Why Travel Writing is Misunderstood

I’m sure we’ve all had our moments when we feel misunderstood. I can only speak for myself but I’ve had many of these moments in the past year alone.

Pursuing a career in the arts already puts me at a disadvantage compared to those who have a more stable and safe job. I sometimes feel that my family and friends don’t completely understand my life and while I am fully aware that I’ve taken the road less traveled, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Here are some misunderstandings about being a travel writer that I wish other people realized.

Press Trip Assumptions:
I’m sure that other travel bloggers can vouch for me when I say that press trips are not easy to come by. Every year there are thousands of new bloggers who are either starting a Round the World trip, going on an extended vacation or just eager to get their foot in the door of the travel industry. Whatever your reason, the competition is stiff.

Still a newby myself, I’ve researched tour companies, sent countless emails, sent follow-up emails, attended networking events and taken advantage of meeting people who also live in New York and work in the travel industry. Without this added effort, I doubt that I would have had a shot securing a press trip. The majority of Tourism Boards have had their budgets slashed this year, making my odds even slimmer.

So whenever I hear someone say “oh Megan has another one of these free trips coming up” I cringe. It’s not like I’ll be laying on a beach basking in the sun. I will be working while I explore, writing as I travel. I find these statements, although perhaps meant as compliments, insulting.

Making Sacrifices:
Making the leap from the music industry to the travel industry can definitely be seen as jumping from one failing industry to another but this should not mean that my sacrifices lack significance. Right now I’m renting a small room near Columbia University and freelancing from local coffee shops. For me, this is the ideal situation for my current lifestyle. Freelancing gives me the flexibility to travel while giving me time to grow Bohemian Trails, which is a full-time job in itself. Not being attached to a lease means that I can move to Paris at the drop of the hat.

When I mention this to my family and friends back home, they are immediately horrified that I’m living without a TV and that my flatmates speak Spanish better than English. Sometimes their faces are so distraught that I have to remind myself that I’m living in a decent apartment and not a sewer in a third world country. One day I want to feel more settled and have a nice house with a picket fence but for right now I want the ability to travel and make any city my home. While this is certainly unorthodox, it doesn’t mean that it’s wrong.

My life at a coffee shop

Not Being Able to Stop:
Since I stopped working full-time for someone else and started working mainly for myself, I’ve found it hard to stop working. I’ve heard other travel bloggers express similar concerns. In fact, I actually feel guilty if I’m not tweeting, writing or marketing my site. There is always something else to do. I’m basically a small business owner which means I’m responsible for finding my own work, recording my yearly earnings through a tax software system and taking care of my own expenses out of pocket. Although I went home to Virginia this past Thanksgiving and Christmas, I spent a good chunk of my “time off” catching up on freelance projects and getting ahead on my writing.

Sure, I could technically take a break or vacation whenever I want, doing so would not benefit me in the least. While this sort of lifestyle is difficult, I ultimately feel more fulfilled because I’m doing something that I love and therefore I’m willingly put in the time. Finding a balance between working and enjoying life without being connected to the Internet non-stop is a skill I hope to better master in the coming months.

Searching for Balance in Chile

Travel is Priceless:
I think the main worry of a parent with a travel writing daughter is wondering how I will support myself. While I understand and appreciate this concern, I believe that if you want something bad enough, you will make sacrifices to make it happen. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m living simply, not over-spending on things I don’t need and have been doing a good job of finding paid work that is not only in the travel industry but also allows me to work from any destination.

Although there is nothing wrong with having a stable job and income, I want to allow myself to be as bohemian as I please before I have a family to support. The experiences I’ve had while traveling are truly priceless and I’ll keep going until it is no longer a top priority of mine.

*This post made possible by TurboTax.

Like us on Facebook and Tweet us: @BohemianTrails

Sign up for our free BOHO BLAST!

