There’s some quote somewhere about how true wealth is being able to do what you want with your time. I agree with that. I would add that it also has something to do with being able to do what you want where you want. This is the key to the traveling lifestyle. Freedom to go and do. If you’ve followed this blog for any length of time, you’ve read my strategies for traveling to where you want to be. For a lot of us, it’s tough to get over the hump from the daily grind to true traveling freedom. For those of you who aren’t over that hump yet, here are my tips for making your work work for you and your dreams.

1. Find Work that Lets You Travel Flexibly. Plenty of people travel for work. On the surface, that sounds great. Go new places! See new things! But for many, most of the time is spent at one of three places: on the road, at the airport, and on the job site. There’s no time to go out and do what you want, and no extra money in the budget to bring along your loved ones. This is an unworkable situation, unless you are getting paid loads. I recommend finding work that is a bit more flexible with travel. Find a job in your field that has you in locations for more extended periods of time, enough to allow your SO or other loved ones to be with you, even if it’s on your dime.

2. Earn Extra Miles on the Time You Spend Traveling For Work. If you are on the road every now and then, see if you can pay your hotel and business travel accommodations on your personal card, then have your company reimburse you. This isn’t going to work for everyone, but for some small companies, it totally will. Others will at least let you keep the miles on your company credit card for your own private use. Use your business travel hotel loyalty program to make your personal travel happen. After all, traveling for work with no payoff is a big waste of time for you.

3. Find Work That Lets You Do Your Job Remotely. For the long term traveler, there may be no other way. Simply by finding work in your field where you can turn in assignments online, you are halfway there. This works well in a lot of fields, especially those of us who work online anyway. If you spend most of your time working at a computer, chances are you can make this work for you. Imagine doing all your work in a more affordable faraway place, using your pay to fund adventures abroad. It’s very possible, and lots of people are already doing. Join them.

There are lots of ways to make your job work for you. If you are stuck in a 9 to 5 with little freedom, and you haven’t seen anything but the inside of your office for a long time, you’re doing it wrong. Make one of these situations work and go get your freedom. The world is out there. Don’t wait!