I am a firm believer that while we are on this beautiful planet, we should be taking the time out to explore and wander off to new or exciting places. I have said this to my friends, to the people that I manage, and to my community on my Instagram- book your trip and use that PTO.

In this brief yet valuable guide, I am going to share how I manage to travel up to 10 times a year while working a full-time job as a manager, and while working my business as a blogger, author, and online coach. If you are sick and tired of your PTO rolling over, or finding yourself envious of everyone else taking trips, keep reading for a guide on how to travel with a full-time job.

My Practical Trip Planning Process

Believe it or not, traveling with a full-time job is not as difficult as it seems. If you follow at least 3 of my practical tips below, you are going to find that this process is a lot easier than you initially thought.

Plan ahead as much as possible- book your trip 2 to 5 months in advance. This increases your chances of getting your PTO approved, and it also helps you save up for your trip.

Pick a location nearby for a 2-3 day weekend getaway- I love to take off on a Thursday evening after work because it gives me enough time to enjoy a trip. The best part about this is that if you do so, you will only have to use one PTO day for Friday.

Maximize your trip by creating an itinerary- for my super spontaneous people, hear me out. Figuring out what you want to do on your trip will help you actually get the most out of it. The last thing that you want to do is spend all of that money and time on a trip that you didn’t get to fully explore. If you need help in this area, use Pinterest for a travel guide or check out my travel blog section for your next trip!

Complete major projects ahead of time- the least exciting thing ever is to be greeted with a huge task or project when returning from your vacation. Make sure that you finish up with your projects and leave your work in an organized state before you leave so that you can enjoy your trip.

Create a mini routine for your trip- my fellow Type A people know how hard it can be to travel without any sort of routine. Make a list of the “must-do” things that you enjoy doing daily to bring along with you for your trip. If you attempt to have a mini routine while traveling, it will make you feel less disoriented when you return home.

Peep the company’s paid holidays- it blows my mind that some people don’t take advantage of a 3 day weekend when a company basically hands it to them. When I tell you that I look at the entire list of paid holidays at my job for the year, I use this as a way to help me sprinkle in 3-4 day trips. For example, if the paid holiday is on a Friday, I will also request off Thursday and leave on Wednesday evening so that I now have Thursday, Friday (paid holiday), Saturday, and Sunday off. You can travel while working full time by maximizing your company’s paid holidays.

Know where you want to go- do the research friends. The best way to travel while working full time is to know where you want to go ahead of time. While some may argue that booking a last-minute trip helps you feel more alive (totally agree), I try to book my “last-minute trips” a few months in advance. A few weeks ago, I had a random desire to book a trip to Joshua Tree and immediately booked one for a few months out. This catered to my spontaneous side, because I didn’t give myself room to back out of booking the trip, yet I still have enough time to prepare for it. When you work a 9-5, you have to plan ahead.

Book your accommodation accordingly- another tip that I want to add is to find an Airbnb, hotel, or a resort that is near some of the attractions that you want to explore while vacationing. When you do this, it lessens the drive time from each destination, which results in more time to enjoy your trip!

The Freedom to Work Remotely

If we are deciding to look at the glass half full vs half empty, then we can say that the one good thing that came out of the shit show year of 2020, is the ability to work from home or work from anywhere.

Due to many companies shifting to working remotely and becoming more flexible with WFH policies towards the end of the pandemic, we are now able to travel while working full time. With that being a new reality, and hopefully one for your current full-time job, you should absolutely take advantage of working from anywhere.

Here are some basic things that you must do if choosing to work from anywhere so that you can travel while working full time:

Play it safe- now this might be the manager in me speaking, but please play it safe when working from anywhere. You don’t want to risk losing your job for the sake of a wanderlust desire, so take heed when getting too risky. A simple way to play it safe is by telling your manager that you are planning to work remotely and would like to confirm that this is possible. If you desire to go the extra mile, you could even go as far as buying an extra screen or monitor so that you can be productive while working remotely.

Select the best scenery– the best part about working remotely is that you are able to switch up your scenery and leave behind your typical work environment. Each time that I have work in another city or state, I am super selective by picking the cutest Airbnb, cottage, or hotel to appease my need for a better aesthetic. It makes no sense to me to pick a place that doesn’t feel cute, cozy, and prettier than my studio apartment back at home in San Diego.

You can’t forget the connection- the worst thing that can happen to you is that you arrive at your destination, only to have the worst or basic Wifi. Prior to even booking your trip, reach out to the hotel or host to confirm that you will have a strong protected and Wifi connection. If you want to take a step further, buy a booster or get a solid hotspot on your phone as a backup plan.

Get out during your getaway- yes, you absolutely need to make sure that you are working when working from anywhere, yet you also need to enjoy yourself while traveling. The best way to travel while working a full-time job is to squeeze in fun things to do during your getaway. I suggest bringing your work laptop to a cute cafe or coffee shop during your trip or getting lunch at a trendy and tasty place.

Consider the time difference- I hate to say it, but if one of my employees asked to work from Bali for over 2 days, I’d have to decline due to the major time difference. A general thing to consider is the time zone when choosing to work from anywhere. If there is a 6+ hour difference, please make sure to inform your manager of this before paying for your flight. It will save you both a lot of frustration and allow for you to both be aligned for your work from anywhere travel plans.

Why You Should Your Take PTO

If I haven’t convinced you to take your PTO yet, then keep reading for my final thoughts on how you can travel while working a full-time job.

As I have said before, you were not placed on this beautiful planet to work day to day, without enjoying your everyday life. Traveling and using your PTO gives you the moment of freedom and childlike joy that you are designed to have access to. When you submit that PTO and then use it, you come back feeling more recharged than how you felt prior to the trip. You also get to experience a new city, culture, and new memories that nobody can take away from you. So what are you waiting for?! Use your PTO and book your next trip.