something new. Maybe there is a state that you haven’t been to yet that’s on your bucket list. Set alerts up for cheap flights and make it happen this year!
Road Trips
If it’s not financially realistic for you to be jet setting multiple times a year, consider rounding up a group of friends and renting a car to get you to a new destination on your list! Create a fun playlist and make some memories on the way!
Take Advantage of Work Travel
This last one won’t apply to everyone, but if you travel for work and happen to have cities in your territory that you have been wanting to visit or find that they would be worth exploring, make time to explore a bit before you come home. Even better make a weekend out of it!
I personally don’t travel for work but my boyfriend does. If he knows he has to make a client visit somewhere that we want to explore, he will try and book a meeting on a Thursday or Friday so that I can fly out and meet him and we can make a weekend out of it! Same goes with conferences!
