I have been doing a lot of research recently on other folks travel blogs, social media networks and the Internet as a whole, and it truly amazes me how some people are able to travel for a living and venture wherever they like pretty much whenever they like.

In reality, we are not all as fortunate as these “vagabonds” and we have to establish a balance between work and travel. So how do we achieve that perfect balance? I am certainly not advocating there is the idealistic way of balancing your life, but I would like to suggest 5 ways in which you can achieve a better relationship between your work ethic and travel identity:

Make Plans Early

A couple of weeks ago I was speaking with Heather about where we wanted to go this year. San Francisco, Mexico, Canada, The Caribbean, England and France were all thrown into the melting pot and I turned around said, “If we are going to travel to any of these locations, we need to plan ahead of time”. Of course, spontaneity is a wonderful thing and if you are able to get up and go wherever you want without any planning, more power to you! For short weekend trips we always follow this spontaneous approach and rarely plan ahead. However, when it comes to what I would classify as “bigger” trips where we have to fly somewhere or drive a substantial length of time, I like to have some plans put down.

Make A Calendar Your Best Friend

Grab yourself a pen and paper (ideally a calendar if you have one) and put down all of the key dates you know about for the year ahead. For example, if you know there are times of the year you cannot travel, either for family occasions or work related issues, note these down and plan around them.

If you are like us and are more “tech-savvy”, grab your iPad or iPhone and use the built in calendar and notepad functionality to identify those times that you can either not travel or your other half may prefer to stay at home (sorry Heather but I know those family occasions are all important and we have to try and attend!). Identify the times of the year that will best suit your schedules to travel. For us, as Heather has recently started a new job, we try to book our travel plans around holidays so that we can take extended long weekends somewhere.

Be Financially Smart

Although this is technically not directly related to work or travel, there is an indirect connotation associated as without financial stability, you will not be able to do the traveling that you would like. We are fortunate at the moment that we have very few financial ties aside from rent, utilities and car payments/insurance. Many folks out there have mortgages, children and a myriad of other debts which make it very difficult to even consider making any travel plans.

I would recommend using financial software such as Quicken or free online services such as Mint to track your income and expenses. The better financially prepared you are, the more enjoyment you can have whenever you venture on your global travels.

Enjoy Life to the Max

I am all for being aware of your finances and this probably contradicts the previous tip but there are times in your life where you have to throw caution to the wind and just enjoy everything! There are always going to be obstacles that arise that prevent you from traveling to locations you would like to but if you follow those earlier tips, you are enhancing your opportunities to discover a plethora of hidden gems in the multicultural society that we live in today. Long gone are the days where travel is difficult. Yes, traveling can be costly but it is also much more rewarding as it helps to expand your horizons and learn from the various landmarks and locations that you visit.

Take Advantage of Vacation Time

Work, work and more work….we have all had those times when we are overwhelmed with how workload but whenever the weekend arrives or it’s a holiday, leave your work behind and take advantage of the time to go out and explore the beautiful world we live in. There are so many occasions, and I have to admit that I am guilty of this, where we are given projects by our supervisors and then we either have to take it home to finish or we want to get ahead of schedule and finish up a report.

The problem is that when you do this you are eating into valuable “travel time” which may be very difficult to get back. If you work in a 8-5 job, please try and stick to this schedule for work. I am certainly not suggesting that you should fall behind or fail to meet a deadline but it’s all about time management and prioritizing. This could be another blog by itself but in a nutshell if you are able to get your work done, you can certainly travel much more than if you are having to worry about catching up on e-mails or submitting a report on a Saturday evening.

Do you all have any suggestions on how to create a balance between your working life and traveling?

What works for you?

Are you fortunate enough to be able to travel frequently?

