Navigating the Journey
Fresh from the journey
About this project
A hub for hopeful 9–5 travelers. Budget-friendly routes, mindset shifts, and small escapes that fit real life.”
IT’S OKAY TO BE A FULL TIME WORKER
How to stay employed and still book flights, guilt-free.
Objective
To share realistic, tested strategies for how to travel frequently while holding down a full-time job. This post dismantles the myth that quitting your 9-to-5 is the only way to explore the world.
education
Time is a Tool
PTO is Currency
I treat time off like currency. I combine public holidays with PTO to craft mini-vacations. I take advantage of slow seasons and off-peak travel times. Sometimes I fly out Friday night and return Monday morning. And yes, I’ve shown up to work with plane hair and passport stamps.
Small Trips, Big Impact
Joy in 48 Hours
I embrace day trips, staycations, and 48-hour escapades. I remind myself: You don’t need a week in Bali to call it a getaway. These small windows of travel have added joy, energy, and perspective to my routine—without compromising my work or finances (too much!).
Invest in Rest
Add sleep to your itinerary
I’ve learned that rest is part of travel, not the enemy of it. A good night’s sleep before a red-eye, or an intentional day of downtime on a trip, makes every other moment richer. Burning out isn’t a badge of honor—it’s a barrier to joy.
Advanced Packing Theory
🕐 Time Zone Negotiation
💳 Budget Alchemy 101
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
Balancing lab work and layovers
The Lab Bench Epiphany
Pipettes & Passport Stamps
Once upon a lab bench, I sat staring at my overambitious bucket list, convinced my full-time job as a scientist was the ultimate barrier between me and adventure. Between back-to-back experiments, long shifts, and real-life obligations, travel felt like a luxury reserved for the free-spirited and freelance. But I had a spirit of my own—hopeful, slightly rebellious, and too stubborn to settle.
Adaptability
Emotional Pulse
Logistitcs Recovery
An Island Girl’s Mindset
Small Home, Big Horizons
Raised on a small Caribbean island with five siblings and even fewer resources, I understood from early on that travel wasn’t something you just do. But as my career advanced, so did my belief: I didn’t have to choose between a paycheck and a passport—I could design a life with both.
Adaptability
Emotional Pulse
Logistitcs Recovery
Stretching Vacation Like Spandex
10 Days, Infinite Miles
I learned to stretch 10 vacation days like spandex. I turned long weekends into international layovers. I planned, saved, plotted, and packed light.
Adaptability
Emotional Pulse
Logistitcs Recovery
Dual Citizenship: Career & Wanderlust
Emails Can Wait
Now, I aim to be the girl landing in a new country on a Thursday night, ignoring texts and emails. I’ve found ways to be present in both my profession and my passions—and that balance is now part of my travel résumé.
Adaptability
Emotional Pulse
Logistitcs Recovery
skills
Soft skills sharpened between deadlines and departure gates.
Time Management
Minutes Matter: Every minute counts. From booking flights during lunch breaks to pre-scheduling work reports before travel, I make time obey me.
Strategic Planning
Years in the Making: I often plan trips 1–3 years in advance. When your budget is humble, long-term planning becomes an art. I weigh destinations by cost, experience, and timing. (Check out my “It’s Okay to Want to Travel…but Not Know Where” post for a breakdown.)
Flexibility
No Panic Policy: Things go wrong. Flights get delayed. Experiments run over. I’ve learned how to adjust travel or work plans without panic.
Self-Discipline
FOMO-Proof: I set boundaries for work and play. I budget, I prioritize, and I don’t let FOMO wreck my financial goals.
Final Boarding Thought
It’s okay to clock in full-time and still be obsessed with travel. You don’t have to quit your job to chase your dream life—you just have to build it smartly. You can be the employee of the month and the person who knows how to pack a carry-on in under 10 minutes.
Work hard. Book the flight. Repeat.