Wanna know more about the behind the scenes travel blogger industry? Well, in this post I will talk about the top ten things travel bloggers do not mention!
1. It can be difficult to keep up with friends and family
When you are constantly on the go, it can be difficult to maintain relationships. You’re constantly meeting people, so it a sense, you can feel like you lack stability. On top of that, you’re in different time zones, etc. so its crucial you continue to bond with friends and family on the go! Even if it’s a five minute video chat call.
Some travel bloggers leave for months at a time and I can only imagine how hard that can be sometimes! Especially if you travel solo, it can get lonely sometimes! Sometimes you want to just be around friends and family.
2. Traveling can be physically and mentally draining
It is normal to feel this way! The way social media depicts travel blogging is not always reality! No, I am not complaining but this industry is not for the weak! Sometimes you don’t want to travel, but to maintain content you have too. And if you feel burned out, by all means, TAKE A BREAK! It is not just taking pictures of planes, hotels, and experiences. You have to PHYSICALLY go through whatever the world wants to take you through! Not all trips go as planned, unexpected things happen. You name it.
I see so many aspiring travel bloggers, which I strongly admire; however, I feel like the travel industry is glamorized and we need to be more transparent about what really goes on behind the scenes! Do I love what I do? Absolutely! Do I regret it? NO!!! This is my DREAM. But lets remember, nothing is perfect! Sometimes, I don’t feel like traveling. Over the years, I told myself it is ok to feel that way!
Dealing with social media alone can be demanding. Sometimes you get a lot of negative comments or feedback. That will happen. Totally normal.
3. It can take YEARS to finally get monetized
GET CREATIVE! If you’re looking for instant gratification, this is definitely not the industry for you! Some of the most popular travel bloggers will even you that it took YEARS to finally generate consistent income! Just like any industry, you have to put energy and effort into your blog or it will not grow! Connect, share your blog, and create CONSISTENT posts!
I know some bloggers who came up with courses that the sell or even travel guides for certain places they visited! I personally recommend finding virtual work that you can do while traveling to keep yourself afloat into you get paid ads, etc.
4. Sometimes we like to live in the moment
I will be the the first person to admit that I have gone on several trips that I did not blog or post about! Why? I personally felt like doing ABSOLUTELY nothing. Sometimes you just need alone time and you don’t want to always journal everything.
5. Our minds are constantly wondering
When you have a travel blog, you have to continue to be creative through your posts! We have to edit pictures, content, etc and make sure we provide the most detailed information for our subscribers and readers! Therefore, I am always thinking when I travel!
Aside from creating topics and titles for our blog post, we generally have multiple sites that we post our work on. Some travel bloggers even do full time Youtube (Kudos to them!).
6. Not all of us are ‘“unstable” or “lost”
I have lost count the amount of times I have been called a Nomad in my entire life. In fact, it is something I am use to. Besides, If I was a “nomad”, what is wrong with that? Everyone has reasons why they like to travel! Growing up, I always wanted to travel and rarely went any where. I told myself when I became an adult, I would travel to all the places I ever wanted to go so that is what I am doing!
I do consider myself “stable” despite the fact that I am not always in the same place. Personally, I don’t think stability has anything to do with having long term housing. I feel like everything serves its purpose. If I was in Bali for six months then went to Australia for six months, those places served their purpose, therefore I was stable!
7. Yes, some of us are in long term committed relationships (and even married!)
Some travel bloggers travel with their spouse or significant other but they don’t post it! Yes, it can be challenging to communicate long distance, but it is indeed possible!
8. Being a full travel blogger does not mean you have to travel every month
You do not have to be gone 24/7 to consider yourself a full time travel blogger! If it is your primary job/hobby etc, then yes you are FULL time! Bloggers understand this! Some only travel once or twice a year, so if you are traveling 8,9,10 times, yes you are full time! Yes, road trips count in my book!