From temp to career, but still having time to travel

Just got back from India. For some reason, I thought this homecoming would be like all the rest. What I didn’t expect was to wind up in a stampede of my friends’ forward momentum: A graduation party two hours after arrival, an NYU commencement in Radio City Music Hall, and Facebook pictures aplenty of caps and gowns.

There’s no diploma awarded for travel, no inspirational commencement speech before the flight home. Even if you’re on the road for longer than the average Master’s program, upon return you’re likely to only get questions: What’s next? And rightly so: This is the crucial period when the scales are unsettled — what you do over the next two to twelve weeks will define how you balance work and travel.

We talk so much about this work/travel balance, but what sort of travel-enabling work are we talking about? Rolf’s classic example from Vagabonding is washing toilets. Yes, toilet washing for a year in America can put you on the road for a while. But even if you sign on for a year, any job taken with the goal of a trip is still a temporary job. Consider it entry-level vagabonding.

The call-center operator who worked six months on contract, then went to Europe for three. The barista who’s saving for Thailand. The pizza guy who dreams of Jamaica.

After a while, entry-level gets boring.

On the other hand, there are travelers who migrate back to a previous job or industry. While they might bounce from gig to gig, they’ve committed to something resembling a career. They’re affiliated. They find time for independent travel, but over a multi-year span, work is their first priority. Maybe it’s better to describe them as professionals who continually migrate back to the road.

The lawyer on the road for a year between working in London and a return to his native Australia. The newly-minted MBA traveling for two months before starting her job. The yoga instructor who’s in India for certification.

Sooner or later, most travel addicted folks want to figure out: What’s the best way to shift from balancing travel and temporary work, to balancing travel and a career?

And I have no idea what the answer is, but I suspect it involves cutting back on travel for a while. Thoughts?

Note: This question shouldn’t be confused with “How can I fuse work and travel?”

Photo by Joseph Gray via Flickr.

Posted by | Comments (5)  | May 19, 2010
Category: Vagabonding Life, Working Abroad


5 Responses to “From temp to career, but still having time to travel”

  1. jmm Says:

    Here’s a rundown of what I’ve done so far. I fall into the professional category.

    1) took advantage of select exchange programs during my second degree, to not only travel for six months but to set up future travel opportunities.

    2) accepted a contract gig as my first job and only accepted an offer for the second that started three months after the first. Contracts are awesome because you don’t have to quit so you leave, hopefully, with a good reference and you can pinpoint the transition date to plan around (including for income purposes, knowing for sure how much you’ll make with any luck). Non travellers don’t like contracts because they represent less job security.

    3) skipped my graduation ceremony, etc. (I know, I know) to spend six months backpacking right after finals.

    Now… I’m struggling a bit trying to figure what to do next since I feel like my industry views the above as sufficient to have “sown my wild oats” and thinks that two or three weeks per year should suffice… whereas I’d like someone to give me more like three months. I don’t see a lot of useful examples so I’m sort of muddling through on my own. One tip is to figure out how you are taxed and/or greater financial management, for example if you earn $60K/year in Canada the best time to quit is after 8 months ($40K mark) to avoid being bumped into a higher tax bracket and getting less bang for your buck. So you learn to plan work contracts (maybe one year) around optimal tax timing (Agggh so nerdy), shoulder season airfares and leaving the smallest possible holes in the resume. I’m trying to figure out how to use what I’m doing while I travel to gloss over the ‘life sabbaticals’ (ex. relevant volunteering) because my field is so cv driven, but don’t have the magic answer yet.

  2. Asa Says:

    You’re exactly right about everyone asking “What’s next?” We’re not even back in the states from our 10 month trip and people are already asking me what I’m going to do for work. I don’t want to jump right back into working because then I’ll suddenly be saddled with a year apartment lease, and other bills that tie me down. A short term contract would be nice, but frankly I’d prefer to relax for a bit from our trip before getting right back into the swing of things.

  3. Joel | Blog Of Impossible Things Says:

    That’s a hard question. I have no idea either.

    I’ve been home for a year, but I still have that longing to travel. No idea how to balance and/or fuse the both =(

  4. Briana Says:

    I can definitely identify with the reluctance to take an entry-level job after beginning a career.

    After a few years of career oriented work I quit last January to travel indefinitely. In the process I am trying to find ways to support a more location-independent lifestyle. If/when I return to my previous career path (energy consulting) I will try to do so on terms that facilitate rather than strangulate my desire to travel.

    I’m not so sure it has to be one or the other.