How We Balance Work and Travel as a Young Family

When Erik and I met, one thing we both wanted to do was go to Cusco to see Machu Picchu. We bonded over that and, well .. we ended up getting married!

A couple of weeks after we started officially dating, we took our first trip together to Puerto Rico. Not long after, we made it to Peru, then Canada, Spain, and Italy.

When we found out we were going to have a baby, we were so excited and instantly started Googling things like:

• How to travel with a baby
• Best places to go with a baby
• How to manage family and work

We knew life was about to get busier. It wasn’t just about managing work and PTO anymore — now we’d be planning around a tiny human’s needs too.

Planning Ahead (When We Can!)

First things first: we try to plan our trips in advance though spontaneity still sneaks in when we get the travel itch.

Planning ahead helps us:

• Book flights and hotels while they’re cheaper
• Give our teams at work plenty of notice
• Actually disconnect while we’re away

We’re lucky to have flexible work schedules, but communication is key. Letting work know early means we can truly unplug when we’re out of office (which inspired the name “OOTO” — Out of the Office!).

Making the Most of Our PTO

We’ve learned to be strategic with our vacation days.

Combine holidays and weekends

Stretching long weekends into mini getaways makes a huge difference.

Take advantage of remote work flexibility

Sometimes we’ll work from a new city for a few days before or after our trip. That’s how we’ve explored places without fully using PTO.

Plan around milestones

We try to align trips with special occasions like anniversaries, birthdays, or family events, so each trip feels meaningful.

Traveling With a Baby: Our New Normal

Traveling with our little one has definitely changed how we travel but not why.

We still want to explore, experience new places, and make memories together as a family.

Instead of only choosing “baby-friendly” destinations, we’ve learned to make each destination safe and doable for our baby even if that means adjusting our pace or skipping a few stops along the way.

We might skip bungee jumping for now (no regrets there!) or trade a fancy dinner for an early picnic with a view and that’s okay.

Those slower, unplanned moments have often become our favorite memories (this is how we got some beautiful pictures in Rome!).

We’ve also gotten smarter about what really matters when traveling as a family:

• Keeping routines flexible
• Packing light but smart
• Bringing our travel stroller (currently the Doona!)
• Packing a few easy-to-carry toys

The goal isn’t to do it all — it’s to enjoy it together.

Staying Grounded Between Trips

When we’re home, we try to make everyday life feel just as intentional planning local weekend adventures, exploring nearby parks, or trying new restaurants as a family.

Balancing work, travel, and parenthood isn’t always easy but it’s SO worth it.

At the end of the day, our goal is simple:

To make memories together — at home and around the world.