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Chasing Wanderlust and a Paycheck? Managing Work-Travel Balance On The Road
- Jessica Seiders
- Dec 6, 2024
- 8 min read
Updated: Feb 20
Working remotely sounds like a dream for most people—typing from beachside cafes, squeezing sightseeing between emails, or finishing projects at mountain lodges sounds like living the life!
But the reality?
It’s a lot of scrambling to find an internet cafe because of Wi-Fi issues, missed client meetings because of time zone differences, and horrible focus as a new city is calling out to be explored.
Balancing work and travel is rewarding but requires smart planning, flexibility, and a good sense of humor.
Whether you’re already a seasoned digital nomad or just starting in your remote work journey, finding a rhythm in your career and wanderlust takes effort, but it is doable.
I’ve put together a quick guide on how to stay productive and hit deadlines while savoring every destination you encounter along the way.
HOW TO CREATE Boundaries Between Work and Play
Set Up Work Hours That Fit You (And Your Team!)
It may not seem exciting to create a specific work schedule while you’re traveling but it’s essential.
If traveling locally and you’re on the West Coast while your team is back on the East Coast, you’ll need a timeline that fits or overlaps so you can still do work.
Figure out when you are most productive. Is it the morning? How about the afternoons? Then plan that as your “work window.”
Blocking a good work hour schedule is even more crucial when you’re in a different timezone altogether. The differences can be drastic so agreeing to a specific time or day ahead of time with your team is critical.
Make Communication a Priority
Establishing open communication between your clients, coworkers, and you is paramount. Let them know when you are available, what hours you'll be online, and how soon they can expect replies.
Doing this minimizes the chances of miscommunication. It also shows you’re committed to your responsibilities while squeezing in a little adventure in between.
Create or Find a Work-Friendly Space
Every destination, hotel, or location will carry its own energy. Most of that is good, but sometimes it can be distracting. To help you stay productive, find quiet spots that will support a working mindset. If you can work at your hotel room desk, then good.
Maybe there’s a nearby cozy cafe you can park yourself in? You can also try local co-working offices since these would be prime spots for work. You can even work by the pool if it's a cozy enough area for you!
Whatever space you create or find, make sure you are comfortable, safe, and can work uninterrupted. This can make a world of difference when you’re a digital nomad.
Leveraging The Best Technology to Create a Mobile Office
If you want to stay connected and productive on the road, investing and using the right tech tools will make life easier.
Packing the Right Gear
Great travel and work gear is worth its weight in gold. Invest in a high-quality but portable Wi-Fi hotspot, great noise-canceling headphones, and a durable power bank. Having these as staples is essential for moments when that quiet, co-working space you’re after is nowhere in sight!
Load Up on the Right Apps
Using a few strategic apps can make your remote work situation less of a headache for you and your team. Apps like Asana or Trello can help you manage to-dos and tasks. You won’t need to hassle team members with constant updates because you can immediately see if the work is getting done or not.
For communication, Zoom and Slack make everything fast and easy, while Dropbox and Google Drive, help you move around, exchange, or view files without any problem.
Keep Your Data Safe
When using public Wi-Fi like, consider investing in a VPN to keep your data safe. VPNs can protect sensitive information (yours and your company!) so investing in it is a small price to pay in exchange for peace of mind.
Managing Time Zone DifferenceS and Work Schedules
This is one of the trickiest bits when working remotely and traveling. However, it is possible to stay on top of things. Some useful tools and apps like World Time Buddy make it easy to plan meetings with the team or clients.
When you’re doing meetings, try to stick to your home time zone or a similar routine. This will make it easier to remember deadlines and meetings even when you’re halfway across the globe.
Be Flexible
Travel is fickle by nature. Even when you have everything planned out, there’s always going to be something that’ll come up. From missed flights, canceled tours, no-show guides, or downed Wi-Fi when the accommodation said it would be fixed before you got there.
Flexibility is key if you want to achieve a true work-travel balance.
It’s best to plan a general routine around your work commitments and then leave enough space for spontaneous plans.
Be Realistic
Never bite off more than you can chew. It’s a good saying and it’s absolutely true both in the work front and the exploring part. It’s tempting to knock everything out so you can get to exploring.
However, pacing yourself means you get better work done–you become more focused when doing the work and more relaxed. It’s the same with travel if you’re rushing through each tourist spot because you need to get back to work, it'll feel like you're just ticking off a list instead of fully immersing yourself.
