"I think travel for work could end up being a financial positive, if you work for the right company. If you are gone two weeks for business (I'm single, so have no family considerations weighing in here), that's two weeks you don't have your typical expenses at home. You are not buying groceries, using your own air conditioning, paying for your commute, or washing your own towels or making your bed. You save money in that regard. On top of that, you probably have a per diem covering your meals and anything extra. Working harder means you have less time to spend that per diem, and could pay off with a bigger bonus at the end of the year. And that doesn't even include the value, which varies person to person, of status-earning programs...

When I travel for work, I tend to come out ahead..."

I can see your point there. It seems to me though that I always end up eating costs (missing receipts, toiletry items, etc) and by the time I get my expenses paid there's often a finance charge. There's also the cost of more business clothes, dry cleaning, etc. You have to figure those costs.

As for a per diem, that would be applicable if you work for a company that does that. Most don't, but if yours does that is certainly a consideration. I'm also yet to see or hear of anyone getting a bigger bonus related to extra travel. That might happen with some consultants, but I'd verify that before you put that into consideration.

In terms of being young and having no family, I find it worse being this way and having to travel for work. It is very difficult to keep momentum in relationships when you're gone 1/2 of the time and working like crazy. Spending a weekend sitting around your house because you're jet lagged and burnt out from a long week of being the road warrior is much easier for someone with kids who want him/her at home. That is not to mention that your friends will want to go to restaurants and bars and that's what you've done all week. It also makes it very hard to keep participating in sports teams, etc, when your schedule is erratic.

To me, traveling when you're young is much easier than when you're older. Most people I work with call it a break given their insanely busy daily domestic schedules and pretty much all of their real quality time with the kids is on the weekends anyways.