I Have a Full-time Job and Still Travel The World - And You Can Too

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I feel like many travel blogs I come across are along the lines of this: hating your job and cubicle life, spending every day dreading the office, and then quitting that job to travel the world.

There's nothing wrong with that - I believe you should do what makes you happy. If working at your job doesn't make you happy, work somewhere else! Or find a way to quit and travel.

...But what if you like your job? And still want to travel?

Before I graduated college, I was beyond afraid of committing to a full-time job in fear that it would make me "stuck" and prevent me from seeing the world. I ended up moving to Italy for about six months to work abroad. I had an great time traveling around Europe. But then I returned home and was on the hunt for a full-time job.

Now that I actually have a full-time job, I'm realizing that a full-time commitment isn't as scary as I thought it would be. And I actually really like my job. That's not something you come across very often - a travel blogger who actually is okay with working 8-5! (For now, at least). Even though I'm not traveling constantly, I work in a rewarding position that allows me to fulfill one of my many passions in life: working with students in higher education.

Purple Flowers Amalfi

But I still ache to travel everywhere. That's where holidays and vacation time come in. In a few weeks I'm going to New York for a quick 3-day trip. This summer I'll be in China for most of July. Shorter trips to see friends and family around the US are scattered throughout the year as well.

Traveling with a full-time job is doable. Here are a few ways:

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1. Actually use your vacation days

Apparently 40% of Americans don't use all their vacation time. Knowing that most Americans get about 5-10 vacation days per year in entry-level positions, that makes me want to cry. Using your vacation days lowers levels of stress, making for an overall happier life filled with new experiences - or even just a relaxing couple of days off.

So, please, use your vacation days. Not just to fulfill your aching desire to travel, but for your health and sanity.

2. Travel on holidays

From a budget traveler's perspective, traveling on a holiday would be "taboo" in most cases since the price of flights, hotels, etc. tend to spike during holiday times. However, a holiday off work is a precious day off, and, if used wisely, doesn't have to be too expensive.

3. Schedule vacation days around work holidays

Since many work holidays fall on Mondays or Fridays, you've already got a 3-day weekend. Build that 3-day weekend into your trip schedule to maximize your time. This allows you to use less vacation days for one trip...meaning you can put those toward another trip later in the year.

4. Go somewhere nearby for a weekend getaway

Road trip somewhere close. Maybe you're traveling west to the beaches or to a winery a few hours away. Maybe you live close to New York and can just hop on a bus to get there. Maybe you live in Europe and a few hours on a train will show you to a new country.

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5. Take red-eye flights

I'm slightly dreading the red-eye flight I'm taking to New York in few weeks. Melatonin for the flight and a large iced coffee upon landing should do the trick, though. It beats spending a majority of a day in transport since my time over there is short.

6. Extend your work trip through the weekend

Ask your boss if your flights can be flexible. For example, if your work trip is Wednesday - Friday see if you can return on Sunday. You might be able to stay at the hotel through the weekend - out of your own cost, of course - or find an alternative place to stay.

7. Use unpaid vacation days (wisely)

If your job doesn't offer paid vacation time, or you are over your maximum amount, see if you can look into taking unpaid vacation. You'll need to make sure you budget accordingly and assure you can still cover your rent and other expenses when your paycheck dips.

8. Work remotely

If you are able to work remotely with your job, you might be able to extend a trip with another week or so (or even longer) in a destination. Keep in mind that you still need to actually be working. Though you still have your off-hours to explore wherever you're at!

Work Experience That Will Help You Get a Job Abroad

Florence, Italy - View from Piazzale Michaelangelo

My most frequently asked question is how I got my job doing tour guiding and marketing for a travel company in Europe after college. Basically I sent my resume to the company, had a Skype interview, and got the job. Just like any job.

However, my experience and skills from college helped set my resume apart so that I was one of the few that was given an interview.

The job was a mix of many things: leading weekend trips to different cities in Europe for college study abroad students, digital marketing, sales, and events.

