Many people claim that because they work full-time, that they just don’t have time to travel. That is not true! Traveling with a full time job is possible! At time of writing, I have visited 40/50 states (click to see which ones). While this may be a bit premature not having actually visited all fifty states, the same principles apply for my last remaining 10 states! There are definitely some factors to consider when trying to achieve this goal while also holding down a full-time job, but it’s very possible. Here are my top tips for visiting all 50 states (while also having a full-time job)!
Click here to follow along on my journey!
Plan in advance
Planning your trips is half the fun! I have dozens of trips planned in my head at any moment and am always looking for opportunities to take them.
Try to map out your trips in advance. Personally, as soon as my company releases their holiday calendar for the upcoming year, I get to planning. Gotta maximize those long weekends! I have a master Google Doc where I lay out potential trips for each month/season. I will calculate PTO needed for each and estimate the approximate costs. Don’t forget to also start tracking flights as early as you can so you can jump right away if the price drops! Google Flights is the most powerful tool for that.
If you know you always like to spend a week at home for the holidays at the end of the year or know you’re definitely going to take a full-week trip that year, budget it in immediately. If your time system at work allows, try to put the days in right away. This way, the days are “out of sight, out of mind.” This will help you with planning so you know you’re working with actual figures.
Read More: Top Tips for Finding Cheap Flights
Work remotely
I think we can all agree that if there is one silver lining from the Covid pandemic, it is the flexibility we’ve gained to work remotely. Companies have invested in software and programs to make connecting and working from anywhere completely seamless. Even now as the world is (for the most part) opened back up, employees still have flexibility to work remotely at least a couple days a week. If you are in this situation, I encourage you to take advantage!
Try staggering your WFH days next to a weekend so you have extra time to explore your destination, without using your precious PTO. Pack up your laptop, work during the day, and explore in the evening! Have wifi, will travel!
Comparatively, if you work for a company that has offices across the country, inquire about whether it would be possible to work out of that office for a few days. While you will still be spending your days “at the office”, working in an office in LA or Miami sounds pretty enticing, doesn’t it?
Tip: If inquiring about this, be sure you clarify what time zone they would like you to work in. If you’re in California but they expect you to be “online” during New York hours, be prepared to log on early. I worked remotely in Hawaii for a month and started working very early in the morning, but had my entire afternoon and evening free! It’s a trade off, but worth it.
Read More: A Day in the Life Working Remotely In Hawaii
Visit border cities
A somewhat obvious tip but always worth stating. Border cities are the classic “buy one, get one free” scenario. Easy to check off two (or more) states in one trip! I’ve taken many trips to border cities and always try to dedicate at least one full day to exploring each state.
There are dozens of border cities in the US. Omaha, Nebraska, for example has a bridge connecting it to Council Bluffs, Iowa. Memphis, Tennessee, is on the border of Arkansas (and not far from Mississippi!). Duluth, Minnesota sits on the border of Wisconsin, and Louisville, Kentucky is just across the river from Ohio. There are so many possibilities and it makes for a super-efficient trip!
Pack in your weekends
If you work a regular workweek, that means you are given 2 full, consecutive days off each and every week. I know that’s obvious, but let that sink in. That’s 2 full days to do whatever you wish, with no obligation to your work. Working Monday-Friday and 9-5 means you are given 64 hours in between your Friday and Monday shifts. That’s plenty of time to knock off a state or two (while also maximizing your PTO)!
Take advantage of short plane or train rides you can hop onto on a Friday night, and early morning flights back on Monday mornings. A perfect time to see those nearby states that you haven’t had a chance to visit yet. You could always keep a spare set of work clothes in your desk drawer and go straight to the office on Monday morning. Sure you may be tired that day, but you were able to have two full days to explore a new state!
Click here for more weekend trip inspiration!
Maximize vacation time by taking long weekends
If one weekend isn’t enough, consider scattering a few long weekend trips throughout the year. An extra day or two can really help make a trip a reality. Sometimes a weekend just isn’t enough time and you need just a little… bit… more.
Many businesses will close a day or two around holidays like Labor Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, etc. Take advantage of these days to visit states that are a little farther away. Traveling from coast to coast will chew up a lot of travel time (mostly going east), so an extra day to devote to travel will be much needed. If a three day weekend isn’t enough, tack on an extra day on either the front or back end. You can get a four day vacation and as a bonus, only have to use one day of PTO!
Click here for more long weekend trip inspiration!
Take advantage of red eye flights
If you are looking for a quick weekend to from coast-to-coast, taking a red eye flight may be your answer. Red eyes are far from glamorous, but if you’re willing to give up one night of good sleep for maximizing your time at a destination- then this is for you! Red eyes typically leave their destination in the west very late at night (think 10/11 pm) and land very early in the morning (5/6/7 am) on the east coast. The ultimate time maximizer! Pack a neck pillow, an eye mask, and take some zzQuil. Don’t plan on getting your full eight hours, but you can always stop for coffee once you land. One day of being tired will be well worth the memories, trust me!
Take a road trip
When in doubt, nothing beats a good old fashioned American road trip! I’ve never been fortunate enough to drive across the entire country, but it’s on my bucket list! Rather, my road trips are usually short bursts, out of one city and into the next.
Consider renting a car and hitting the road! This is of course the least time-efficient method, but definitely the way to see the most. Put in for a week of PTO, drive one way, then fly back home. There’s many different routes you can take, but no matter what you choose it’ll be a great way to hit a lot of states! While planning, consider creating a Google MyMap to pin all the attractions you want to see along the way.
Click here for more road trip inspiration!
Traveling soon? Check out my Travel Tips page to help you score good deals on flights, packing tips, tools to help you plan, and more!
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