I started my “Corporate Life” and “Travel life” in exactly same month (October 2014). Just because I was working full time in CST shifts and used to travel almost every 15 days, people used to wonder how do I manage this. And the standard statements I used to hear were –
“You must be earning really well” and “how do you get so many leaves from office”
Neither of these statements is true!
Well, let’s not talk about salary and second, I hardly took any leave for the trips except my 10 days long trip to Ladakh. I used to get my weekends off and I always traveled in that. There is no rocket science involved, plus I didn’t “just got lucky” to have this life. With time, I learned managing things.
Here are some learnings which might help you too:
# Prioritise things, goals, plans
First thing first, do you even want to travel or just be in your PJ’s and lie on a couch all day? Travel only when you are physically and mentally ready.
Second, understand what kind of a vacation you want. Like you just want to go to a fancy resort, pamper yourself or maybe explore the city like a local; or just party in the hills; or do photography, etc. etc. There is nothing wrong in any kind of travel but at it’s extremely important to Identify your purpose. It will further help you to plan your budget, destination, etc.
# Make effective use of Official leaves and weekends
It becomes really important to plan the weekends and leaves effectively when you are a travel lover plus you have to manage work too. You can choose the destination in advance and make prior bookings.
# Wisely choose the trip destination
It becomes difficult to travel to far off places in limited time (Saturday-Sunday to be precise). Considering this, it becomes even more important to choose the destination wisely. You can find some good place within 200-250 km from your city. It is advisable to do the overnight journey so that you can enjoy the place during the daytime.
# Be ready to sacrifice
Everything comes with a price tag. Here, I don’t mean the “literal” price you have to pay for the trip but other things. You might have to compromise on Sleep, Social life, comfort, shopping, etc. Also, you might lose some credibility among your family & relatives. There are high chances of you being called a Vagabond (Awaara). You have to be in “Keep Calm & Travel” mode.
# Be ready to travel SOLO
Friends will always ditch you at the last moment. Moreover, no one will be ready to travel with you so frequently. Finding a travel Saathi is one most difficult thing in the world. Obviously, there are certain unsaid rules and “things to keep in mind” while traveling solo but don’t be scared of it.
# Or also you can try traveling with a (random) group
Considering Travel community is growing bigger every day, there are so many travel groups coming up which can offer you good deals, also other solo travelers will be there to give you company. You can search on Facebook & Instagram and choose accordingly. There are certain advantages of traveling in a group.
# Don’t tell everything to your manager
Yes, you have to keep secrets. If you keep on telling your personal plans to your manager, sooner or later, things might backfire. For one small mistake at work, you might have to listen – “You are completely lost in travel” or “I will not approve your leaves”. Play smart!
# Balance is the key
Travel is interesting & liberating of course but you just can’t leave everything behind and live a nomad life. Family, Job, Society, you have to take care of everything. Life is beautiful when balanced.
Left my full-time job in November 2017 and yes, now I have all the freedom to go anywhere, anytime but at the same time, I have Travel Affairs to take care of. So, it’s again no less than a job. I don’t have fixed 5 pm to 2 am shifts but have to work for even more than shift hours at times. I don’t have to report to my manager or attend weekly calls but I have to report to myself now which is even more challenging (trust me), Earlier, at least I used to get weekends off. And the most important, no fixed monthly credits. Hence, traveling with a job has its own benefits.
PERIOD.
To all those who used to crib about their jobs and are so much fancied by the lives of travelers and wish to quit their full-time job, just give it a deep thought. Nothing against it but in the world of “9 to 5 is not my type” and “quit job & travel full time”, the key is to introspect and understand what you really want. Nothing is better than doing a job of your choice and also manage to travel.
Suggested some tried and tested tips. Hope this helps!
