I am one of the fortunate ones who have the opportunity to do international travel for work. The friends and family that I “leave behind” to go off to what they consider exotic locals rarely hear that I am traveling for work … they just hear the travel part and think I have the most fantastic job in the world.
Truth be told, when you are traveling for work, you are really working. The sightseeing at most consists on the travel to and from my hotel room to my meeting room. I take these forever long flights, have these multiple layovers, and the most I have to show for it are blurry pictures being taken from the car to my next meeting destination.
So I have learned the hard way that if I want to be able to take advantage of my work trips and be able to explore my destinations, I have to make that part of my priorities, just like I make the work my priority. So I share with you, my fellow, busy business traveler (say that three times fast), some tips I have learned so I can have a little more joy for my journey and less burn out on the road:
1. Save some of your personal days or vacation days and tag them on to one of your business trips. What is the point of being in Tanzania, Texas, or Tahiti if you cannot take a couple of days for yourself to enjoy and explore!
2. Ask the local people you are meeting with what places/sites they would recommend for you to see. Ask how can you be immersed in their part of the world for a little bit—for example, where do the people “in the know” go to shop and eat? Tell them how much time you have as “free time” and ask what you can do to make the most of it. If you could even send them an email beforehand asking these questions, you can research their responses before you leave and make a plan of attack.
3. Look at the map. If you are traveling to an area near another place you have always wanted to visit—for example, if you have business meetings in Johannesburg, South Africa, what’s stopping you from researching a cheap flight only a couple of hours away to Cape Town and having a weekend stay in one of the most beautiful cities in the world?
4. Even if you are on a time crunch, plan your flight for in the evening if you can. Block out that morning and afternoon just to spend the day eating at a great restaurant, visiting a major site/museum/open air flea market, or just doing something you wouldn’t get to do at home. Don’t just stay in your hotel room and nap or check emails. You can sleep on that forever long flight and check emails on one of your multiple layovers.
So as soon as you know about that next business trip, take time to research your destination and your calendar. Try your best not to rush down that road to busy business traveler burn out (say that three times fast), but take the road less travelled—take a day or even a week to enjoy your travels. Explore, rejuvenate … then get back to work!
