Everyone says it ...
I wish I had more time to travel. But unless you catch a leprechaun, simply wishing something will not make it come true. But despair not. Even if you are stuck in an eight to five job with the American vacation schedule of two annual weeks, this does not mean that you are forever bound to only have ten days a year to travel.
In this article
I provide some strategies I've accumulated over the years when dishing out advice to friends who sigh and say things like, "I wish I had more time to travel." If you want to find ways to travel more in a given year, it would behoove you to read through these four suggestions. Or at minimum skim the headlines. Either way, you'll thank me at the end.
1. Travel more by … using time between jobs wisely
We all need to make a living, and living off savings is sometimes the same as living with constant anxiety. However, there is no better time to take that month, a two month, or (hell, why not?) six month trip around the world, then when you are between jobs.
It seems most of us, when we leave or lose our job, immediately go into job hunting mode – which is also a full-time job. Slow down. If you have savings (or good credit and confidence), perhaps this is the time to slow life down a bit and see the world. It might even be a good career move and open you up to approach work differently when you do return to searching for a job.
2. Find more time to travel when … negotiating your salary
Few of us in the negotiating process of a potential new job go in with the attitude of, “Whatever you pay me is good with me.” We have expectations of what we are worth and we go into these talks ready to fight for that belief. You can take this same level of entitlement when it comes to time off. If they want you to work for them, well then they should at least meet you at a reasonable half-way. If they are offering you two weeks of PTO a year, negotiate for three.
3. Find more time to travel by … taking a pay cut
Did he really just write that? Who wants to take a pay cut? Well, I do every day that I work as a freelance travel writer instead of an office eight to five. I do this because I work to live the life I want, not work to have a life I don’t want. I’m strange, but I have a personality that above all demands freedom to move around the globe.
If the office life is stifling to you, consider talking to your boss about it. A good boss should have your happiness as a priority. I know friends who, when offered a raise, asked instead for more PTO a year and got it. So go for it.
4. Find more time to travel by … working weekends
First he asks me to take a pay cut and now he wants me to work weekends! As a traveler, I have learned that the length of a trip matters. There’s a sense of place that emerges on a month-long trip, that rarely takes hold on a two-week trip. We all can’t be teachers with those lovely three months off a year, but (if we work in a career where it’s possible) we all can put in extra time working now so we can have more time on our next trip.
If you are someone who really wants to immerse yourself in a culture or country, then I highly recommend taking month-long over two-week trips. You’ll understand what I mean when that third week kicks in.
