You Deserve Some “Bleisure”
Traveling for work is one of those things that’s fun in theory but not as good in practice, especially on trips where you spend a lot of time flying to an exciting place, only to spend all your time indoors staring at pale face. , windowless walls, drinking bad coffee and eating stale pastries, and talking only about work. While the work part of a business trip can be tedious and uninteresting, sometimes you can add a few vacation days at the end so you can actually see the place you put so much time and effort into.
In the past, on more carefree childless days, I accompanied my husband to a seminar he taught in Malaysia and stayed for an extra day or so when I traveled to conferences in San Antonio, Boston, San Francisco, and Santa Fe. . Travel expenses were already taken into account, and an extra night or two in a hotel cost relatively little compared to what it would take to fly to these places on your own. On a positive note, I got to see cities that I would otherwise not have visited on my own.
Adding a vacation to a work trip is becoming more and more popular.
As the Wall Street Journal recently reported, hotels are seeing a surge in bookings on Sundays and Thursdays, suggesting business travelers are adding an extra day to their trip. As usual, people have come up with a name for this practice, settling on the (unfortunately awful) name “bleisure”, which is a mixture of “business” and “leisure”.
While this practice is certainly nothing new, the increase in hybrid or work-from-home setups means that the distinction between work and home is blurring more than ever. Although ” jobs ” – when you spend your own money to go work in an interesting place so you can (theoretically) enjoy the neighborhood on evenings and weekends – is a complete scam and should be avoided at all costs, “bleisure”. ”, on the other hand, can be a good idea if done right.
Plan to combine work with leisure
If you are going to combine work with leisure, there are a few things to keep in mind. As the Wall Street Journal advises , it’s important to clarify your employer’s policies before planning to combine a vacation with a work trip, and make sure that work expenses are clearly separated from personal expenses. You should also have a practical plan to make sure you are productive during the working part of the trip.
If you are planning to bring your family along, you should also discuss these details with your partner. This includes a description of what your work schedule will look like as they will bicker with the kids while you work.
As the New York Times reported in a 2017 article, if you’re planning to stay an extra day or two, ask the hotel if they’re willing to offer their corporate rate, which is often lower, for those extra days. As the Times advises, with the right approach, you can take a little extra “vacation” during the working part of your trip by finding a popular local restaurant for dinner, spending your lunch break exploring the city, or taking a sightseeing tour after hours.