Jaclynn Seah is The Occasional Traveller (great name, huh?!), and describes herself as a deskbound wanderluster. She works a full-time job (just like me!), and is always dreaming about her next trip. Oh, and I’m kind of obsessed with her blog…
Some wise words from the occasional traveller herself:
1) Tell us a little about your non-traveling/non-blogging self. What are you up to when you aren’t jetting around the world?
I’m born and bred in Singapore, and I’m really just your average person with a day job, but who really loves to travel. I work fairly long hours in a full-time corporate communications, but when I’m not travelling, I enjoy other leisurely pursuits like reading and watching TV, as well as active stuff like playing netball and scuba diving.
2) Is long-term travel something you’ve ever dreamed of? Would you give up your current life to travel the world indefinitely?
It seems like the dream doesn’t it? I’ve always wanted to give it a shot, but I don’t think I could be a perpetual nomad! I like having a steady paycheck, and I actually like having my blog for fun rather than the main source of my income, which I think might be quite stressful!
3) Approximately how many days out of the year are you on the road? Is this enough running around for you?
These days I max out my vacation days which amounts to 18 days in total, with the help of weekends and public holidays, it works out to be about 30+ days of travel in a year, of course I wish it could be more! At least double might be nice 😛
4) Where was your last trip? When and where is your next trip? For how long?
I headed up to nearby Penang, Malaysia for an extended weekend trip in February, just to eat and relax. My next trip is in another short trip in end March to Bali to celebrate my birthday with my family! I’ve already used up most of my leave days for the year, planning for another short trip in April and a longer one in October.
5) Have you changed your life to travel more? If so, then how?
I was working such long hours in my previous job in advertising, that at one point I actually had leftover leave days that were going to go unused – that just woke me up to the fact that I wasn’t really living the life I wanted! Now I’ve made travel one of my main priorities, so it’s actually provided more clarity for me, so I can’t really say I’ve sacrificed anything big for this. Perhaps my own free time, which I would have previously spent on other idle pursuits like TV and games have now been directed towards writing and managing my blog, so sometimes I feel like I have a lot less free time than before.
6) What is one tip you can give others with a full-time life/job hoping to travel more?
You either need to plan ahead quite obssesively so that you get the best leave days and travel deals, or be super spontaneous and just GO when you want to, price and life be damned! Either way, you just need to do it and not keep talking about it.
7) Tell us about your current vacation time from work and how you make the most of it to travel.
I get about 18 days of leave, and sadly we don’t get many public holidays here in Singapore, but I try usually try to plan around public holidays and weekends to stretch my leave as much as possible. Last year I managed to stretch it to 38 days over 6 countries. I also tend to book early, so that I can keep reminding my bosses of my leave and ensure nothing last minute comes along at work to spoil it – one thing I’ve decided is that my leave days are non-negotiable, and that short of an apocalypse happening, I will not cancel my annual leave for a trivial work reason.
8) Describe your perfect work-life-travel balance.
My perfect balance would not be limited by number of days of leave, and being able to travel whenever I wanted. I’d still want to have a steady paycheck, so perhaps a secure contract job which allows me flexibility in deciding my working hours. Ideally I’d like work and travel to be separate, so I can enjoy my travels without having to work on the go.
9) Are there any destinations you’ve been longing to go to? Why?
Oh this list has been growing steadily, but right now the top few: Croatia for the beautiful coastlines in summer, Iceland for the incredible scenery and to go diving in crystal clear waters, Turkey for the culture mix and history, Galapagos Islands for natural wonders and also some amazing diving. I could go on…
10) What is the best advice you’ve ever received regarding your dreams and traveling?
Just do it! I remember reading this somewhere online actually that besides making that decision to do it, one thing you should do is tell the people around you about it, so that they can help remind you of this end goal in mind. I’ve always wanted to take a year or so off work just to really unwind and immerse in travel and told several friends about it, and now they are the ones who ask me when I’m going to do, or where I want to head, and it really gives me some momentum to actually do it 🙂
Thank you Jaclynn for such inspiration! I’ve now added Croatia to my long (long) list of travel wishes!
Looking for more inspiration?
Check out more Part-Time Traveler Talks:
ME! << Jessica Kay | A Passion and A Passport >> ME!
Diana Chang | Without A License
Are you a part-time traveler?!
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Great interview! Like Jaclynn we too are occasional travelers and aspiring bloggers while holding down full time jobs. Although it would be great to travel full time, it is encouraging to know that you still travel even while keeping your day job.
My recent post Hugging a Panda in Chengdu, China!
I'm so happy to have found this blog and others like it! It's good to share the same inspired lifestyle as you! Here's to more travels! Onward and upwards!
Yet another part-time traveller we got to know thanks to you Jessica!
It's incredible how we have only 18-30 days vacation a year (as Jaclynn, I have more or less the same) and yet still manage to travel so much!
We part-time traveler rock!
Go girls 🙂
My recent post GOLDEN HOUR IN VENICE
18-30 days a year sounds wonderful! I get 15, and my sick days are lumped in there too. I usually end up blowing them all on one big trip and then working a bunch of Saturdays to earn more days that I use on a bunch of long weekend trips over holiday weekends. It's a bit of a puzzle sometimes, but it adds up to a surprisingly large amount of travel! I usually manage at least one short trip a month, plus 1-2 larger trips a year.
My recent post Giving Back at Home and on the Road
Yay I bet you get up to even more exciting adventures than I do 🙂 keep travelling!
My recent post 5 Trips You Really Need To Take In Your 20s
Thanks Cristina, onwards and upwards indeed 🙂
My recent post 5 Trips You Really Need To Take In Your 20s
yikes 15 days with sick leave is tough~ i'm glad you've made the best of it, and yes i do a lot of creative planning with weekends and public holidays too 🙂
My recent post Save on travel, dining and lifestyle in Singapore with The Entertainer