How to be a Travel Warrior

Traveling for work is often portrayed as a life of glitz and glam. It’s a way to see the county, or the world, on the company’s dime. In reality, regularly traveling for work can be extremely taxing. Whether you’re making infrequent business trips or spending most of your life on the road, it’s important to find balance and make regular travel as stress-free as possible. 

Manage Your Expenses

Depending on the type of work you’re in, many expenses may be left to you. Often in sales positions, you’re considered an independent contractor. This means being responsible for your own car payment, car maintenance, car insurance and health insurance. Finding cheap car insurance and a car that runs reliably and gets good gas mileage is important. 

It’s also important to consider taxes when thinking about this  type of sales position. Being self-employed means no one is taking taxes out of your paychecks,so you’ll be responsible for your portion of taxes and the portion your employer would normally pay when April roles around. Set some money aside for this eventuality and hire a good accountant. 

Be Flexible With Your Time

Though many dream of a life of travel, in reality it can be extremely tiresome and stressful. If you’re considering a job where much of your time is spent on the road, know that you are going to have much less balance than in a traditional 9-5 role. It’s important to be flexible with your time because change will be the constant in your life. 

Find Ways to Stay Connected

A life on the road also means you’ll be making sacrifices in your personal life and with your free time. If you’re in a different city, taking clients for drinks, that’s time you’re not getting to spend with your friends or family. Being away overnight also means missing family life events you might be there for otherwise. 

Find ways to manage these challenges. When you are home, give your family a lot of one-on-one time. Also utilize video conferencing or FaceTime to stay more closely connected to those you love while you’re traveling. Small touches like gifts from the exotic city you’re in or a postcard sent over extended trips can create closer connections with your family as well. 

Take Time for You

If a life on the road means focusing on your clients while you travel and your family and friends while you’re at home, it might seem like there’s not much time for you to reground and recenter at home or away. Make sure you’re finding time to spend on you. While traveling, take at least a couple of hours to do something uniquely special in the city you’re visiting. Whether it’s visiting a dining establishment or grabbing a quick coffee, take that time for yourself. If you can find a way to make it memorable, that’s even better. If you need a moment to recharge and be your best self for those you love at home, be honest about that and let them know you need a little time to read a book, watch a movie or just sleep in before slipping into the family role again.

Prepare for Trips in Advance

In addition, there are some things you can do to better prepare yourself for last minute trips or just to live on the road a little more efficiently. Invest in a high-quality suitcase. A hard-shell case with spinner wheels that fits easily in a plane’s overhead compartment is an essential. Even if you’re doing more driving than flying, having a case this size and knowing how to pack it can be a huge benefit. 

When packing, think about what you’ll need beforehand. Invest in reusable travel size bottles as much as possible. Make yourself a list of clothes and other items you’ll regularly want on a trip. Reuse the list each time you pack to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything. If you live alone, include household to-do items on the list too so you don’t forget to turn the coffee maker off or water the plants. 

Now that you have some ideas how to make the best of the travel-warrior lifestyle, get out there and explore!