“I quit my job to travel the world,” “I’m the girl who quits her corporate job to travel the world,” “Why quitting your job is the best move if you want to travel the world,” bullshit this, and bullshit that. So, what do you want now? A cookie or a star stamped on the back of your hand?
If you’re one of these people and you’re genuinely happy with your move, then yey! I’m happy for you but don’t come dictating other people what they should do with their lives and treat yourself as superior because you quit your job and traveled instead.
Breaking news: NOT EVERYONE CAN DO IT EVEN IF THEY WANTED TO AND ALSO NOT EVERYONE WANTS TO QUIT THEIR JOB JUST TO TRAVEL.
So stop implying that they should work harder to be just like you.
You can blog and say how you did it but not blog and say that they should do it, too because it’s like the ~best thing evuuurrr~
People like these should be banned from using the Internet especially when their blogs are popular! Readers, eventhough they can make their own decisions, tend to be encouraged to quit their job just to travel.
If you’re planning to quit your job so you can travel, hear me out first. YOU. DO. NOT. NEED. TO. DO. THAT.
For starters, read this article first:
This Couple Quit Their Jobs To Travel And Now Scrub Toilets To Get By
Quit job and travel? What for? So that I’ll fall into the “Millenials who made it” category? Quit job and travel? So that I can have something all my Millenial homies be envious about? Or so that I can have an Instagram-worthy post?
Surprise, surprise! There are people who want to travel but are still happy to pursue their careers.
Different strokes for different folks, y’all. We all have our own definition of success and we all have our own ways to do it but don’t you fucking get me the advice to “QUIT YOUR JOB AND TRAVEL” to make yourself feel better that you did it.
I traveled without quitting my job
I went abroad, had the best time of my life, and went back to my amazing job. No, I never ever thought of quitting my job just to travel when I can do both. I think that this is why the German Embassy granted me a visa to go on multiple entries plus added more days on my stay (I asked for 50 days and they gave me 75 days) – it’s because they know that I am happy with my work here and I would never be an illegal immigrant in EU.
I believe that if you want a long-ass vacation or break from your job, that means you are in the wrong industry and it means that you are not happy with your job. I am happy to travel for 2 months but those 2 months, I can’t keep thinking about my job back home and I can’t wait to resume my work. It’s because I am passionate about it and I enjoy working.
Ask yourself: “Why would I want to quit my job just to travel?”
I’ll answer it for you! Maybe it’s because:
- you think that having a full-time work might get in the way of your traveling
- you think your employer won’t let you travel for more than a month
- you want to go full-on traveling without working and checking your emails
and I’m here to say that none of these matters just as long as you know the art of negotiation.
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Quitting your job just to travel is impractical
My blog audience according to my AWStats tool is comprised of 60% from the PH, 38% from the US, and 2% from other countries. With that being said, I can say that majority of my readers are Filipinos. If you’re new on my blog, I will tell you that I’m frank AF and I tell things as is and I want to tell y’all a reality check that Philippines is a poor country. You know that yourself and most of us can’t live independently just because we have our families to support. Quitting your job would not only be impractical but also selfish.
It’s nice to have both your job to give back to your family and also to travel to reward yourself. After all, how are you going to travel if you do not have a job? How are you going to get a money? Most blogs suggest to sell everything you have then travel and I was like: “???????????????????” Hell, nawp.
Unless you’re filthy rich, have no responsibilities at home, and have really no plan to have a job and your main purpose in life is just to travel, then go ahead and quit your job to travel the world. LOLOLOL.
Choosing a job
I’m blabbing a lot already and I want to go to the point of this blog: How to Travel Without Quitting Your Job
Contrary to what many Filipinos believe, there are tons of jobs available for everyone. Sure, it takes time to finally get a job offer but sooner or later you will.
Some tips!
- Attend every interview there is be it something you’re not prioritizing because you will never know what they can offer unless you attend
- Apply and apply even if you do not have some of the job requirements because who knows, right?
- Do not accept the first offer unless you really, really like it – wait for more job offers and weigh both pros and cons
- Ask about their leave benefits per year including vacation leaves and sick leaves. This is important because you have itchy feet and you don’t want to be absent every now and then and be unpaid just to travel, right?
- Ask them about their stance on converting salary to vacation. Our company does not honor this but it wouldn’t hurt to try asking!
- Hint them about your plans to travel. A month or so after I landed my job, I’ve been telling my employer how I wanted to travel and I said that I will pursue it anytime soon.
I can’t speak for you but my field is mostly computer-based and doesn’t require manual labor thus not needing me to be there 24/7. So yeah, if you are planning to work while traveling, choose a job that is not in the field.
