Written By: Kristin Cummings
My family and I have lived on the road for over two years. We spend one-to-two months per city living in short-term rentals. You can read more about it all here, but I say all this to back up a point I’m about to make - I know about travel, logistics, and new places.
Before I start my sales pitch about how you should go on more trips, let me provide some background. When I tell people we travel full-time, I assume that people believe my husband and I are adventurous, fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants, relaxed people. But you only think that if you don’t know me, because quite the opposite is true. I am a planner. I don’t take a ton of risks (unless you count the time I quit my job without a plan, we sold our home, and took our toddler on the road . . . so I guess I take risks all at once). I’ve never stayed in a hostel and my view of camping is, basically, “Why?”.
I used to spend all of my PTO (paid time off) on vacations and trips to visit family.
Don’t get me wrong, I still love those things. Right this minute I’m wondering why I’m working instead of sipping a Painkiller on a beach somewhere. But the past few years have changed me forever - I am a believer in going on trips now.
You should go on more trips, too. A trip is when you go somewhere to explore and see new things. In contrast, a vacation is when you go somewhere to relax. For me that usually includes a beach and a book. It may look different for you, but the bottom line is there aren’t a ton of plans or adventures. (Side note: A trip is also when you go on vacation with small kids. I’m not talking about that version).
Everyone should go on more trips. Especially if you’re a working woman. I don’t think you need to sell your home and live on the road to get the benefits of a trip! Starting small still has benefits. Here are a few reasons I think you should spend your next PTO on a trip instead of a vacation:
Life is happening now
This is the number one reason I believe in taking more trips. It’s so easy to push your adventures to later - when you have more money in savings, when your kids are bigger, when you lose the weight, etc. etc. But life is happening now, not in the future. You are already you and you deserve adventure at your current size, life situation, and parenting phase!
Get your creativity flowing
Feeling stuck in a rut? Getting out of your normal routine will give your creativity a shot in the arm. Whether you’re wandering the streets of Paris with a coffee or playing tourist in your backyard - getting out and exploring will get your creativity going. Who doesn’t want that?
Have your viewpoints challenged
In every single city we’ve visited—in North America and now in Europe—we have found wonderful people. It is so easy to get caught up in what the media is telling you about people and places, but I’m here to report - the world is full of wonderful people. I have learned so much about my viewpoints simply by talking to locals in the cities we go to!
Ain’t nobody going to make a plan for your PTO
I don’t feel like this one needs explaining, but I’ll sum up a bunch of important memes for you - when you leave your job, they will find someone else. But you will still be you. Take your PTO and live your life while you can.
Experiences last way longer than things
I LOVE buying stuff. I used to spend all my free time watching clothing trends and figuring out how to make my spending money go as far as possible. I still like buying stuff but all the things I remember about my life the past few years were experiences (bonus points if I liked my outfit). I would challenge us all to stop starting with the ‘things’ and focus on the experiences first.
BONUS: You don’t have to be 20 with a backpack to see the world
If you didn’t backpack through Europe in your early 20s, it’s easy to think your time for exploring has passed. Nothing could be further from the truth. If you don’t have a big budget or lots of time, start small - book a tour in your local city. Drive to see your family instead of flying and stop somewhere interesting along the way. You may just find that your wish list of places you want to see gets longer, not shorter!
Get yourself out there. And if you do, I’d love to hear about it. Travel is quite literally my life right now and I find so much joy from watching other people do it!
Meet the Author
Kristin Cummings
Kristin spent over 10 years in a typical office setting. Then, in 2021 she and her husband took several giant leaps of faith at once - Kristin quit her full-time job and started Virtual COO. They sold their home in Nashville, put their things in storage, and left to live on the road full-time with their then two-year-old son. Kristin is currently traveling Europe with her family, working as a Virtual COO for several clients, and hanging out with her husband and son. Find more from here at kristincummings.co, on IG @kristinrandi, or on LinkedIn.