Traveling while balancing a career is possible and Katie Francis is this months guinea pig to prove it to you! Katie is a corporate trainer in Denver, Colorado, travel blogger at Kitty to City and traveler. See what she had to say about maintaining a career while still making sure she gets out there to see the world.
Tell me a bit about what you do for a living.
I am a corporate trainer; I create and facilitate new hire orientation, instructor-led, and online training’s. Sample training’s include; emotional intelligence, presentation and public speaking skills, business process improvement, and having difficult conversations.
Do you have a certain amount of vacation days a year at your job?
I have two weeks of vacation, two personal days, and then my company does an awesome program where I can donate $15 a month and get a half day off for that month. [Editors Note: How awesome is that?]
How often do you try and travel within a year?
I try to do at least two international trips a year. This year, I am going to pull off three!
Do you ever feel limited to how often you can travel because of your job?
I don’t necessarily feel limited because of my workload. I can create my own training schedule so that is a plus. I only feel limited because I want to go everywhere and I have limited vacation time to do it. It is a little harder getting to places like Southeast Asia since I have to cross the International Date Line.
Do you find it hard to unplug from work when traveling?
This is a toss-up, I find it difficult when I am waiting in airports and on the last day of my trip. I generally check my email while waiting for my departing flight, I want to be ahead of the game and not be surprised by anything when I come back into the office. Once I am at my destination I feel totally unplugged and usually don’t even think about work until departure back to the United States.
Why is it important to you to have a career but also incorporate travel into your life?
I work to travel, there is no doubt about it. I enjoy what I do and having a consistent income is helpful when funding my travels. I’ve always wanted to just pack up and leave, however I enjoy having the sense of community you get when you stay in one place. There is nothing like sleeping in your own bed after a trip, and of course snuggling with my pooch.
What inspired you to start a travel blog?
I have some pretty hilarious, awkward, strange (you name it… I have it) travel stories. If I can make people laugh and inspire them to get out and experience the world, then that makes me smile.
If you had a piece of advice for someone that is trying to maintain a career, and also see the world, what would it be?
Use your vacation time! Use it. Seriously, don’t let that time go to waste. In America, we generally only use half of our allotted paid-time off. You can bet I am using every single hour this year. You grow when you travel, you might not realize it when you are doing it but when you get back and reflect on your trip you will see you’ve changed and it is usually for the better.
You can follow Katie on Twitter here, catch up on her travel pics on Instagram here, or like her Facebook page here.
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