Alaska Archives - Rachel Off Duty

Skip to content

Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram Pinterest

Blog
About
Work With Me
Contact

Menu

Blog
About
Work With Me
Contact

Blog
About
Work With Me
Contact

Menu

Blog
About
Work With Me
Contact

Search

Close

Search

Close

Start Here
Destinations
- USA
- Canada
- Australia
- Asia
- Mexico
- Europe
Travel

Menu

Start Here
Destinations
- USA
- Canada
- Australia
- Asia
- Mexico
- Europe
Travel

Start Here
Destinations
- USA
- Canada
- Australia
- Asia
- Mexico
- Europe
Travel

Menu

Start Here
Destinations
- USA
- Canada
- Australia
- Asia
- Mexico
- Europe
Travel

Where To Stay
- Hotel Reviews
Life & Career
- Career and Travel Guidance
- Home, Life, and More
Shop

Menu

Where To Stay
- Hotel Reviews
Life & Career
- Career and Travel Guidance
- Home, Life, and More
Shop

Where To Stay
- Hotel Reviews
Life & Career
- Career and Travel Guidance
- Home, Life, and More
Shop

Menu

Where To Stay
- Hotel Reviews
Life & Career
- Career and Travel Guidance
- Home, Life, and More
Shop

Alaska

Where to Stay in Alaska: The Alyeska Resort

How to Spend a Long Weekend in South Central Alaska: A 4-Day Travel Guide

Follow the Off Duty Life

Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram Pinterest

5 honest reflections from 5 years [SAVE + SHARE]

5 honest reflections from 5 years [SAVE + SHARE]

If you're reading this, I hope 2023 is your year of 'yes!'

Sometimes when I'm feeling shitty or unfocused on this platform, I remind myself why I got so fired up about work & travel in the first place.

It was because of all the times my worth in the workplace was determined by no other achievements than my literal "butt in seat."

It was because I felt hurt when people would literally screenshot or forward my social media posts as proof of slacking off (when a real one knows my social media posts are always planned in advance 🤪).

It was because of the very first DM I ever received from someone telling me they feel 'stuck' because their job doesn't let them also be a person, and were inspired by my posts reminding her that's not the way it has to be.

Swipe through to see my honest reflections from the past ~5 years. If there's one thing i learned (and it goes WAYYY beyond just traveling), it's slide #2 ➡️➡️➡️

Save and share this with someone that needs to hear it! #RachelOffDuty #OffDutyMindset #WorkAndTravel

It's no surprise which one is #1 for me! Work-cat

It's no surprise which one is #1 for me!

Work-cationing abroad can be a wild adventure. Would you ever consider trying it?

I've had amazing - and hilariously tragic 😅 - experiences work-cationing abroad. One of my craziest memories to this day was working remotely from the Philippines, with a 16-hour time difference, and realizing the hostel I booked only had WiFi at the 'lobby'... which was really just a hut on the beach... with no roof or walls! 🙀 Have you ever worked from the literal sand, in the darkness, in the middle of the night, surrounded by napping hotel employees? ... I have.

But for every crazy experience turned funny story, I've experienced 10x more moments of growth, empowerment, courage, and inspiration that comes with changing my surroundings and embracing the unknown.

I think working hard AND playing hard is the formula for a life well lived.

And I know the conversation IS changing (for the better) around work flexibility, so now's the time to be thinking about changing up your surroundings in 2023 and beyond!

The countries I've work-cationed from so far, ranked:
1. Mexico
2. Panama
3. Czech Republic
4. Belize
5. Philippines
6. Sint Maarten

Honorable mention: Canada (I worked remotely from Quebec for just 1 day, so I excluded it from this list)

The countries I haven't yet, but are hopefully next on my list?
- Argentina
- Colombia
- Germany
- Kenya
- Croatia

Have you work-cationed abroad? Would you try? Where would you go?

Follow @racheloffduty for more travel & career tips! ✈️💻

___

#travelbetter #girlsdreamtravel #wearetravelgirls #travelcontentcreator #womenintravel #workandtravel #girlsborntotravel #9to5 #wfh #remoteworking #remotework #2023 #2023goals #2023travel #travelreels #mindsetmatters #sheswanderful #womenwhoexplore #unearthwomen #solofemaletravel #takemoreadventures #womenwhotravel #sheisnotlost #girlslovetravel #girlsborntotravel #theworldismyplayground #tlpicks #beautifuldestinations #theglobewanderer #RachelOffDuty

Here's to the adventures we'll have in 2023... ..

Here's to the adventures we'll have in 2023...

... in 3 months. When @jacobsmedium's cast comes off 🥴

This was shot moments before Jacob broke his foot. At least we had beautiful weather to enjoy the summit of our Christmas Eve climb!

___

#gohawaii #hawaiistagram #hawaiilife #luckywelivehawaii #808state #alohavibes #couplestravelgoals #travelcouples #dji #girlsdreamtravel #wearetravelgirls #travelcontentcreator #womenintravel #workandtravel #girlsborntotravel #9to5 #remoteworking #remotework #womenwhoexplore #solofemaletravel #takemoreadventures #womenwhotravel #sheisnotlost #girlslovetravel #girlsborntotravel #theworldismyplayground #tlpicks #beautifuldestinations #theglobewanderer #RachelOffDuty

Remind yourself, often, of who you are and what ma

Remind yourself, often, of who you are and what makes you a badass (2023 intro! 👇🏽)

Hi, I'm Rachel! I am a 9-to-5er, a blogger, a travel expert, and the #WorkCationQueen 👑

I started RachelOffDuty.com in 2016, and quickly learned I loved writing about travel more than fashion (which was my career industry at the time).