Chris put together a similar post a couple of weeks ago which was from the ‘male’ perspective on Top 5 In-Flight Necessities, so I decided to take the initiative to talk about the same concept but from the female perspective. Of course, our needs are different and so are our followers so I hope you can learn something from this post! I remember when I flew for the first time, I was so scared about all the bad things that could happen, that I didn’t realize what a great experience it was going to be for me. It is true that once you have flown once, it’s all the same.

The first time I stepped in an airport I was so overwhelmed with the security and the people and the loudspeakers, I couldn’t get a grip on what I needed to do, however once through security, the stores and restaurants get your attention which is much more calming. By the time you are on the plane the worry is almost forgotten about until the plane moves (or at least that was my feeling!)

Flying the first time saw my mind play tricks on me and in essence it’s all a mind game when you come to flying. Thoughts of the plane crashing, the fear of the unknown and the lack of control are probably all reasons for these mind games. So my tip for you is that once you forget about the flight it is much more relaxing, well as much as it can be if you’re not in first class!

We are about to head back to England in December and as I think about packing, itineraries, shopping one thing that I would like to make sure that I have are things for the flight. As a female, I have a few tips that help me and I hope they will help you too.

Handbag

For the plane, I like to take a big bag to put all my necessities in and then take a cross-body bag to use when I get to the final destination. You are allowed to take a carry-on and 1 personal item, for the man in my life he will usually carry a backpack for all the electronic devices (at least that’s how it operates in our house). I will carry travel pillows, magazines, travel size toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant those type of things just in case the checked-in bag has a late arrival.

Long travel hours will require using make-up in the bathroom immediately after landing, I also carry hand sanitizer with me because the germs on a plane are everywhere – well germs are everywhere just to make sure that you are taking all the precautions so you don’t get sick at the start of your vacation. Depending on where you’re traveling to, a scarf and gloves in case the weather is cold where you are going may be beneficial. These and many more things that can fit in a large handbag that can be reached at your fingertips for all your needs are certainly what I would recommend taking with you.

Headphones

Most people will tell you if you haven’t traveled before that your ears will pop, mine pop a lot I have recently figured out that when I wear headphones (that we have brought with us) it helps me SO MUCH. My ears still pop but not as bad, the headphones also serve many purposes the noise on a plane is loud and quiet at different times never at the same times that you would like it. Watching a movie or listening to music will also help with the travel time to pass quicker, at least it makes you think it will. I have just purchased a set of Beats Solo by Dr. Dre and absolutely love them!

Gum

I know that some people do not like gum, but for flying purposes, it will be your best friend, not only does it occupy your mind but it will also aid in the pain of your ears popping. If you are traveling with kids this is a must. There really isn’t a whole lot to say about gum it is really just for aiding in the flight and to try to get your mind off how long you will be on the plane for.

Medicine

As I already have problems riding in a car and getting sick, a plane is no different. I take motion sickness pills with me and some pain relievers for once we arrive at our destination (e.g. England), the time difference usually affects me. I am hoping that the more I travel,  the less the problem will be. I have been on a flight where we have had layovers which that alone has made me ill. Hopefully, you will not have that issue but if you do, I too share your pain.

Technology

Last but not least any type of devices that you own that you will use in your daily living I would bring, however, please note that traveling out of the country will cost you on your bill if you decide to take your cell phone. We take our iPad with us we have previously downloaded games that could keep us entertained for a portion of the flight. Make sure you also download all the music and/or movies that you would like to listen and watch because the movies on the flight will be the same.

Some must-knows before you leave

• One thing that many people forget is that the places you travel to will not be the same climate as you are currently leaving for. Dress/pack appropriate for both.
• Keep in mind that when you are shopping in the airport and you buy something going to your destination, you still have to come back, it may be worth your while to make that purchase on your way back.
• Leave your sharp objects at home. make sure you click here for the TSA guide for things that you can’t take with you.
• When traveling domestically make sure you have your current driver’s license.
• When traveling out of the country make sure you have your current passport.

What are your necessities when flying?

What type of carry-on bag do you take with you? Do you also take a personal item?

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