How do you travel so much? How do you get so many leaves? Well, this is a burning question that we get quite often. Being in a full-time job that is neither travel-related nor requires much travelling, we really have to be prudent with our leaves for travelling. We have a job and travel while working full time.

The employment scenario in India is not like that of the Western countries where you can take a work gap of years, travel around the world and then get back to work. Infact, we have some friends who do just that. They work, take a break, travel for some time and then again get back to work. This is not possible in India. So is it really possible to travel if you have a full-time job? We would say it is definitely possible. We have done it inspite having a demanding job. You can also do it.

So how do we actually do it?

We have already made travelling a priority. Travelling across India and experiencing the varied colours and cultures of our country always remains the top of our concerns. We have adopted a lifestyle so that it helps us to travel. Our financial goals, career paths and lifestyle are all shaped by our desire to travel.

There are small steps that you can take in order to squeeze travel into your life. Every job has its own demands. What had worked for us might not give you the same result. But you can try these tips suiting them to your needs. You can also read about our financial strategies to save money for travelling.

Make travel a priority

“When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it”. We firmly believe that whatever the learned men have said is true. So if you really want to travel, then make it your priority. In that way, you will find it easier to focus and plan on your travel goals. If you have to work extra to get those leaves, or cut down on unnecessary expenditure to build the travel fund – you will find a way to do it. if your priority is travel, then you will find a way to do it.

Extend a long weekend

If you have a Friday, then extend your weekend by taking a leave on Thursday or Monday. Plan your trips around these extended weekends. In this way, you will have four days for a trip to a new place.

Whenever we have a holiday like this, we take a leave and travel to explore the weekend destinations near Kolkata.

Take advantage of your business trips

This is for those who have to travel for work. Make it a point to extend the trip for a couple of days so that you can explore the place, or stop at some place on your way back. You can even utilize the evenings and free time to travel around the place (if you have time, of course).

I had once extended my official trip to visit Tanjore to see the Brihadeeswar Temple.

Travel on the holidays

Long holidays are the best time to take a long break for travelling. Sometimes it might be difficult to be away from your family during the festivals and holidays, but this a great time to take a break for travel. You can even travel with your family. We had taken a couple of days of holidays during the Durga Puja and Lakshmi Puja holidays and went for a 9-days long trip.

Travel somewhere within driving distance

You always do not have to go to a faraway distance for travelling. There are many interesting places near you that you can visit over the weekend. We had visited Shantiniketan, Kushamandi, Dariyapur over the weekend. These places were all within the driving distances from our home.

Work hard, and travel harder

This is perhaps the most important of all these tips. Work hard at the office and get known as a high-performer. Be someone on whom the Boss can count on to deliver. If your boss and coworkers know you get things done, they won’t bat an eye when you take a few days off. This has always worked for us.

Don’t be afraid to travel solo

Get acquainted to travelling alone. There are times when Agni and I have different work priorities and have to travel alone. Although we simply love travelling together, but solo travelling also has its perks, and we love that also. The benefits of travelling solo are innumerable.

Think differently about your benefits

This does not work for us, but it might be for some of you. During the annual review, ask for more days off instead of salary hike. For the extra time you had given in office, ask for a leave instead of the money. If you are starting a new job, then you can negotiate for the extra paid leaves.

It is not always easy to ask your boss for leaves or making the decision to spend the money for travelling. Missing days of work and then find pile of undone work often does not look so inviting. Also staying away from obligations is sometimes daunting and difficult. But if you do not do it, you will never be able to travel. As they say – “If you never go, you will never know”.

Do you love to travel and have a full-time 9 to 5 job? How do you manage your travel? Share your story also.

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