If you're lucky, there may be times in your career where you'll be required to travel out of town and/or out of the country to do business. The progression of technology has made it significantly easier for people with a travel bug to work and travel, and there's a lot of benefits that come with it.
You will come across 'digital nomads' who do work and travel full-time in the cafes and beachfront restaurants in tourist hot spots. It's exciting and definitely possible for just about anyone.
However, if you already know how to be a digital nomad but are not ready to take the leap yet, here are some big reasons that will convince you why traveling for work is appealing.
Travel makes you hyper-aware of your surroundings. You're in a new place so you pay extra special attention to everything. This added care to what you do can be applied to work as well where accidents happen. Sure, you may have worker's compensation but wouldn't it be better to be well and healthy than to be disabled for long periods of time?
Obviously, this is the main draw to travel. You get to be in a totally new environment. You probably don't know anyone, maybe even the language. The unknown makes it exciting. In between work, you can explore locations you've never seen before, experience cultures that are unique to the place, and learn something new about humans from the other side of the world.
The most dedicated miles points earners do mileage runs where they take trips just for the purpose of earning elite status. Meanwhile, you don't need to do that because you're already earning miles every time you travel for work. Make sure you are actually signed up with some miles program with the airline to ensure that those miles don't go to waste.
The day to day grind can get old really fast. Before you know it, you're tethered to your bed unable to get up and fulfill your responsibilities. Travel for work gives you the opportunity to escape the mundane. You have something to look forward to up until the day of your travel and you can do many interesting things during your trip.
One thing really good travelers have is adaptability. Don't expect them to complain just because a certain locale doesn't serve their favorite green juice. The same goes when you constantly travel for work, you learn to adapt to every situation. This skill can be highly valuable in your career where oftentimes, you're thrown a new problem that you only have a few hours to solve.
If you can prove that you are just as efficient working outside the office, it'll be easier to convince your boss to work remotely. It's becoming the norm these days and more companies are actually preferring it. It's cost-effective and it allows people to be more productive.
Part of traveling is meeting new people. I'm not talking about business meetings. I mean the people you encounter at the reception, the lady whose cafeteria you buy food from, the group you meet at a museum. You will come across various personalities forcing you to be outside of your comfort zone. Again, this skill can be highly valuable in the business world.
Most people like to brag that they're overpackers. But you're different from those people. You probably have your packing down to a tee. Only allowed a carry-on? No problem. Got only a few hours to pack? Bring it on! Packing with practicality in mind makes it so you only have the most important things in your bag. Sometimes, this practicality can translate really well to your lifestyle as well.
Wrapping it All UpWhether you're a business traveler or you're interested in learning how to become a digital nomad -there are benefits to work and travel. Did we get them all?
What other perks of traveling for work you know? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