Enhanced by Zemanta
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

32 Comments

  1. MaryannK says:
    February 6, 2012 at 2:32 pm

    Well said , I love your blog. Thank you for sharing your experience with all of us. I am a documentress , I am working on a documentary that speaks of all that you said , with artists and how they deal with society and how they think an artist lifestyle is not a good one and how family & friends really will be concerned & judgemental.Thank you for reminding me that Im not the only one , we are not alone . I haven’t travelled out of the country in a couple of years and I so miss it.Im so glad to know that theres people like yourself , who keep this lifestyle alive and inspire me to get back out there when I get the chance. Thanks! Look forward to your next post. : )
    MaryannK recently posted..Happy New Year Everyone!My Profile

    Reply
  2. Karina says:
    February 6, 2012 at 3:51 pm

    Great post Megan! Very inspiring…

    Reply
  3. Andrew says:
    February 6, 2012 at 6:31 pm

    As glamorous as it sounds, the travel writer/travel blogger lifestyle does not seem as perfect as it sounds. Freelancing has always appealed to me as well, but the uncertainty of it puts me off. I like my nice stable IT job even though I don’t like my job. Does that make sense?

    Travel needs the people that are willing to eschew their stability at a price to show the rest of us what is possible.
    Andrew recently posted..Christmas in QueenstownMy Profile

    Reply
  4. dtravelsround says:
    February 6, 2012 at 7:19 pm

    There are definitely some great things about being a travel blogger — like seeing the world and writing about experiences, but you also touch on an important point — finding that balance. I often find myself uneasy disconnecting and giving myself free time. Assignments, ideas, social media, SEO, etc. all hang over my head and its hard to just be in the moment. That being said, I cannot wait to make this my life once again and work for me and live for me. :)
    dtravelsround recently posted..Facial bliss at Tropicana’s Glow, a Mandara SpaMy Profile

    Reply
  5. Beverley | Pack Your Passport says:
    February 7, 2012 at 5:48 am

    Sometimes just explaining to someone what a blog is is half the battle I find! :-)
    Beverley | Pack Your Passport recently posted..Seven Travel Bloggers Make One New Super BlogMy Profile

    Reply
  6. Reena says:
    February 7, 2012 at 1:53 pm

    Great post Megan! I definitely agree that travel writing is neither the glamorous nor easy lifestyle that people believe it is. It’s also amazing how hard you work when you’re working for yourself and I do find it incredibly tough to switch off when there’s always so much more I could/should be doing!
    Reena recently posted..Shanghai’s marriage marketMy Profile

    Reply
  7. Ross says:
    February 8, 2012 at 12:09 am

    Good luck Megan. I envy your lifestyle. Friends and family consider me a world traveler and photographer but I don’t. I have the nice house with the picket fence and a good career working for someone else. I only get a few weeks a year to see the world. I feel rushed and there is never enough time to see and experience all I want to. At this point in my life I almost feel trapped. I hope to spend significant time traveling and living abroad just working on my photography and writing but I don’t quite know how to make it happen. I love to see that some people do make it happen. It inspires me. Thanks.
    Ross recently posted..The F WordMy Profile

    Reply
    • Megan says:
      February 8, 2012 at 7:27 am

      Thanks so much Ross for the encouragement and don’t be too hard on yourself :) There is nothing wrong with working for someone else and getting to travel when you can…that’s what I used to do and will probably go back to at some point in my life. I agree with you about sometimes feeling trapped. Even though my lifestyle is certainly more flexible, I still haven’t gone on an extended trip somewhere, which I’m hoping to change this year!
      Megan recently posted..Review – Timeshares and TravelMy Profile

      Reply
  8. Aisleen says:
    February 8, 2012 at 4:24 am

    So glad you wrote this post – it’s good to know that we’re not alone! I’m getting quite fed up of comments from friends and family asking me when I’m going to get a mortgage and telling me everytime interest rates go up or down. Nobody else seems to ‘get’ the fact that I don’t want to be tied down to one place. Everyone should be free to live their lives the way they want. Life really is too short to comform to everyone elses expectations but it does certainly take some strong will to carry on and to continue trying to fulfil your dreams. Thankfully my fiance feels exactly the same and i’m not going to feel guilty for doing what we want to do, despite what parents may think! I love working for myself – it’s so much more rewarding and yes, it’s difficult when you can’t guarantee your income, but it’s no fun playing it safe! ;)

