Here at PC Housing in San Diego we tend to stress the importance of combining your business travel with a little R&R whenever possible. Whether that means enjoying a local cafe, restaurant, bar, or neighborhood, taking advantage of the gift of travel is something many corporate road warriors ought to be doing more often (unless you happen to have a furnished apartment in San Diego…those lucky few are living the good life guaranteed!)
Ask yourself, why isn't this me?
A recent survey conducted by Hotwire was reported on by MSNBC in which they found that:
41 percent of traveling U.S. adults spend the majority of their vacation budget on obligation travel. And 89 percent of respondents said they would take more leisure trips if they had the time and the money to do so.
The article continues on to suggest combining so-called “obligation travel” (business, graduations, birthdays, weddings, etc) with some extra leisure time. While some of the suggestions seem a bit impractical, such as bringing the spouse and kids along, the underlying takeaway here is to allow yourself a little time to relax and enjoy your surroundings when duty calls and you set out to face the perils of foreign water coolers and coffee and doughnut spreads.
Of course, one great way to avoid the drudgery of floating from office to corporate housing suite and back again is to use our helpful tips for having a good time in a new city. Another idea suggested in the article is to simply book your trip for an extra day or two to allow yourself some free time to do some exploring.
Mixing work and play is certainly easier than most might think, and while turning every business trip into a lavish vacation is far from what we recommend, you might be surprised just how far taking a driving tour of a unique city or strolling through a funky neighborhood will go in making you feel like you’re all pleasure, and only some business.
Does your work-life tend to dominate your yearly travel plans above and beyond personal trips? Sound off in the comments and weigh in with your best tips for making the most out of obligation travel!
Image: DJC