We've all seen digital nomads and wondered if life is as perfect as it seems but for the large majority of us who love travelling we have a full-time job which we can't take on the road with us. So is it possible to work full-time and travel?
Well, let me tell you how...
Tip #1 - Utilise Any Pre-existing Holiday
This seems obvious but enough people don't take advantage of bank holidays, this can stop you from using your holiday allowance at work or at least reduce how much you will need to take. You have to consider that flights can be more expensive during these times, so you may have to do more shopping around than on any other trip. If your job has shifts rather than a 9-5 working day then you may be able to just swap shifts instead of using holiday.
Tip #2 - Work Your Destination Around Your Time Off
Unless you have a specific destination you need to visit then consider booking your time off work first and then deciding where to go with what time you have! This concept takes a little getting used to and can feel strange to begin with but some of the best trips I've been on are to places I would have never considered if I'd planned it the other way around.
Tip #3 - Flight Times
A lot of people use up precious days off because they book the most convenient flights, early morning or late flights might not be the nicest but they will save you eating up half a day in your destination. Return flight times are important to look into as well, returning at a reasonable hour means you probably won't have to take an extra rest day before returning to work.
Tip #4 - Don't Feel Pressured to work outside your hours
Unless you are self-employed than work within your contract, it's there for a reason. Don't feel pressured to work all hours of the day doing overtime even if it is paid. You need to find a work/life balance which allows you to not feel guilty about taking time off. The more hours you work outside your contacts, the more people will expect it from you and become to rely on you doing so. Some bigger companies may try to guilt trip or intimidate you into doing extra work but you need to be firm, understand your worth and enjoy your personal life.
Tip #5 - Forget the Fear of Missing Out
"True friends stay with you no matter the distance or time that separates you from them.” – Lance Reynald
Yes, your friends might be going on a night out but sometimes you have to make a choice if you'd rather go to the pub or hop on a plane and only you can make that decision. Friends won't always come with you so you need to be strong-willed and have enough self-belief that you can make yourself happy and pursue what you like rather than making others happy. If they are true friends they will support you, understand why you miss certain events and be there for you when you return.
Some of these might seem like small or silly changes to save a day or even half a day's holiday, but if you're looking to travel as much as possible whilst still working full-time, trust me when I say that every little helps!