Sometimes it feels like one has to choose between career and life - between making money, and being happy. A common model seems to be that one has to work hard, make as much money as one can, and then perhaps, upon retirement, one can then travel the world in tour busses, and on cruise ships. Those fortunate to study and travel abroad in their youth, may be able to revisit the places where they lived and learned while pursuing their degree.

For others who were fortunate to land a job involving extensive travel abroad, too much time is spent in hotels, airports, and offices to fully enjoy the proverbial fruits of ones labor.

So how can one avoid the pitfalls of their elders, pursuing a career, becoming a successful business leader, while continuing to explore the world, and maybe even having a life?

A good place to start is during your breaks in college - gap years, summer holidays, or even semesters - as you probably have many more choices than you realize to both position yourself for a successful career, and for developing habits and patterns that lead to a more fulfilling and balanced life.

Making money and being happy: where to start

Making money and being happy do not have to be mutually exclusive, nor do they have to follow one after the other. The patterns and connections you establish as a student - whether you are pursuing an MBA in China, or simply studying abroad in Chile…they are the patterns and connections you can tap into as you navigate your own way throughout the next half century.

Specifically, if you are committed to a global lifestyle, comfortably traveling and living in a variety of cultures throughout your life, then start now! Study abroad may be the best option - it should not be the only experience.

The key is to continue to seek foundation building experiences that will better position you throughout your career and life to seek that balance. Working as an international intern - whether you find the opportunity yourself, or pay someone to set it up can be the key that helps you get a job over someone who does not have a similar experience.

Employers look for things that make potential hires stand out. What better than someone with proven international experience? It tells a potential employer that you are curious about the world, have been through culture shock - and survived, and would perhaps be capable of handling more challenging assignments that require patience, adaptability, and cross cultural understanding.

Foundation experiences: work, service - learning

The years you are in college can be some of the best years of your life. And they can also set you up for the ideal career. Given your interest in this magazine, and article, one can surmise that you want to find a way to keep global travel a significant part of your future.  To put you in the best position possible, consider filling time off (gap year, semester off, summers, and breaks) as perfect time frames to gain some additional experience, while also exploring parts of the world that intrigue you.

Many opportunities exist for professionals as well - so the experiences you start in college can lead to a lifelong pattern of experiences that help build your career, while also feeding your passion and desire to participate actively in our world.

You may also check with your churches, local chapters of global organizations like the Rotary, Kiwanis Club, or Lions Club to see what kind of service trips they may have. Short and longer term mission trips - in the name of religion (if that is your desire) or simply to help build bridges with people from different cultures - are often both selfish and selfless in nature. Selfish because you will get many times your personal investment in knowing that you have made someone, or perhaps a family or community a little happier, a little safer, a little healthier, or more knowledgeable due to the investment in time and energy you make as a volunteer on a service trip. Selfless because you really do have an opportunity to make a difference in peoples lives.

As you career - and life - evolves, you can continue to explore the world, continuing to build your knowledge, and experience through work, and service learning opportunities that make you stand out. Ambition in life and ambition in career can go hand in hand. You do not have to wait to retire to fully enjoy life. Using your gap year, summer holidays, or even a semester to work abroad, for an internship, or to volunteer can be excellent ways to set up a fulfilling career and happy life. 

Bill Lightfoot is a Professor, and the Dean of Business and Mass Communication at Brenau University in Gainesville, Georgia. One of his favorite global experiences was volunteering with his wife, and two daughters with Global Service Corps in Kanchanaburi, Thailand