💻 In 2018, I used my blog as a portfolio to propel my 9-to-5 in a new direction. Today, I specialize in travel & tourism sales for an advertising tech company. My clients are 75% travel!

🏠 In 2021, @jacobsmedium and I got rid of our apartment to chase an endless work-cation, rent-free 🤯 April 2023 will mark 2 years - can you believe that?? We have an idea of what our next travel adventure will be... but like, barely. so - not ready to share just yet!

✈️ I've been to 31 countries, have worked remotely from 6, and have explored more than 50% of the US.

📝 It's January 5, and I don't know what my goals for the year ahead are just yet (I'll be sitting down to explore that this weekend), but looking back, I can see that my goals really haven't changed much. I'm just realizing that each year arms me with more tools and experiences to make those goals reality. It's an ongoing process, and while I admire goal setting - I also believe that focusing so much on the distance we have left to go robs us of enjoying ourselves as we are.

➡️ RachelOffDuty.com is where you'll find a treasure trove of content designed to empower you to lead more adventurous lives. Destination guides, career tips, and more! Have an idea for an article we haven't done yet? My DMs are always open.

If you've read this far down, you're officially my favorite. why do you follow me? who are you & why are YOU a badass? how can I help inspire you and your goals in 2023? 👇🏽👇🏽👇🏽

Now is the time to be thinking about your travel g

Now is the time to be thinking about your travel goals!! ✈️📝

Even if you work full-time, there are so many ways to travel. Let's do the math (for my American friends) 👉🏽 10 days of vacation time combined with 11 federal holidays and 105 weekend days = 126 opportunities to go somewhere, pick up a new hobby, tick something off your bucket list, or visit friends in far places.

Looking for even more flexibility? Now is the right time to explore your options, especially if you have annual performance reviews or are shopping around for a new job! Did you know you can negotiate vacation time, and use these conversations as an opportunity to better understand what might fly, and what doesn't, with your boss when it comes to taking time off?

Travel isn't a monolith, either. It doesn't always need to be the 5-day resort vacation. It can be anything from a weekend road trip an hour away from home, to a 3-month sabbatical learning Spanish in Spain. Think outside the box about the EXPERIENCES you want to have, rather than the limited time you might have to do them, and you'll find a way for the things that matter.

☑️ SAVE this & share it with someone that needs to take more time for themselves this year. And, follow @racheloffduty for more!

👉🏽👉🏽 P.S. racheloffduty.com/blog >> to read the full article "How to Ask for More Vacation Time (The Right Way)"

👉🏽👉🏽👉🏽 P.P.S. join me on January 11th for a FREE EVENT to maximize your travel plans this year! link in bio 💥

–––

#travelbetter #girlsdreamtravel #wearetravelgirls #travelcontentcreator #sheswanderful #womenintravel #workandtravel #girlsborntotravel #9to5 #wfh #remoteworking #remotework #2023 #2023goals #2023travel #travelreels #mindsetmatters #sheswanderful #womenwhoexplore #unearthwomen #solofemaletravel #takemoreadventures #womenwhotravel #sheisnotlost #girlslovetravel #girlsborntotravel #theworldismyplayground #wifitribe #theglobewanderer #RachelOffDuty

How did I stack up? • Go on a solo month-long

How did I stack up?

• Go on a solo month-long trip: Belize (4 weeks)
• Work remotely from at least 1 new country: Belize, Panama
• Speak at a blogging conference: WITS '22 in Kansas City
• Save / invest at least 30% of each paycheck: I ended up averaging around ~40%
• Open a high-yield savings account: done!
• Max out my 401K contribution: done!
• Improve my work in my 9-to-5 year over year: I'd say so!
• Establish healthier habits when traveling: this needs work. I can't say no to trying new restaurants or staying up late 🥴
• Commit more time to my physical and mental health: there have been waves of change here and there... but I need to be more intentional.
• Save up to take my parents on a retirement trip before 2024: done! norway 2023! ✈️👀
• Start journaling: does 5 entries from the past 12 months count...? 😅
• Invest more time in my hobbies: yes and no. there are lots of hobbies I want to get into (and be more consistent about), like salsa dancing, yoga, and creative writing
• Take Spanish classes: I did 2 weeks in Mexico, and I do DuoLingo, but I want to do more in 2023!
• Hire a team for Rachel Off Duty: 1 hire down, 5+ more to go...
• Double Rachel Off Duty revenue year over year: this has stayed the same year over year, but i know why and can course-correct in 2023
• Lead an international group trip: had to put this on pause. but a trip is coming at ya in 2023! ✈️👀

Goal setting is so subjective, and while I can make endless lists and try to package up the linear path of my life into bullet points, it never pans out that neatly. There are more accomplishments than this I found in 2022, and so many more 'failures' or lessons, too.

I am grateful for all the beautiful messy moments 2022 had in store. and, I recognize (begrudgingly lol) that we all move at different speeds and goals are as subjective as whether you accomplish them "slow" or "fast."

Happy new year everyone! I hope you take a second to look back at how far you've come 💕 #hello2023

___

#solotravel #solofemaletraveler #girlsdreamtravel #wearetravelgirls #travelcontentcreator #womenintravel #workandtravel #girlsborntotravel #9to5 #remoteworking #2022recap #RachelOffDuty

Join a Community of Go-Getting Travelers.

Sign up below!

Terms & Privacy

Copyright © 2023 Rachel Off Duty

Copyright © Rachel Off Duty 2021

Menu

Start Here
Destinations
- USA
- Canada
- Australia
- Asia
- Mexico
- Europe
Travel
Where To Stay
- Hotel Reviews
Life & Career
- Career and Travel Guidance
- Home, Life, and More
Shop