I'm going to outline helpful work experience for the jobs I've had that have allowed me to travel, some soft skills you should mention in a cover letter and interview, and what my resume looked like when I applied to these jobs.

International Tour Guiding and Marketing

Croatia tour

Helpful experience to have for this type of job:

• Study abroad or international travel experience

• Leadership

• Public speaking

• Social media (helpful to have experience doing this for businesses)

• Sales

• Event planning, operations and hosting

• Customer service

• Photography

• Video editing

• Writing

• Basic foreign language skills (if the people \where you're living speak a different language)

Budapest trip

Soft skills to mention (provide examples from your experience to back these up):

• Passion for travel

• Creativity

• Social/outgoing

• Strong leader

• Willingness to understand/accept other cultures

• Independence

• Easy-going, flexible

• Able to make snap decisions

• Sense of humor (especially when things go wrong)

• Like to have fun

Faculty Advisor for International Conferences

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I've also gotten to do some traveling by working for a different company at leadership conferences. First I was in DC/NYC for a summer, and the following year was in Europe for a couple weeks, and this upcoming summer will be doing another one in China for a couple weeks. The job entailed leading a group of 20-25 international high school students and facilitating curriculum on leadership and international relations.

Helpful experience for this type of job:

• Experience leading groups

• Work/school experience in the area of the conference's theme

• Teaching, counseling, and/or coaching

• Public speaking

• Have worked with students

• Enjoy bonding games and icebreakers

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Soft skills:

• Able to make snap decisions

• Staying calm in stressful situations

• Being able to maintain high energy (LONG days)

• Friendly personality

• Role model (you follow the same set of rules the students do)

• Creativity

• Flexibility

• Always thinking with a "team" mindset

• Promoting inclusivity and a team spirit among your group

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When I originally applied to these jobs out of college, my resume included:

• Bachelor's degree in Public Relations with minors in Promotions and Journalism

• Studied abroad in Florence, Italy

• Public Relations Intern (7 months)

• Study Abroad Ambassador (2 years)

• Copy Editor for college yearbook (2 years)

• Social Media & Newsletter Editor for my school's chapter of PRSSA (1 year)

• Freshman Orientation Leader (3 years)

• Zumba instructor (1.5 years)

• College dance team member (4 years)

• Junior high dance team coach (1 year)

While I have a degree in PR, you don't necessarily need to be studying that to get one of those jobs. Some potential majors for wanting to go into something similarly related could include: communication, photojournalism, international relations, hospitality, international business, any foreign language, or tourism.

The more important thing is describing your previous experience and relating it to how you're qualified and will excel at the job at hand.

Have you worked abroad? Add your tips in the comments below!

Traveling The World After College: What You Need To Know

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People always told us as kids that we should be whatever we want to be: astronauts. Rockstars. Ballerinas. Athletes. Detectives. Professional puppy owners or ship captains or world explorers. And then we grow up. And we're told we need to be "practical" with a secure full time job in a sensible field.

Especially in the US, traveling after college is not the norm. Society urges college grads to look for employment right away (not a bad thing), but taking a gap year or even the summer to travel isn't exactly encouraged. But it should be.

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Even though older adults often say "oh I wish I had the opportunity to travel when I was your age," it still is "more important" to cling to the corporate ladder and the security of a 401k right after graduation, and anyone who strays from the norm are met with either "good for you!" or "well, just make sure you find a job when you get back *eyeroll.*" How do I know this? I received both immense praise and utter criticism - with those exact phrases - when I decided to move to Italy for a short term job after graduation.

Do what's right for you. Welcome or not, everyone is going to give you their advice on what you "need" to do. Tune out the haters and those with the ignorant, jealous mindset that traveling after college isn't possible or realistic. If you want to travel after college, now's the perfect time. And if you're just about ready to do it, here is everything you need to know.

Traveling The World After College: What You Need To Know

Seine River Paris

Research the many ways to travel

You could be working, backpacking, volunteering, or taking a two week trip. Do you want to go long term or short term? Do you want to rent an apartment somewhere or live a gypsy life?

