FAQ: Reader Stephanie asks: “I’m a college graduate who now has a 9-to-5 day job but I’m already missing the good times on my graduation trip. Do you have any advice for someone like me who has difficulty incorporating travel into my current lifestyle as I only have ten days of annual leave?”
Answer: Yes. The first thing I’m going to challenge you to do is to make sure you are in the right job.
If travel is important to you, yet your job only allows two weeks off every year, you may consider a change. Ask yourself what is most important to you in the long run. You can also try asking for time off without pay, or ask for a leave of absence. If you are valued at your job, you could approach your boss and explain that you would like to take some time off to travel, and see what your boss says. If they do not allow that (and I wouldn’t take that lightly), then perhaps you need to check in with your priorities.
The travel bug is relentless, and this is not going to get easier. Check out episode 29 of my podcast, which is an interview with Julie Smith. She is currently living in London, but she still has her corporate America job, and she gives advice about how anyone could go about taking their job overseas. If you do decide to quit your job, there are also ways to travel and work overseas:
- BMT 005: Volunteering Abroad’s Best Kept Secret – Workaway
- Volunteering Abroad in Mexico via Workaway
- Volunteering and Working Abroad
- BMT 024: Finding Jobs Abroad with Kodee Cloninger
- BMT 019: New Zealand Working Holiday Visa with Katie Wert
Finally, if you really can’t take the time off or change your job, make the absolute most of your weekends and weeks of vacation. In podcast episode 35, Paula Froelich (Editor-in-Chief of Yahoo Travel) said, “You could even just go an hour away; all you need to do is get out of the familiar.” Whatever you do, make sure you are taking care of yourself with your decision, and if travel turns out to be more important than your job, find a way to make it happen. Like they say, “If it’s important to you, you will find a way. If not, you will find an excuse.”
Have you joined the BMT Community group on Facebook yet? It’s a great place to ask questions!