In my previous job I used to travel extensively. As in, spending a minimum of 5 months (not at a time though) away from home abroad taking over 30 return flights a year.
Advantages:
• Saw the world
• Met lots of people (your social life becomes work to an extent)
• Enjoyed the high life
• Had “fun”
• All year round tan (in my case)
• Get to enjoy lots of foods
• Very little expenses / not having to spend lots on food
• Read a lot of books
• Clock up a lot of airmiles for free (technically you should declare them though)
• If you travel with colleagues it can be fun if you get on with them
Disadvantages:
• Can be hard to tie down a long term relationship
• If you can’t stand your colleagues – it’s hard work
• Can be tough if you don’t like your own company
• Miss out of important events back home
• Friends stop calling as you’re always away, potentially fall out with some friends
• Your weekends or when you’re back are spent furiously catching up on personal admin and family/friends
• Makes it almost pointless in renting a place as you’re paying rent for a place you never use and
• Hard to keep fit unless you like running or you stay in a hotel with a gym and you can put on a lot of weight with all the good food you eat!
Travel is fine if you don’t like a regimented life – it’s a bit “up in the air” a lot of the times which some people revel on. I personally didn’t like it, but I was young enough when I did it so I didn’t have any commitments that would keep me away. It was the expectation to drop everything that annoyed me.
Travelling within the UK is not so much of an issue, as it’s never going to be for as long a stint and relatively commutable.
When I used to travel I used to set up my hotel room or the cabin (I used to work on luxury superyachts) as if it were my room/home, and always put the DND on the door so that I could walk back in to a room that felt lived in and a little “mine”. I used to go out with the crews, and other project managers/consultants, live the high life, and not have to pay a penny – it was exciting and fun, but it’s definitely a young person’s life and a single person’s life – or certainly the way I experienced it.
I currently travel around the London and South East though with occasional trips around the country and seldom stay away (i.e. I’m home every night), hardly ever work weekends now (literally worked 3-4 weekends this year) – that sort of travel is fine. Though sometimes it would be nice to just commute to the same office every day… but again it means I have my own space for a few hours every day in the car.
So overall, I’m glad I did it when I was younger and didn’t have many ties… now? I wouldn’t mind the occasional trip, but with my social life, health and personal life a lot more settled I wouldn’t want to do it often for extensive periods. Some time away is good fun though.