Decide what works best for you

Once you've done your research, decide what works best for you. Whether it's Yacht Week in Croatia, teaching English in Cambodia, backpacking across Europe, a cruise around the Caribbean, a working holiday visa in Australia, or Peace Corps for two years, there are a number of ways to travel. The options are endless!

Get inspired by others

Read blogs of others who have done it to see how they're doing it. Follow their tips. Read books about travel. Search travel hashtags on Pinterest. Talk to friends or family who have gone abroad. Before I graduated college, I even went to my school's study abroad office to ask their tips on traveling after graduation, and they were able to give me plenty of tips and resources.

Spice Market Istanbul

Know the culture's customs before you go

This is important not to just to save yourself from potential embarrassment but to also be respectful and learn about how other people live. It's also helpful to learn at least a few phrases of the language of where you're going.

The money thing.

Yes, you'll need to budget your money, and no, it doesn't have to be as expensive as you may think. Don't have quite enough saved up? Neither did I when I graduated college. I worked a summer job to pay for my flights to Europe.

If you're working abroad, be realistic about the opportunity and how much money you're going to make. Know the exachange rate of your currency and the places you're going to.

Returning from abroad: the fear of being "unemployable"

Traveling after college will boost your resume. Contrary to any fears or reservations you may have, you don't need to get a full time corporate the day after graduation.

You won't be "behind." In fact, life will be pretty much the same when you get back home. There will be jobs to apply for when you get back. You have the rest of your life to climb the corporate ladder. I'm currently working full time back home after traveling. Traveling didn't hurt my resume, it helped it.

The skills you build upon and things you learn abroad can only be positive when you're applying to jobs in the future. Plus, travel may make your career aspirations more clear.

View of Champs Elysee from Arc de Triomphe

Get ready to go!

Get your passport if you don't already have one and sort out any visa situations you might be in. Start planning with these steps: 8 Essential Steps To Planning a Trip Abroad.

Be smart and safe

Give family and close friends back home your travel plans, flight details, and a general outline of where you're going so they know how to get ahold of you if an emergency arises. Use apps like Skype, FaceTime, Whatsapp, or Viber to keep in touch over wifi.

Connect with other travelers

If you're going solo or want to meet people along the way, use networks like Couchsurfing or other groups to find others or get advice on traveling. Hostels are another great way to meet people on the road.

Blarney Castle View Cork Ireland

Keep an open mind

Sometimes the intial culture shock is amazing, and sometimes it takes time to adjust. By staying open-minded you'll give yourself the opportunity to try new things, have new experiences, and meet new people - the best parts about going abroad.

If you really don't like it, you can always go home

That's always an option. But try to at least give it a chance, shake up your routine, or try going somewhere new before leaving.

Embrace everything

If you're going somewhere short term, your time will fly by. Take pictures. Keep a journal (or blog!). Be in the moment. You've worked hard to earn your degree, and now is the time to enjoy this period in life where you can be free to roam the world.

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Want more inspiration? Check out these posts about travel quotes:

These 14 Quotes Will Motivate You To Book Your Next Flight

10 Cliche But Inspiring Travel Quotes

10 Non-Cliche Travel Quotes

More Inspiring Travel Quotes

What a Year - 2014 Recap of Go Seek Explore

What a Year - 2014 Recap of Go Seek Explore

Seine River Paris

Now that 2014 is about to come to a close, I'd like to reflect on the year in terms of Go Seek Explore. I can't believe how quickly this year went by! And as with every turn of a new year, I'm amazed at how much can happen and change within 365 days.

I created Go Seek Explore on May 13, 2014

I returned to the US from my job in Italy in January and it wasn't long before I started to get itchy feet. While trying to figure out when to move to Arizona (between DC and Seattle), I spent a majority of my day applying to full time jobs and daydreaming about traveling to new places during the rest. Go Seek Explore became my outlet for writing and travel, two things I love to spend my time doing.

