When people hear I’ve traveled to 10 countries in a year while working full-time, they usually think I’m a full-time creator or I have a generous boss. But the truth is, I have 16 PTO days, the same as most full-time workers in the U.S.

What makes the difference isn’t more time, but better use of time and frequent ‘microcation-ing’.

If you’re working a 9-to-5 and wondering how to see more of the world, this post breaks down exactly how I do it.

What Is Microcationing?

What is a microcation, you ask? It is exactly what it sounds like! A mini vacation.

A microcation is a bite-sized getaway that focuses on quality over quantity.

Think: a 2-night stay in a nearby city, a weekend cabin trip, or flying out Thursday night and coming home Sunday evening.

Microcationing is the trend of taking short vacations, usually 1 to 4 nights, often to destinations close to home or within a quick flight radius. It’s become popular among busy professionals, solo travelers, and budget-adventurers who want an escape without using up too much PTO, money, or energy.

Why It Works So Well

• No long-term planning – Easier to fit into packed calendars.
• Budget-friendly – Less time = fewer nights in hotels, fewer meals out.
• Mental reset – You still get that refreshed feeling without taking a whole week off.
• More frequent getaways – You can take multiple microcations in a year.

Popular Types of Microcations

• Staycations with a twist (book a hotel in your city or a road trip just outside the city)
• Nature escapes (mountains, hot springs, or lake towns)
• Quick international explorations (Canada, Mexico, Caribbean cruises from the U.S.)
• Festival or event weekends (food and wine festivals, concerts, sports)
• Solo resets (retreats, detoxes, spa weekends)

Top Microcation Destinations

• From NYC: Hudson Valley, Washington DC, Charleston
• From LA: Joshua Tree, Santa Barbara, Valle de Guadalupe (Mexico)
• From Chicago: Lake Geneva, Milwaukee, Nashville
• From Atlanta: Savannah, Asheville, New Orleans
• From DC: Philly, Richmond, the Eastern Shore

Tips to Maximize Your Microcation

• Fly out after work Thursday, return Sunday night
• Pick places with direct flights under 4 hours
• Choose hotels or stays with early check-in / late checkout
• Book 1–2 solid activities, then leave time to explore freely
• Keep bags small: carry-on only

My Annual Strategy: Turning 16 Days into 40 Days Off

I have learned how to stretch my limited PTO into 40 travel days, stack weekends and holidays for longer trips, and plan smart. And when I do take a longer two-week trip? I go all in and visit multiple countries at once to make the most of the flight and time away.

This is the biggest hack.

I Stack My PTO With Long Weekends and Holidays

If you’re not already doing this, you are leaving time-off days on the table.

Each January, I pull up a U.S. calendar and start blocking out every three-day weekend: MLK Day, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and anything around Christmas and New Year’s.

Then I plug in Thursday to Sunday trips, using only 1–2 days of PTO per trip. Here’s an example:

Memorial Day Weekend Trip:

• Leave out Thursday night
• Take Friday off (1 PTO day)
• Return Monday night
• That’s 4 days of travel for just 1 day off work.

Do this 5 or 6 times a year, and that’s already 20+ travel days.

Only Staying 4 to 5 Days Per Trip

You don’t need two weeks to enjoy a country. I used to wait for long breaks that never came because something always came up. Now, I choose destinations I can explore in 4–5 days max. And I don’t try to see “everything.”

Here’s a sample of how my travel year looked in 2023-2024:

• Turkey for 5 days in June
• Greece for 3 days in June (flew from Turkey to Greece on the same trip)
• Guatemala for a long 2 Weeks but split with El Salvador nearby in December/January
• El Salvador for 3 days (flew from Guatemala)
• Nigeria for 5 days in December
• Ghana for 7 days in January, after leaving Nigeria.

This strategy lets me keep traveling, even when life gets busy.

For Longer Trips, I Visit Multiple Countries

If I’m using more PTO (like 10+ days), I make it count by planning a multi-country trip. This works great in places like:

• Europe: Fly into Paris, then hop to Greece
• West Africa: Ghana and Nigeria in one trip
• Central America: Guatemala, El Salvador, and Belize in 14 days
• Southeast Asia: Dubai and Indonesia (when the flights and layovers align).

I take one long-haul flight and then use buses, budget flights, or overnight trains to visit nearby countries. This saves money and allows me to experience better quality without taking more time off.

Letting Flight Deals Guide My Travel Calendar

I don’t start with a destination in mind- I start with flight alerts.

I use tools like:

• Google Flights price alerts
• Hopper
• Skyscanner “Everywhere”
• Going.com (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights)

If a flight to Greece drops to $290 from JFK, that’s where I’m going.

I’m not glued to specific dates either. I always check the flexible calendar to find the cheapest days to leave and return. Sometimes shifting a trip by 2–3 days can save me hundreds.

Traveling During Off-Peak and Shoulder Seasons

Traveling off-season is one of the smartest things you can do. I try to avoid July–August and instead travel in:

• March to May
• September to mid-November

These “shoulder seasons” have cheaper flights, better accommodation rates, and fewer crowds. The weather’s still good in most places, and your money goes further.

Solo Travel and Road Trips Fill the Gaps

When friends back out or no one’s free, I still go. I’ve taken solo trips to cities across the U.S. and internationally and love it. It gives me more flexibility to book cheap flights and stay spontaneous.

And when I can’t hop on a plane, I drive. Weekend road trips from the DC/Maryland/Virginia area have taken me to:

• Shenandoah National Park
• New York
• Philadelphia
• Raleigh, NC
• Outer Banks, NC
• Philidelphia
• Delaware
• Pennsylvania

It scratches the travel itch without PTO, airports, or major planning.

It’s About Prioritizing Travel, Not Just Dreaming of It

Travel doesn’t happen just because you want it; it happens because you plan for it. I build my year around travel, not just squeeze it in. That means:

• Saying no to events I don’t really want to attend
• Meal prepping to save for flights or doing my nails at home
• Tracking PTO and not wasting it on errands or “mental health” days that don’t ‘fix’ me.

I know the window is small for many of us, especially with demanding jobs, kids, or other responsibilities. But the good news is – a little intention can go a long way.

Your Job Should Fund Your Travel

I’m not a digital nomad, nor am I a travel influencer who lives out of a suitcase. I’m just someone who made a decision to stop waiting for the “perfect time” to travel and start using what I already had: a steady job, a calendar, and a good Wi-Fi connection. It helps when the job is also remote.

If you’ve been telling yourself you’ll travel “one day,” I hope this shows you that day can be now.