5 Easy Ways to Squeeze Travel Into Your Busy Schedule

Do you wish you could add more trips to your busy life?  Do you scroll through Instagram and wonder how people have time to travel so much?  Here are five easy ways to squeeze travel into your busy schedule:

1. Schedule your vacation time – Does your job offer vacation time?  Have you ever spent the whole year “saving” vacation time just in case, and ended up using it at the end of December before it expired?  Try this instead:  Think of your dream vacation destination.  What’s the best time of year to go there?  As soon as you acquire more vacation time, block off a week or two during that time of year.  Already have plans to use your vacation?  Is it a planned event, or a “someday” dream of going somewhere?  Scheduling your work’s vacation time is a great strategy for longer trips (1-2 weeks).  I want to go on a shark SCUBA dive in Nassau in the winter.  I will pick a week in December or January to block off, and then schedule my trip around that.  If you find a better travel deal on a different date, you can always tell your boss to change it.  If you’re flying somewhere to go SCUBA diving, don’t forget to schedule an off-gas day!
2. Holidays – A holiday (three- or four-day weekend) is a great time to travel.  Since airlines jack up the prices during holidays, a better strategy might be to plan a backcountry outdoor adventure nearby.  When I lived in Phoenix, a group of friends and I went camping in Prescott National Park for Labor Day Weekend.  It was gorgeous! 
3. Weekend Getaway – Only have two consecutive days free?  No problem!  When I was in Portland, OR, I took a weekend trip to San Francisco to visit friends from college.  We went kayaking in the San Francisco bay with wind surfers.  Note:  longer flights or car/train/bus rides and crossing multiple time zones may severely limit the time at your destination.  In extreme cases, I’ve packed a whole weekend’s worth of adventures with only one day off.
4. Day Trip – Can’t break away for more than one day?  That’s ok!  Travel does not have to mean spending all day and night getting to a far away destination. See if there’s somewhere you’d like to go within a few hours from home.  When I lived in Atlanta, I took a day trip to Lookout Mountain to go hang gliding.
5. Staycation – Have you ever explored your hometown (or current location) as if you were a visitor traveling there on vacation?  Check out that art gallery you’ve always wanted to see.  Or the rose garden.  Go on that hike you’ve always wanted to try.  Bonus if you have friends or family that can join you from out of town.  It will seem more like a trip because it is a trip for them!  While living in Miami, I took my mom and nephew on an airboat ride in the Everglades.  What gems does your location have to offer?

Travel does not necessarily involve having unlimited time off of work.  With a little strategy and planning, you can travel more, too!  What are your favorite ways to make time for travel?