...and then I went back to Europe! I didn't know how long it would be before my next international trip, especially since I came home from Italy with very low funds. I was excited to secure a short term job working in Europe over the summer before I moved to Arizona.

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Popular Posts on GSE in 2014

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14 Europe Experiences You Need To Have In Your Lifetime

I love Europe and don't know many people who don't also love it. Whether you're studying abroad, backpacking, honeymooning, or taking a short trip, there are some experiences in Europe that I believe everyone should experience at least once.

8 Seattle Stereotypes That Are Actually True

After living in the Seattle area for almost 18 years, I enjoyed writing a piece that confirmed all the stereotypes of Seattle-ites. That's true, no one uses umbrellas even though it rains almost every day. It's weird. Go figure. As my most popular post ever, it seems like other Seattle-ites agree with me, too.

The ABCs of Studying Abroad in Florence

W is for Wine...and lots of it. This was such a fun one to write and made me nostalgic about my study abroad experience and Florence in general.

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10 Reasons Why You Should Travel After College

This was one of my first posts on GSE. I originally wrote it on my old blog to test out the waters with travel blogging. When it went viral on social media, I knew I was ready to create a travel blog!

8 Tips For First-Timers at Oktoberfest

I wrote this one originally for The College Tourist. Oktoberfest 2013 was amazing and I hope to return another year! These eight tips will be helpful to anyone going to Munich's favorite festival in the future.

Published Pieces

Some of my work was featured on sites like Thought Catalog, Wayfaring, and The College Tourist. I also collaborated with other bloggers for guest posts as well (and you'll find others' guest posts on here, too).

GSE Goals & Updates

My number one goal through this blog is to aim to inspire people to travel more. That hasn't changed since the creation of the blog, and never will.

New Design in September GSE got a much-needed makeover this fall. One of my 2015 goals: get a logo created.

Added Social Networks Bloglovin' (new! Go check it out), Facebook, and Instagram. Instagram reached 1,000 followers this month, which is a nice breakthrough as we head into 2015.

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Countries Visited in 2014: 6

Italy, USA, France, Austria, Czech Republic, Germany

Favorite Country Visited: Germany. Because it's awesome. And Germans are cool. And German beer is the best.

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Cities Visited in 2014: 15

Domestic: Seattle, WA; Washington, DC; Newport Beach, CA; Laguna Beach, CA; Tri Cities, WA; Boise, ID; Park City, UT; Phoenix, Arizona; Sedona, Arizona

International: Florence, Italy; Paris, France; Vienna, Austria; Prague, Czech Republic; Dresden, Germany; Berlin, Germany

Favorite City Visited: It's a tie between Vienna and Laguna Beach. It was great to get to go back to Vienna for nine days (my first visit was just a day trip) because it is such a cool city and there are so many things to do. One of my favorite things was going to a concert in the Schonbrunn Palace.

Laguna Beach, which is basically opposite from Vienna, provided a nice family getaway to the warm, sunny, beaches of Southern California. I had been to Newport a dozen times but never Laguna (and they're so close!) and I have to say that I fell in love with this beach town.

2015 Travel Plans (so far):

-Denver, Colorado: January -Butte, Montana: August -Newport, California: December

Potential plans include New York City, the Grand Canyon, Chicago, and DC (working on it!) and at least one international trip. I'm looking into Eastern and/or Southeast Asia. I'll need to plan any trips around holidays and vacation days, once I accrue them from work.

Spice Market and Grand Bazaar

Travel Goals For 2021:

Wait...2021? It's only 2015!

My overarching travel goal is to step foot on each of the six inhabited continents by the time I'm 30 years old. I'm currently 23 and have been to North America and Europe. This is 1/3 of the way, but there is still so much to see. Since I currently hold a full-time job (and a part-time one on weekends), my travel schedule is more limited so I gave myself a 6.5 year window to complete the goal. It's also somewhat vague as of now, but I figure I have 6.5 years to continue defining and shaping it.

