Earlier this week, I heard on CBS news that 65% of US employees don’t take enough vacation days. Considering the standard PTO in the US is still around two weeks, it left me a bit dumbfounded.
Are people too busy to take vacation? Too worried about the perception of stepping away from the office?
Rather than vacation being viewed in a negative light, what if we reframed it as an essential career enhancement? It refreshes your mind and body, but can also be an opportunity to bring new perspective and insights into your daily work.
Not Your Typical Vacation
Having returned from an extended vacation about a month ago, it felt like the optimal time to recap my experience and learnings.
I became eligible for a five-week sabbatical last year through my company. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do, but I did know that I was going to spend that time traveling.
With a backpack and small suitcase in tow (no laptop!), I traveled to Maui, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Thailand, Switzerland and Belgium. Fourteen flights, one half marathon, several bus and train rides, and thousands of steps later, I made it full circle back to the US.
There are numerous takeaways from my travels, but I’ve decided to highlight the 10 that most overlap with my daily professional life.
- Embrace Independence — traveling solo is one of the best ways to learn about yourself and forces you out of your comfort zone. Learning the local transit system, dining alone, and sightseeing by yourself exhibit resourcefulness and independence. It's not always easy and it can be intimidating, but it also pushes your boundaries. Don’t shy away from doing things by yourself — in work or in life.
- Never be afraid to ask for help — as important as it can be to work or travel solo, it is just as important to recognize when you need help. When my sense of direction failed me (which was often), I was forced to ask for assistance. People were more than willing to point me (or take me) in the right direction.
The same is true for work situations. Asking for help doesn't mean we're incompetent in our jobs, it simply means we're human. We all need someone to point us in the right direction sometimes, both literally and figuratively.
- Try new things for yourself, don’t take others’ word for it — My Vietnamese guide told our tour group that the locals say the tropical fruit durian “smells like hell, but tastes like heaven.” If I’m honest, I hope that’s not what heaven tastes like! I appreciate others' advice – whether from a local or a guidebook – but sometimes you need to experience things yourself and form your own opinions.
As a developer, the same goes for new tech. Everyone has an opinion on the best language or framework, but how can you truly form an objective perspective if you haven’t used it yourself? Durian may be some people's favorite fruit, but it's not one I'm likely to try again anytime soon.
- Everyone has something to learn; everyone has something to teach — travel is a constant learning experience. The places you go and the people you meet open your mind and can even change your way of thinking. But it's not just about learning, it's also about teaching. As an American, I’m not always the most liked individual simply because of my geographic roots. But when I can, I try to dispel stereotypes and teach others’ about my life and my perspective.
Similarly, work is a constant feedback loop – sometimes you give it and sometimes you receive it. We're never too old or too experienced to learn something new. And we should never feel too green to extend our own knowledge to others. Life experience is equally, if not more, important than on-the-job experience.
- Never forget the past — back in 2005 I visited the concentration camp Dachau in Germany. It left a lasting impression on me. This year, I visited the Cu Chi Tunnels just outside of Saigon in Vietnam. Horrific things happened at both places. Learn from history, from past mistakes and try to ensure they never happen again.
It's likely we've all made mistakes during our careers. In hindsight, they probably weren't as bad you thought they were in the moment. But it's important to understand the mistakes, learn from them, and prevent them from happening in the future. History is necessary to remember so we don't repeat it.
- Take a walk — seriously. Get out! New places are best experienced on foot. Maybe you’ll come across a random cafe, some neat street art or a chocolate shop or ten! Get out and see the world.
Just as you can walk toward new experiences, you can also walk away from frustrating ones. If you're stuck on a work problem or overwhelmed by too many meetings, then lace up the sneakers. Get some vitamin D. Walk around the block or the neighborhood. It will help you re-center and maybe even give your brain a much-deserved break to be more productive.
- Learn to accept the bumps in the road — sometimes these are literal bumps (I’m looking at you, Vietnam ;) ), but most times these are challenges that throw off our plans. Although I had very few hiccups during this trip, I’ve had many delayed or canceled flights over the past few years. Unpleasant? Yes. Frustrating? Certainly. But travel is unpredictable.
Work is also unpredictable. Many times, our jobs rarely go as planned. And, while my Type A personality prefers a methodical, well-planned approach, I don’t work in a silo. Priorities change (as do minds) and sometimes you just need to adjust to the changes. Travel can teach you how to adapt to the unexpected.
- Your way is not the only way — we grow up accustomed to a certain type of lifestyle that permeates into our adult lives. But the American way of life is quite different from many other countries. Far fewer European households have air conditioning than in the US. Americans love their big trucks and SUVs while many Vietnamese travel by scooter and have very different traffic routines than us. Our lives and our cultures are different — one is not better than the other. It's ok to have differences. Learn about other ways of living and respect that people are different from you.
Have an opinion at work? Share it and voice your reasons, but be open to alternative paths. Remember, your way of approaching a problem at work is not the only way. Be open to others’ ideas and solutions. Sometimes the path less traveled is the best way forward.
- You may still get lost even when the solution is right in front of you — Google Maps was a savior during my travels, but the technology is only as good as the user. As someone with very little sense of direction, I often found myself walking a block in the wrong direction before correcting myself. Sometimes you'll end up headed in the wrong direction...and that's ok.
The same is true in work. I’ve sometimes spent many minutes trying to find the error in my code only to discover I was missing a semicolon. Somedays we find the problem immediately and other days...well, our mind isn't as sharp and we end up going in circles. Give yourself some grace.
- Enjoy the journey — in the end, whether you travel for days, months, years on end, or work every Monday through Friday 9-5, it’s all a part of this thing we call life. Our experiences make us who we are. So sit at a cafe reading a book for as long as your heart desires. Have that dessert at the end of the meal. Get up early to watch the sunrise or lounge under a palm tree taking in the sounds of the ocean. Work hard when you need to, but know when to take a step back. You’ve got this one life to live — make it remarkable and enjoy the steps along the way.
My Travel Cents
That's my two cents! Travel is not just a part of my life, but it’s also a part me. We expand our minds through the foods we eat, the people we meet, and the sights we see in very different ways than we do sitting behind a computer. Hopefully, we all become better people for it and more engaged and insightful workers when we do return to our jobs.
I understand this type of sabbatical is a rare benefit and many aren't able to travel internationally for an extended period of time. But the bare minimum you can do is to take the PTO that you do have.
Trips don’t need to be far from home to be worthwhile, educational, or impactful. You only need to go with an open mind. Step away from work, explore new destinations, talk to strangers, and open your eyes to the world around you.
Remember, travel isn't just about sipping Mai Tai's on the beach. When done in a meaningful way, travel is about discovering yourself, overcoming obstacles, trusting the unfamiliar, and seeing life through a different lens.
If you need a nudge, here it is: TAKE THE VACATION.