4 Tips to Travel Around Your 9 to 5

The digital nomad has become a dream work scenario for many. And with the rise of remote work, it becomes a more and more realistic situation for many people. However, for the rest of us who can't break away from our desks, there are more or less 10 business days plus weekends and holidays every year that we have to work with for traveling. So how do we weekend in Bali when a one-way flight takes up half the weekend? Some of it comes down to resetting travel expectations, a little looking inward to know what kind of traveler you are, and some of it is just good ole fashion planning in advance (I know it's not my strong suit either).

Below are some ways that you can keep the comforts of corporate life while still scratching that travel itch.

1. First, know what kind of travel revitalizes you. (Know yourself as a traveler)

Think about the difference between a girls' trip and visiting a national park. Having been on both, trust me when I say they are each intensive in their own way. But what you have to decide is what will be more refreshing for you: dinner, drinks and dancing or sunrise hikes and backpacking.

Often the biggest hurdle to weekend traveling is recovering in time for Monday's 9 am stand up. Understanding what refreshes you will help minimize the need for recovery Sunday night, allowing you to prepare for the week.

For example, I know that I can bounce back from nights out with friends with a quick nap. I know I sleep on planes but car rides drain me. And I have recently learned shopping often leaves me feeling sleepy and I would rather take walks to sightseeing and spend longer getting good meals and chatting. This helps me narrow down where I go and what I prioritize doing there when I only have a weekend.

2. Find somewhere convenient but still exciting.

When you only have a few days, this is probably not the trip to spend half of it flying across the world. Think about friends you could visit, cities or events close to you, and credit points you may have to cover transportation or accommodation costs. Have at least one or two good reasons to make the trip flow a bit smoother.

I recently spent the weekend in New York. Being from Oklahoma, a lot of people who knew my plans didn't understand the logic of visiting somewhere so far away for so short a time. What they didn't know was that I found a straight-through flight (very uncommon for a flyover state) that I covered with my points and I stayed with my friend, eliminating costs for hotel and the hassle of check-in and -out times. So this trip all the way to New York was really much more convenient than a drive down to Dallas would have been.

Weekends are also a great chance to revisit favorite locations. With less stress to see and do it all, you can spend more time relaxing at your tried and true favorite restaurants or catching a concert without needing to do the "must-sees" you've already seen.

Weekend traveling is about fitting a trip into your schedule. Although it's different from an extravagant, "pull out every stop" kind of vacation, taking the time and effort to plan a good weekend trip between work weeks makes Sundays less scary and Mondays a more bearable.

3. Minimize the travel

Regardless of what you do during your trip, a long layover getting you home at 1am will always leave you exhausted and unprepared for your week. If you are flying, search for straight-through flights to maximize your time at your destination and minimize the time spent sitting in an airport thinking about what you're gonna pack for lunch tomorrow.

Driving often adds a layer of ease to weekend trips as you have more control over when you leave. Just know your limits and don't push them. I can make it about three or four hours driving at night before I start eating spicy snacks to stay awake (a great pro tip). Anything longer than that for just a weekend would be better as a plane ride for me. But if you can drive from 7pm - 12am and show up at 9am Monday with a coffee and status list, you'll have more flexibility with location and timeline.

If you're in an area where public transportation like trains are available, first congratulations on winning. Second, that's a great option as trains often have several departure times to the same destination offering flexibility. They also let you work or recuperate during the travel time.

4. Learn the Lay of the Land

The less time you spend trying to find a restaurant or searching "best things to do in ____" the more time you have to actually do it. Weekends are a great time to travel for specific events like concerts, workshops, festivals, etc. But I always like to have a Maps guide on my phone of restaurants I've looked up, shops nearby, or local events (karaoke only on Fridays or art exhibits at local galleries).

Search apps and social media pages to find the best restaurants rated by locals, clubs that won't fine you $40 for a cover and the farmers market that happens every Saturday. In my hometown, @happyhourokc is my go-to Instagram account for weekend happenings. My friend introduced me to the Smore app for NYC, a Pinterest style event guide for everything NYC. I find these word of mouth style accounts to be more reliable and provide a better experience of a location.

Traveling on such a short time line is bound to introduce some problems. A flight delay can feel like it ruins the whole weekend. But the best part of traveling on the weekend is just the opportunity to break up the mundane and have a mini adventure. When the adventure goes a bit sideways, just let it take you there. If your flight is delayed, at least your sitting in the airport instead of at your desk. The restaurant you planned to go to is closed on Sundays? Walk around in a new area and try a food truck. Things will go wrong, don't let the smaller margin of error ruin what is still a day away from the office. Appreciate everything and stay flexible.