I made this goal after reading The Happiness of Pursuit by Chris Guillibeau (definitely recommend!) from being inspired by his accomplishments and the "quests" of others.

What are your goals for 2015, travel or otherwise?

How I've Paid For My Travels So Far

Spice Market and Grand Bazaar

I don't believe that money has to be a barrier to traveling the world. Money is definitely important and is a big factor toward travel, but it's more about changing the way you think about paying for things and prioritizing the things you spend money on.

Don't automatically dismiss that dream destination because of the cost. Do your research. And research some more. And get creative and come up with alternative ways to travel to that dream destination. Then comes the fun part - start planning and GO!

I haven't addressed exactly how I've paid for my travels so far on this website because money is a sensitive subject and is different for everyone.

I've also read blogs where the blogger explains how they fund their travels, and then a horde of criticism and whiny people troll their comments and inboxes saying life isn't fair, you suck, your lifestyle is unrealistic, wah wah wah.

Everyone is different. Everyone is in a different financial situation. If money is a barrier, think outside the box.

That said, here goes nothing...

Some facts about my financial situation:

Yes, I have bills to pay every month.

Yes, I still drink Starbucks every day.

Yes, I currently work both a full-time and part-time job.

No, I don't have a rich uncle who secretly funds my travels.

No, I don't have student loans (yay, scholarships).

---But I also don't think student loans should stop people from traveling (and have proof of friends with nasty loans that still find ways to travel).

No, I don't go shopping as much as I used to.

Croatian Islands

Here is a completely transparent overview of how I've funded my previous international trips to Europe.

1. I studied abroad in college.

After emptying out my savings account to pay for the summer tuition, I had finally convinced my parents that I was serious enough to study abroad in Italy. They reluctantly let me go, afraid for my safety "in scary Italy" (seriously, how ridiculous does that sound?). My parents paid for my flights and two weekend trips (London and Amalfi Coast), which I of course was extremely grateful for. Other than that, my spending money came from my personal remaining funds. Even though I came home with just $25 in my bank account, I was happy, smiling, and had no regrets. Luckily I had a summer babysitting job to come back to...

2. I worked as a tour guide based in Italy and traveled around Europe for my job.

After graduating college, I knew I wanted to go back to Europe, but since I couldn't afford a trip, I knew I had to get creative and find another way to do it. I found a job to work for a company that has trips around Europe for study abroad students, and part of my job was leading the trips (where travel and accommodation were covered).

I worked for the fall semester (August - January) and have no idea how I made my personal budget of $1,400 last that long, other than the fact that I ate vegetables, eggs, and bread every day and (sadly) didn't buy a dirndl at Oktoberfest. If you're going to work a similar job, I HIGHLY SUGGEST a more comfortable budget - at least $1,000/month. My parents paid for 2/3 of my flights as a birthday present, but other than that, I used the $1,400 I had left over from my summer job, plus the monthly stipend I got from the company I worked for.

I had only $30 in my bank account when I returned to the States...but planned ahead before I left - I got a job in February to work a leadership conference in DC for a month to build my money back up.

Note:While I don't regret spending all my money on these first two trips, I definitely recommend coming home with more than $25-30 in your bank account. I also recommend having some type of job or form of income set up for when you get back (unless you're using vacation days from a current job) so you don't go into debt.

3. I worked as a faculty advisor for an international leadership conference in Europe.

The same company I worked for in DC also has international conferences. I was shocked - and extremely excited - to find out I got one of the spots to work at the Europe conference for two weeks. The company covered all my expenses: flights, transportation, hotel, and food in exchange for work. I had very few minor expenses during the conference, and I stuck to a budget during my weekend in Paris beforehand. This time, I came home with a far more decent amount in my bank account than the previous two trips.

There you have it! I hope this information was helpful to you, and inspires you to get creative and see how you can make travel work for you, despite the price tag. Whether you can book a trip in the new year or formulate a plan to go somewhere five years from now, stay focused and be determined to make it happen!

Also read: 11 Ways To Make Money While You Travel

and Is Tour Guiding The Right Job For You?