Live a Life of Bleisure

A large collage of travel images depicting a mix of business and leisure activities. The images include city skylines, historic buildings, whimsical art, natural scenery, unique doors, and food, representing a diverse bleisure travel experience. A text overlay reads "Bleisure Travel"

My travel philosophy is rooted in one simple motto: Work to Live, Live to Travel, Travel for Work. If you’re like me, constantly seeking new horizons, then bleisure travel is your secret weapon. This isn’t just about combining work and leisure; it’s about strategically transforming your business trips into opportunities for day trips, weekend add-ons, or even longer adventures.

Instead of simply heading to the office and then back to the hotel, bleisure allows you to squeeze in fun, explore new places, and experience cities more deeply, while frequently saving your precious vacation days.

My guiding star in life is to travel as much as possible and live in different cool places. I’ve used this north star to guide my career decisions: from a Ph.D. chemist to university relations to the Tech industry. My current “day job”–Site Reliability Engineering expert and conference keynote speaker, has provided incredible opportunities to travel to various cities across Europe and beyond.

Here’s how a bleisure mindset can open up a world of travel…

Subsidized Exploration

One of the most compelling aspects of bleisure travel is the effective subsidy it provides for your trips. When your “day job” covers the main travel expenses, like flights, it significantly reduces the cost of adding on leisure time.

For example, I extended a conference trip to the Netherlands to spend a weekend in Amsterdam, exploring its canals and vibrant culture.

Business trips to London have provided opportunities for day trips to Greenwich (ideal for a science lover like me!) or Oxford to steep in the rich academic history. London also affords amazing weekend add-on opportunities to places like Canterbury and Dover.

Germany has been a frequent bleisure destination for me. My Munich business trips often include early morning walks to Marienplatz or Schloss Nymphenburg, and after-work dinners with colleagues. I’ve also optimized short business trips to Dusseldorf, finding plenty to do in a day. When flying through Frankfurt, I’ve even seized a six-hour layover to grab a mug of glühwein at the city’s Christmas market. On a separate business trip requiring an overnight layover in Frankfurt, I took a bus to Darmstadt for an Art Nouveau door hunting photowalk.

I’ve also spoken at conferences in Bologna, taking advantage of local advice from the conference organizers and attendees to explore the city and its culinary delights.

For me, business trips to Zurich frequently lead to bleisure opportunities. I’ve taken half-day trips from Zurich by train to places like Rapperswil and even the small country of Liechtenstein, enjoying scenery, art, and local food. I’ve also extended Zurich trips for weekend breaks to places like Lucerne where I had the chance to enjoy the Swiss Alps in the winter.

Snackable Travel Experiences

Bleisure travel allows for “snackable” exploration. Even if you only have a few extra hours, you can still turn that time into a mini-bleisure vacation. This includes:

Finding specific coffee shops or craft beer bars recommended by local colleagues.
Taking architecture photo walks in cities like The Hague and Copenhagen.
Discovering quiet oases like St. James Park in London for some early morning birdwatching before work.
Visiting local markets on weekends.
Popping in to a free art exhibit.
Walking around the local university campus.

Maximizing Time-off

Ultimately, bleisure travel focuses on maximizing your precious days off from work. This approach means actively seeking out opportunities for exploration, even if it means waking up early or staying up late and sacrificing a bit of sleep along the way.

Bleisure travel is about being intentional with your time on the road to transform mandatory business travel into a more enriching experience for you.