The day my corporate job was eliminated, my husband and I celebrated. Sure, I was scared—after all, I was losing a good income. But my excitement for my newfound freedom overshadowed my fear. I could now more fully follow my dream of traveling—and writing about it.
I had started a travel blog the year before and was already getting invitations for complimentary weekend trips. Now without a full-time job weighing me down, I could expand my options, take longer trips to destinations farther away. Not worry about whether I had enough vacation time left.
It’s been three years since the day I lost my job, and I consider it one of the best days of my life. No more commuting four hours a day. No more morning alarm clocks. And lots of travel.
Last year, besides several short trips, my husband and I took three extended road trips. We escaped the cold Midwest winter, spending seven weeks in the Western desert sun. Many days we’d work in the morning and evening. In the afternoon, we’d drive through the mountains, hike in national recreation areas or stop for a meal at a mom-and-pop diner. Other times we’d take day trips to lakes, ghost towns or popular tourist towns.
That trip was mostly on our dime, but on two other road trips, we paid only for our gas and some meals. We explored parks and museums, cities and small towns. Wild horses and bison were a camera shot away. We even helped bathe an elephant. At night, we often stayed in luxury resorts or romantic bed-and-breakfasts. All compliments of state or local visitors’ bureaus.
Between trips I enjoy my time at home, reliving my travel experiences as I process photographs and write about our adventures to share with my readers. My readership continues to grow through social media outlets and by writing articles with search engine optimization in mind—things I learned to do through Great Escape Publishing’s Money-Making Travel Blogs program.
There are many ways to live the travel life while continuing to build your blog. The key is to have a plan…and then follow your dream.
A few tips on transitioning from a full-time job to the freedom of travel blogging:
- Your blog should be well established before you quit your job. Start by writing about nearby destinations, and tag those places through social media. Then watch as your blog’s page views and subscribers grow.
- Monetize your blog through advertising and sponsored posts.
- Use your blog as a springboard for other travel-related income, like speaking at blogger conferences or writing freelance travel articles for print or online publications.
- While your travel income is growing, subsidize it with temporary jobs, or use skills from a previous career to solicit freelance project work. Another option is to take temp jobs in different cities while you explore that area.