Blah, blah. Enough talking, Jacklynne! How did you travel without quitting your job?
Okay, fine. Calm your tits! I’ll get into it!
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How I traveled without quitting my job
I did my job well
We do not have an “Employee of the Month” program here but I’m pretty confident that I can be one. I do my job not just well but I do it excellently. In my first job after graduating, I am always the one who can finish more articles everyday. There is a quota and I make it a habit to exceed it. I’m not bragging saying this, I’m passionate with my job and in return, all I want is for the employer to meet halfway with me. I can demand because I can deliver. Proof below! A recommendation from my former manager. (HAHAHAH, defensive!)
My point is that once your employer knows that you are a valuable employee, they would be willing to meet halfway with your requests. Who in the right mind would allow an incompetent employee to have an extended period of leave when she’s not even contributing to the overall growth of the company?
When I asked my employer for a 65-day leave (intense), I didn’t have a hard time because he’s kind and of course, he knows that I will complete my tasks before I go and catch up when I get back.
So yup, don’t expect that you can work while traveling when you can’t even work while not traveling. Get me?
I did proper preparation
I did it by notifying my employer about my plan to travel and talking with him regarding this travel dream. Do not surprise your employer and just ask for a leave and demand for it as soon as possible. I asked for a leave 2 months before my intended travel date and told my employer to take his time coming up with a decision. In my letter, I told him my concrete plans before and after the Eurotrip and how I think this will benefit the both of us. My employer’s benefit in my Eurotrip is he wouldn’t pay me for two months LOL and I’ll be better when I come back. Happy employee, happy employer! 😀
I sent a heartfelt email
January 8 when I closed my eyes and just hit the “Send” button. I was like “Whatever the decision is, at least I tried.” Dumb me for sending the proposal to my employer on a Friday as I kept thinking about their decision over the weekend. Anyway, I highlighted the part where I told my boss that I enjoy working with him and I am always challenged everytime he gives me a task and I am passionate to do my job excellently because of their management (I’m not kissing ass, this is true!). I also told him that whatever decision they come up with, I will still be the amazing employee that I am and I wouldn’t take it personally.
I signed a contract
“I make myself subjected to any legal action should I not return on the given date” – Me to the HR
After two weeks of deliberation with the judges LOL, they agreed! It sounds scary but I did sign a contract with my approval that they will press legal charges if I didn’t come back on the date they presented. I know I will surely come back but this gives the employer the peace of mind that I didn’t just use them for my travel dreams.
I kept my promise
I left for two months and then came back better than ever, haha! I made my employer feel that allowing me to have a break made me a better person. Not because they allowed me for that leave doesn’t allow me to just be laid-back now because I got what I wanted. Instead, I aspired to a better employee that I was before.
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Other ways you can travel without quitting your job
My ways do not apply to everyone. We do not have the same job, the same employer, and the same situation. What I blogged on the previous page is how I personally traveled without quitting my job. These other ways might be applicable for every situations.
Do weekend trips
Traveling does mean going overseas! A beach trip 4 hours from your place is still traveling! Whether it is in the province or a nearby city, as long as you can enjoy yourself, it is traveling. Going Friday night and coming back Monday morning or Sunday night to travel won’t hurt. Last year, I spent 3 months using every weekend to go to the beach and province. I’ve been to Mindoro, Batangas, Quezon, Camarines Norte, Baguio, Cebu, and a lot more places taking advantage of the weekend. It’s fun because you don’t need to use your leave credit and you won’t need to be unpaid on your absence. Use every weekend to feed your traveling soul.
Use your vacation leaves practically
Be clever and use your VLs not because you are tired to go to work or you want to meet your friends for dinners. Most companies grant 12 days of paid vacation leaves per year. You can use it to add on a weekend or a holiday. For example, you can use your 5 VLs starting Monday! That means that you can have a week off counting the weekends. With that 7 days, you can go to nearby countries to travel while still getting paid. You can also add the remaining 7 VLs before or after a paid Christmas leave to have more than a week of spare time. You can have an amazing Bangkok (Oh, how I dream of going to BKK!) or Indonesia trip with that!
Learn to negotiate
When you have already used up all your VLs (please spread your VLs throughout the whole year! Do not use it in one go!), you can then negotiate with your employer. You can ask if they can do overtime and instead of monetary compensation, ask them if it can be converted to a day off instead. Or, you can trade your 13th month pay for a week or two of unpaid leave! This is give and take and you can’t expect that you will still keep your working perks and have a longer vacation. That’s the beauty of life, knowing what you want and your priorities and giving up something to do it.