Tips For Traveling With A Full-Time Job Bonus Interviews with Omo Osagiede and Nicole Brewer

Similar to the business travel tips shared by Acquania Escarne, there are a number of interviews that I did not get to share in my new book Traveling With A Full-Time Job. Sharing these stories meant a lot to me because sometimes all it takes to realize your potential is seeing other people doing exactly what you want to do. With that said, let me introduce you to two frequent travelers (they also happen to be talented travel bloggers as well). Learn how Omoruyi Omo Osagiede and Nicole Brewer find time to travel the world with day jobs, their favorite weekend getaways, and more.

Tips For Traveling With A Full-Time Job

Omoruyi (Omo) Osagiede, IT Risk Management Consultant

What do you do for work?

Omo Osagiede: I work in Information Security/Cyber Security and currently work as an independent contractor in the financial services industry. I have worked in this field for the past 15 years. 

Keep up with Omo and his wife Eulanda Osagiede over at their travel, food, and lifestyle blog HDYTI (Hey! Dip Your Toes In). I had a chance to meet Omo and Eulanda in London earlier this year. It was so great meeting up in person after connecting on Twitter.

Follow @dipyourtoesin on Instagram and Twitter @dipyourtoesin.

When did you realize you can do both, balance a full-time job and travel? 

Omo Osagiede: The first time I realized I could combine both was in 2014 when the company I was working for at the time decided to restructure, a process which resulted in thousands of people leaving/losing their jobs. Fortunately, I was kept on for another 2 years (until 2016) while my employers wound down their operations. I had a lot of time on my hands with no significant restrictions on my work location. I was able to begin to incorporate work and travel while still meeting my commitments.

What are some creative ways you’ve found to extend your vacation time? 

Omo Osagiede: I’ve been able to fly out on a Thursday evening or take an early red-eye flight so I can start Friday working from that destination. This way, I can squeeze in one more day at the destination while still working. It doesn’t matter if I’m in a hotel room for most of the day. It feels like a different type of workday by having a change of environment.

What are some of your favorite day trips and weekend getaway destinations from home?

Omo Osagiede: Two of my favorites are Luxembourg City (Luxembourg) and Hamburg (Germany). Flights take less than 90 minutes from my closest London airports. Both cities offer a mix of history, culture, architecture, art, great food, and wine.

Read Next: When Should You Start Your Weekend Getaway?

How do you prepare for going on vacation at work (what do you do before you go)?

Omo Osagiede: If my vacation time falls within a busy period at work, I usually update my work email signature a few weeks in advance so my colleagues and internal clients know when I will be away. Other than that, nothing extra special. In the past, I have been known to log on to my work laptop while on vacation. That’s not something I plan to do again.

What would you tell anyone who is struggling with finding the time to travel? 

Omo Osagiede: Prioritize Y-O-U! As much as you love your job or your employer, put yourself first. If push comes to shove, and your employer has to cut your job, they won’t think twice about it. With you as a priority, you will find creative time management solutions and travel planning will come more easily.

Nicole Brewer, Teacher 

What do you do for work?

Nicole Brewer: I’m an English language teacher in Oman and a part-time travel blogger. I am the co-founder of I Luv 2 Globe Trot, a travel site and online community. I am also the author of A Guide to Landing an English Teaching Job Abroad.

Listen Next: Teaching English In China and Living Abroad with Richelle Gamlam  

When did you realize you can do both, balance a full-time job and travel? 

Nicole Brewer: I realized it would be possible to balance both once I moved abroad to teach English in South Korea. Due to the proximity to other places, it was easy to travel around the country and beyond. You could take the bullet train up to Seoul for a day trip from Busan where I lived. Or travel to Japan on a long holiday weekend. A few years later I decided to move to the Middle East because I would be better situated to travel throughout the region and Africa. 

What are some creative ways you’ve found to extend your vacation time? 

Nicole Brewer: I am allocated 60 days of summer vacation days as an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher in Oman. I request to break up my days so instead of using all of my days during the summer, I’d take a week or two during winter break. 

For example, if I use five days of leave in the winter, I’d combine that with the weekend prior and after to travel for a week and a half.

We also get a host of holidays during the school year. I would combine emergency days with those to extend my vacations. As a teacher, I get five personal/emergency days I can take throughout the school year. Unlike sick days where you need a formal doctor’s note, with emergency days you take them at your leisure.

What are some of your favorite day trips and weekend getaway destinations from home? 

Nicole Brewer: Since I live in Oman, next to UAE (United Arab Emirates), I love going over to Dubai for weekend escapes. I live in a small town, Nizwa which is 1.5 hours away from Muscat. I go to Muscat for day trips plenty of times on the weekends. 

What would you tell anyone who is struggling with finding the time to travel?

Nicole Brewer: I’d say when there is a will, there is a way. Take your time, be creative, and figure out a way to make it work.

Stay tuned for more tips for traveling with a full-time job in this interview series.

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Traveling With A Full-Time Job is available wherever books are sold including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and more. You can also purchase a copy right here on my website. As a bonus, your copy includes a video that interviews four travelers who share additional time management tips and travel planning advice not shared anywhere else.