    Reply
    • Megan says:
      February 8, 2012 at 7:30 am

      Thanks for the positive feedback Aisleen! That’s great that you have a fiance who feels the same way about travel and lifestyle as you. My boyfriend also works in the travel industry in NYC so I’m so happy to have a supportive person in my life who not only understands my wanderlust but has a bit of it as well :) Keep on going down your own path!
      Megan recently posted..Review – Timeshares and TravelMy Profile

      Reply
  9. Laurel says:
    February 8, 2012 at 7:51 am

    I struggle to find the balance as well and often work longer hours now than I did when I was working for somebody else.
    Laurel recently posted..My Inexperience of Eating Ethiopian CuisineMy Profile

    Reply
  10. Jessica says:
    February 8, 2012 at 12:50 pm

    Found your site via your SU share, and I have to say, this post really resonated with me. I recently came home from an 11-month trip and my family thought I was going to go back to the safety of a “real job.” They really couldn’t understand that I had no intentions of leaving the traveling/blogging/freelancing lifestyle.

    I think your plan to keep going until this is no longer a top priority is a good one, and really brave to boot! Kudos to you, for continuing to work at the life you choose!
    Jessica recently posted..An Open Letter to Dan Coyle, My FianceMy Profile

    Reply
  11. Angie Orth of Angie Away says:
    February 8, 2012 at 2:12 pm

    Truer words have never been spoken! Really thoughtful post – not being able to stop resonates with me in particular. You’re not alone =)
    Angie Orth of Angie Away recently posted..Kom Ombo, Edfu, Karnak and Whatnot | Temple Fatigue Sets InMy Profile

    Reply
  12. bob powers says:
    February 9, 2012 at 11:56 am

    Yes – just go for it!
    I did, a very long time ago… still working as an artist, writer,
    freelance this and that-er,travel (mostly on a bicycle) and have
    never regretted a moment.

    Just don’t expect regular money or meals!

    bob powers
    (administering the Twitter account @Kyrgyz Muras)

    Reply
  13. Will McGough says:
    February 10, 2012 at 9:10 am

    Keep going kid. There may be other bloggers, but it’s the work ethic and desire that will make you successful.
    Will McGough recently posted..NYC: Affinia Manhattan Perfect Nest Above the NoiseMy Profile

    Reply
  14. Shanna Schultz says:
    February 10, 2012 at 10:08 pm

    I am new to the blogging world (but very determined!) I am quickly discovering how much work it is, and what you said is true…there are always more things to do. I am turning into a bit of a workaholic about the whole thing. You are right that most people really have no idea how much work this lifestyle choice takes!
    Shanna Schultz recently posted..2012 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show: Unique Jewelry VendorsMy Profile

    Reply
  15. Chuck Taylor says:
    February 16, 2012 at 4:06 pm

    I’ve traveled with Megan on a press trip and she’s always asking the right questions and jotting down endless notes. She’s one of the hardest working people I know in the business.

    She’s doing very well with this site. The numbers show that people like the product! Megan you’re on your way girl. I love your work.

    Reply
  16. Antoinette B. says:
    February 28, 2012 at 3:48 pm

    This is a really great post Megan. I can’t even fully understand your work or your craft because I work in the medical field yet I am addicted to traveling and this is where I can fully understand you. When you want something SO BAD you will work so hard for it just to get it the way you want it, and more. Whatever you’re doing, you’re doing it right and it definitely shows! You know I always got love for my fellow New Yorkers :)
    Antoinette B. recently posted..A Closer Look at the Sydney Opera HouseMy Profile

    Reply

Leave a Comment


CommentLuv badge