when your only budget is time.....

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So I may not be the most widely traveled of them all by a long shot, but I get in what I can when I can and when time permits. So far, I have notched up only 46 countries on my travelling bedpost, but hope to add to that massively over the next few years. I always was very focused on study when I was in my teens and early 20s, doing from an undergrad to a masters and then on to a PhD, so at that point time was plentiful and funds were tight. Now I am lucky enough that funds are plentiful but time can we tight- not so much for me, but for my husband (who had a mere 15 days annual leave- I have 35 plus time off in lieu!!). Also, we have our wee dog, Groucho, who is our everything and we cant up and leave him every weekend or whenever the fancy takes us.

I also, as awful as this sounds and no disrespect to those who choose this, find it a bit tedious when people 'go travelling for the year' because as fun as it may be, it is all over and done with (and a route that practically every person on a gap year has taken- there are only so many photos of a group of people leaping from a frying pan on the salt flats of Bolivia one can take!!- disclaimer- there is nothing wrong with this- just not my cup of tea!). I also cant see the point in a working holiday because it is either a job, or a holiday... go there and travel, take photos, eat amazing food, have late night, early starts, lay ins, it isn't for hard and fast rules it is about seeing what you want to see and doing what you want to do. So how can one fit in travel (and a lot of travel), when the only thing holding you back is a limited bit of annual leave and commitments like work and our furry friends?

Take a recent trip away for example, we visited Prague, a beautiful city with loads to see and do, without touching a second of our annual leave. We decided we wanted to pop somewhere, so we checked out all the flights that suited (i.e. flying out late on Friday, flying back late on Sunday), weighing up what city we wanted to visit (Prague has been on my list for ages so that was a no brainer), and would we have enough time to do what we need to do and see what we need to see, and yes we did! The same next month with popping to Luxembourg city, managing to see it without interrupting any leave. That way work stays happy and you keep your annual leave for your biggies.

Also crafty leave booking is also handy- this year in particular if you book off Easter week and the following week, you get a whole fabulous 18 days off in a row (as there is a bank holiday at the start of may), so there is a perfect time to get in a longer than 2 week trip with only 9 days leave. We have already had a bigger trip away in January and February to Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa, and are hanging onto our leave for another trip back to Africa later on in the year. As we have booked Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda for later on, weekend breaks is all it is for now, but savvy booking can go a long way! Also, take the plunge and spend Christmas abroad- you will be getting in a travel fix without compromising your leave, so it is a win win! Hurrah!

Scanning the calendar for bank holidays is the perfect setting for planning any kind of trip, and fair enough, you'll pay a bit more but it is worth it to get in a sneaky couple of days away...and seeing as we just have to wait on Parliament to vote in another bank holiday in June thanks to Lizzies 65th year, it looks like we could be onto another. Hurrah!

Travel when you can, as often as you can, and mix it up. There are travellers and holiday makers. Be a traveller, explore new places, experience new things. the world is too big and vast to not see as much of it as you can. It is a cliche but spending your hard earned cash on travel really is the only thing that will make you richer, and what you have experienced in life is the only thing you can take with you when you go, so make it count 😉

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