Keeping Productivity and Focus While Traveling
Maintaining focus and productivity when surrounded by new sights, sounds, and smells can be tough. On the one hand, your wanderlust wants you to explore, but on the other, you have commitments and people are relying on you to still get work done. Luckily, there are techniques you can adopt to keep your focus.
Keep The Distractions Out
While distractions are inevitable to a certain extent, you can tune them out. Use high-quality noise-canceling headphones. They’re a lifesaver when the only place to work is a busy, chatter-filled coffee shop.
You can also take it a step further by looking for work spots that get less foot traffic like a corner spot in a co-working space. It might also help to pick non-busy working hours like in the early mornings when there won't be a lot of people around.
Find The Best Work Technique For You
The Pomodoro technique is a productivity hack where you work in 25-minute sprints, then take a quick 5-minute break. Some people personalize theirs by working for as long as 60 or 90 minutes in one go, then taking a longer break.
Others have even modified this technique by dedicating certain days in the week just for work and then leaving the rest of the days for exploring. It depends on your work style and focus. For remote travel, this works wonders at keeping you productive without missing out on the adventure.
Make “No” Your Friend
There will be days when you want to do it all but knowing your limitations is important.
If you have hard deadlines and your new travel friend is angling to check out this new spot, it might be wiser to say “no” for the time being.
Learn how to prioritize. It’s also true the other way around, saying “yes” to too many travel activities in a short time can lead to burnout fast. Plus, you’ll have less energy and focus to do work after you’re done.
Self-Care — Achieve work-travel balance by keeping yourself healthy
Traveling and working requires a lot of energy and effort so make sure you are keeping yourself healthy when trying to do both.
Create a Wellness Routine
Work-travel balance is more than just being able to do these two seamlessly, it’s also about keeping yourself healthy and feeling good while doing it!
This means eating balanced meals where possible, staying hydrated, and getting daily movement in. No need to run a marathon, simple early morning stretches or taking a short walk can do wonders. Mindfulness practices not only improve your focus but also help you relax even during hectic days.
Prioritize Mental Health Breaks
Be mindful about taking mental breaks throughout the day. This can be as simple as enjoying a cup of coffee or juice without looking at your phone or computer. Take a few deep breaths or maybe do a 5-minute meditation practice.
These mental breaks let you recharge so you have more energy to do that last sprint for work before heading out to explore.
Get Your Zzz’s
New time zones and locations can easily mess with your sleep schedule. Give your body time to adjust to it. You can also help your body relax by promoting good pre-sleep practices like bringing an eye mask, wearing ear plugs, putting on a white noise app, or just disconnecting from technology at least an hour before sleeping.
Make the Most of Your Destination
The most fun part about balancing work and travel? You get to explore so many amazing places! Here are some tips on how to make the most of your travels without sacrificing your career.
Take Advantage of Your Free Time
If you have a strict schedule on when you need to be working, then you want to schedule your sightseeing and exploring in between. Say you work weekdays, then book tours for early in the morning or over the weekends.
It also helps to create a list of must-see spots or must-do activities. Then rank them according to your interest and priority. This way, you can knock those out first during your free time.
Get Creative When Meeting People
For women solo travelers or any solo traveler, meeting friends or finding a community on the road is one of the highlights of travel.
But what if you have to work? No worries, you can still meet new people or make friends even while working. Try exploring local libraries, cafes, or co-working spaces to work in, instead of holing up inside your hotel room. These are fantastic places to meet fellow digital nomads or remote workers.
Document Your Adventure
Finally, don’t forget to capture your experiences. You can blog, create a travel journal, or post on social media. Whether you're gobbling the local delicacy or soaking up the sunshine at Playa del Carmen, take a moment to snap and record these moments.
Reflecting on these precious moments will keep you mindful of the incredible balance you’re maintaining between work and wanderlust. Who knows? It may inspire others to do the same!
Conclusion
Work and travel balance isn’t just doable in this digital age, it’s deeply rewarding for many. When you approach it the right way and with a lot of flexibility, it’s possible to thrive even when you’re on the road and without sacrificing your desire to have a great career.
So, what are you waiting for? Learn to set those boundaries, start gathering reliable tech, and enjoy every single minute of this unique and fantastic travel journey.
Others have done this, you can too!
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About Jessica Seiders (Founder of Traveling Women Official)
After her daughter left for college, Jessica Seiders sold everything and set off on a journey of self-discovery, leading her to create Traveling Women Official—a community empowering women to explore, embrace new adventures, and reinvent themselves.
Through relocation coaching and her book, she helps women confidently start fresh and build a life of adventure.
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