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Time to Travel: How I Visited 20+ Countries with a Full-time Job

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First published: Aug 9, 2019

Updated: Oct 10, 2024

“I have more time to travel than I think”.

To me, this realization became very blatant when I decided to include traveling into my lifestyle. As a Doctor and College Lecturer with a full-blown social life, I used to feel like I am always running out of time to do the things that I love the most. But over the past few years, I have been intentional about carving space in my life so I can take time to travel, and I have discovered e樂威壯 ven newer ways to include travel in my life. Here is how I am doing it.

Ngor Island, Dakar, Sénégal

I use All my Paid Time Off

On average and across the world, an entry level job gives between 10 – 21 vacation days. Of course, this would vary based on the industry and the country you work in. In countries like Brazil or New Zealand, workers can get up to 30 days of vacation time. Regardless of how many vacation days you get, you make the most out of your vacation time. Take that time to travel. Plan your holidays from now.

Now, depending on the type of travel I want to do, here are different other genius tricks that I have used to get more time off to travel.

Get More Time to Travel for Short Getaways

Short getaways are any type of travels  that last between 24 hours and 3 weeks. To get more time off for your short getaways, here are the techniques that have worked for me.

I spice Up my 3-day weekends

Maximizing on the weekend is always a great way to get more time to travel in your life. Some might say it’s only 3 days (or two and a half), but it’s better than nothing. You could opt for a staycation, take a road trip, go away for the weekend in a neighboring state or island. With 3-day weekends, the best options are always to stay either within the country (in which case, you visit different cities), or to travel within the region. You get to save on time and you can still plan a whole day of activity before heading back home. Either way, there are a lot of ways to make these experiences unique and meaningful.

I attend Professional Trainings, which gives me more time to travel

Professional trainings are a good way to get more time to travel from work. You get to travel for a purpose, and after your training, you can do all the (other) fun stuff like sightseeing and being a tourist! Landing professional training opportunities can actually be easier than you think: with a great work ethic, great recommendations from work and a good reputation, you can easily stand out from the crowd.

I Attend Business Conferences

This is perhaps one of my favorite tricks to get more time to travel. I love conferences because they are an amazing opportunity to network with like-minded people in my field. I love them even more because they allow me to visit a different city/country every time. A great part of the travels I have done was because of educational and conference opportunities, such as my recent trip to to Morocco.

But don’t get me wrong: work conferences are actually a lot of … work. This is exactly why it is important for you to consider extending your business trips.

Attending a meeting in Geneva, Swtizerland. Palais des Nations

I Extend My Work-related Business Trips

There are two ways of doing this. First, you could purchase a ticket that would allow you to return on a Friday. That way, you can freely extend your stay up to Sunday and return on Sunday. But if your return is scheduled on a weekday, chances are, you would be expected to return back to work within a day or two. In that case, negotiate with your boss to get more time off to travel and extend your trip by a few days. If you are planning to take a longer trip (more than 3 weeks), there are different ways you can get more time to travel.

How to Get More time Off To Travel for Longer Vacations

how-to-get-more-time-off-to-travel-caribbean-island-bequia-mustique-stvincentandthegrenadines-cruiseships

I buy Extra Weeks of Vacation Time

Let’s suppose you already have 3 weeks of vacation time. But you know that the white sand beaches in Barbados are going to make you extend your stay. Dreaming of it already, you anticipate that you’re going to extend your stay. And tomorrow, you will talk to your boss about it. But you also feel like 4 weeks of vacation might seem unfair for you, especially because everyone else in your department gets 3 weeks. And we don’t want to be unfair. Worry not,  negotiate with your boss. You can get more time off to travel without getting anyone pissed off.

how-to-get-more-time-off-to-travel-geneva-switzerland-nyon
Nyon, Switzerland.

I Plan my Paid Holidays around Vacation Time to get more time off to travel

If you want to get more time to travel, planning your vacation around public holidays is always a good idea. When I went to St Vincent and the Grenadines for the first time, it was the Easter Holiday weekend.

