About

Hi, I’m Disha 👋

And no, I didn’t quit my job to travel the world forever (even though I gave it a solid try).

The internet loves a “quit everything and travel full-time” story. Mine’s a little different.

I stepped away from the corporate world to travel… and then I came back. Turns out, I actually like having a career and seeing the world and I refuse to believe those two things can’t coexist.

I work a corporate 9–5, which means my travel plans have to fit around meetings, deadlines, and limited PTO.

That constant tug-of-war between work life and wanderlust is exactly why I created Disha Discovers.

This space is for people who want more out of life than just counting down to their next vacation, but also aren’t blowing up their careers to get it.

A woman standing in front of the Twelve Apostles in Australia, which are towering rocks emerging from the ocean.
The Twelve Apostles in Australia

What You’ll Find Here

Disha Discovers is all about travel that works in real life.

Not the “pack up and disappear for six months” kind of travel, but the kind you can actually pull off with a job, responsibilities, and a calendar that fills up faster than you’d like.

Here you’ll find:

  • One-day itineraries that help you experience the best of a destination without feeling rushed
  • Weekend getaways that feel full and satisfying (not frantic)
  • Practical guidance for making limited time off actually feel like a break

Everything I share comes back to one simple question: If I only have this much time, what’s actually worth it?

A woman wearing a white sunhat standing on the beach in the Bahamas.
The Bahamas

The Real Struggle (If This Sounds Familiar)

If you work full-time and love travel, you’ve probably felt this:

  • You finally get time off and waste half of it figuring out what to do
  • You come back from trips more exhausted than when you left
  • You save destinations for “someday” because you don’t have enough time right now
  • You feel like everyone else is traveling more than you because they have more flexibility

I’ve been there. That frustration is what pushed me to stop planning trips like I had unlimited time and start planning them for the life I actually live.

A woman in a red jumpsuit attached to another woman in a black jumpsuit while skydiving in New Zealand.
Skydiving around the Bay of Islands in New Zealand

How I Travel (and Why It Works)

I live in Southwest Florida, which has completely shaped how I travel.

I love cruising — not for the ship, but because it’s one of the easiest ways to see multiple destinations with limited PTO.

Waking up in a new place without constantly packing, unpacking, or switching hotels just makes sense for this season of life.

I’m also big on weekend getaways. Leaving Friday after work, coming home Sunday night, or stretching it into a three-day weekend with one PTO day is my sweet spot.

Once a year, I usually take one longer, truly off-the-beaten-path trip with my PTO.

And when I say off the beaten path, I mean the kind of places that make people pause and say, “Wait… really?” The rest of the year, I’m squeezing travel into shorter trips whenever I can.

Some of my favorite weekend escapes are New York City, Charleston, and Nashville, and some of my favorite destinations around the world include Cape Town, Iraq, Lebanon, Albania, the Maldives, and Croatia.

A woman standing on a pathway that runs along the ocean with a mountain in the background in Cape Town.
Cape Town: my absolute favorite place in this world!

How I Actually Make Travel Work With a Full-Time Job

I don’t believe in vague advice like “just travel more.” Here’s what actually works for me practically.

1️⃣ I Plan Trips Around Work Reality, Not Against It

I prioritize:

  • Departing after work on Fridays
  • Red-eye or late flights that don’t require PTO
  • Returning late Sunday or early Monday

This alone has doubled how often I travel without increasing my PTO usage.

2️⃣ I Decide What to Skip Before I Decide What to Do

Instead of cramming everything in, I plan trips around:

  • 1–2 true highlights per day
  • Walkable areas or single neighborhoods
  • Experiences with the highest payoff for time spent

This is why my trips feel full and not rushed.

3️⃣ I Treat PTO Like a Strategy, Not a Scarce Resource

I don’t save all my PTO for one “perfect” trip.

I use it to:

  • Turn weekends into long weekends
  • Add one day to a short trip for breathing room
  • Travel consistently instead of occasionally

Small, intentional trips add up faster than waiting for someday.

You’ll see these principles woven throughout the blog because traveling well with a full-time job isn’t luck. It’s a skill.

A woman wearing a black jacket standing in front of hundreds of King Penguins in the Falkland Islands.
Seeing the King Penguins in the Falkland Islands was a dream come true!

Why Disha Discovers Exists

Disha Discovers exists for people who want more out of life than just weekends on the couch and a once-a-year vacation.

It’s for those of us who love our careers and crave adventure and are tired of being told we have to choose one or the other.

This space challenges the idea that meaningful travel is only for people with unlimited time or ultra-flexible lives.

With smarter planning and a little intention, incredible travel is absolutely possible alongside a full-time job.

Disha Discovers is about reclaiming your time off and using it well. It’s about realizing that even one great day in a new place can matter, that weekends can feel like real escapes, and that small trips add up to a big, fulfilling life.

Because your life shouldn’t be on pause between PTO days.