What is it like to travel for work?

Whenever you meet someone who travels for work, you will definitely be impressed, as well as envious. Imagine getting paid to travel around the country or the world, eat delicious food, and see picturesque places? It's more or less what millions of people dream about. The reality, however, is different from these fantasies and idealizations.

I travel for work and work for travel. Over the past few months, I traveled to different provinces of Nepal for work. Following that, I was on vacation, and also working on some other things. But is it plain work? Or is it travel? Or is it both? I often see people talking about work-life balance. I also read about it a lot, but I still see myself failing to achieve it. And honestly, I don't have regrets at all. In a work-life blend, work and life are linked sections that allow users to integrate their professional lives with their personal lives, and vice versa.

For example, I traveled to Dhankuta, an eastern hilly district for project impact monitoring and learning documentation. As such, it was a work trip, but when I had free time in the evening, I explored local places, people, foods, and temples. I also managed to speak with local radio stations such as Radio Nepal and Bhedetar FM and discussed my findings and learnings from the district. It also allowed me to share my career path as a journalism graduate and communications professional. My colleagues and I talked at the cafe about the event and I was pleased to share what happened. I recently traveled to Morang and Jhapa districts in Nepal's southeastern part with colleagues from the UK and Belgium on a fundraising mission (pictured here). Here we had the chance to learn from each other and more importantly to learn from the experiences and stories of the beneficiaries who we planned to meet with.

So there was no clear distinction on when I was doing what. What is your opinion about this blend? Do you think this is better than work-life balance or less desirable? I have been traveling for work for about a decade now and have come across some pros and cons to this type of lifestyle. Do you love travelling for work? Or do you dread every trip and then wish that it was over? I land firmly in the middle. I didn't mind travelling for work, mostly because my work colleagues and the communities we work with are awesome.

When we think about the benefits of travel for your job, what are those things we overlook? Let's take a closer look at them in this article.

You do not need to arrange anything: Unlike leisure travel, where you start thorough?research at least two months in advance to make a list of all the places and people you will visit when you travel for work, everything is usually arranged by someone else. The tickets, accommodations, and transportation you need are all taken care of without much hassle.

You usually stay in classy or central hotels: When travelling for business, the chances are that the hotel where you will be staying will be central enough to serve you on your travels. As a result, many companies prefer higher quality hotels because they can offer better prices. They also care for their employees in that way.

You try new cuisines or interesting restaurants: Often, on?business trips, lunch or dinner is the only time of the day when you can relax a bit and slow down your fast pace. When you are visiting another city, you have the opportunity to try local cuisine or eat in a completely different place.

You take a break from your daily routine: For better or worse, a trip, no matter how short or long, helps you break out of the routine. It enables you to change scenery, see a different landscape, or?even eat a delicious breakfast. They are the simple things you can enjoy that most of us ignore and skip over in our tedious routine.

You’re getting to know people, locals or foreigners: Even the shortest business trip brings you in touch with locals and sometimes people from other countries or cultures. This is an exciting experience that helps you open your horizons, learn new things, and see a bit beyond your inner circle, developing your own view of the world.

The elements and people around you inspire you: For example, travel vloggers or storytellers are primarily motivated by the elements and people around them. By creating content and visiting places, s/he inspires and develops their creativity to the point where they produce quality work. As a result, their audience will be impressed.

But there are not all positive aspects to your alarm clock setting off at 5am or 6am, and there’s no time for you to hit snooze. You shower, put on your business casual clothes and grab your pre-packed carry-on as you climb into your destination. Not so terrible, right? How about doing it every week? Let’s exchange our experiences and learnings!