However, for your vacation request to get approved, it is important to plan early. A lot of people tend to go on vacation during the high seasons. You can have an extended Easter break wherever you decide to go, or spread some more of the holiday cheers by spending more time with your loved ones.

travel-to-st-vincent-bequia-hammock-caribbeanlife-caribbean-beauty-girl-pinkdress
Bequia island, St Vincent and the Grenadines. And it gets better.

I Negotiate Ways to Work Remotely

I use this technique a lot to get more time off to travel. Again, this would require you to have a good and trusting relationship with your employer, as well as a track record of good performance (employers give more favors to employees that they appreciate and trust). Working remotely (or from home) can be a tricky topic to approach with your boss. This is because people tend to believe that when we work from home, we don’t get any work done. With that prejudice in mind, it is important to set a plan with details of how you intend to perform your work while at home. This is how I managed to get more time to travel to Dakar, Senegal.

You should also include moves that reinforce trust. Things like checking in with your boss during the day, completing assignments and projects on time, go a long way.

how-to-get-more-time-off-to-travel-dakar-senegal-africanvacation-phare-des-mamelles
Phare des Mamelles. Dakar, Senegal

I Negotiate (Temporary) Unpaid Leave

Before you squirt your eyes and disregard this option, hear me out. Unpaid leave will help you get more time off to travel. It is also an easy-to-approve solution for your boss. But if you’re thinking about the fact that you might lose a portion of your salary, you might not have to. What if you actually earned money on the side to cover all your trip expenses and not worry about losing your salary after all?

I have created a comprehensive online course where I show you how you can use the skills you currently have to grow you income and make money online! So if you would like to find out new ways to earn more so you can travel more, then Making Money Online for Beginners is definitely for you!

So let’s make that dream a reality. Here are amazing ways you can get more time to travel this year. Ready? Take a leap of faith/ Make your choice. Go.

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14 responses to “Time to Travel: How I Visited 20+ Countries with a Full-time Job”

  1. Adeola

    Thanks, Clem! This is amazing. I appreciate your sharing them. These tips were super helpful.

    I plan to make a few trips this year, God willing.

    1. Clem

      Hi Adeola, I am so happy this was of help to you. I will be sharing more tips regarding making more money to travel. I see that you subscribed as well. Awesome!Let me know about your travel plans for this year. Happy to help in the planning!

  2. claudia Bellot

    Hi Clem. Missed you on Sunday’s. Now I know what you have been up to. Wonderful ideas and tips for traveling. I used some of them when I had a full time career job . But should have utilized many more opportunities. Great blog. Will be sharing with friends. Hope to see u soon.

    1. Clem

      Hi Mrs. Bellot, thank you for stopping by! I have been away working from Dakar, Senegal, while spending time with my family. I am so happy to read you, and to know that you know about these tips! Please share them with anyone who you know would need them.

  3. Jasmine

    Excellent travel tips Clem !

    1. Clem

      Thanks Jasmin! 🙂

  4. Uncompromised Bae

    I ready to travel wi….but i need an article on the money to travel to help me get there lol

    1. Clem

      Hi Shanice (Uncompromised bae)! Thank you for stopping by. I completely understand, and that is similar to the comment that Simplice made below as well. I am happy to help you find new ways to make more money to travel! I also see that you already signed up to get more tips for “money to travel”! I will email you about this soon. I am currently working on something that would be of really great help to you!

  5. Simplice

    Great ideas, and i can see why you have been travelling often as you do. But what happens when you may have all the time and do not have enough money to spend in your trip? Guess we may need tips on how to travel with little money.

    Definitely your tips are very helpful.
    Keep going!!!!

    1. Clem

      Simplice, thanks for stopping by! Yes, I let you all out on the secrets in this blog post:)
      And you are absolutely right. I know that getting the time to travel is one problem, but getting the money is another! That is why I wil be rolling out a new series of articles starting in February, giving you specific ways you can earn more money for your travels. If you’re interested, just subscribe to the newsletter:)

  6. Nic Bertrand

    I’ve always wondered how you get so much time off to travel the world. Excellent tips!

    1. Clem

      Haha, know you have the real tea! I am sure at least one of these tips can work for you as well. If you need any help, let me know! You know how to reach me.

  7. DonZ

    I love this!! Great job Clem

    1. Clem

      You’re most welcome Don, thanks for checking it out. Let me know if you end up using any of these tips:)

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