Sometimes, when people find out Iโm a travel blogger and a freelancer, they look at me with a mix of surprise. I usually get the same few questions: โHow do you earn?โ or โWhat do you actually do all day?โ
Then there are the comments that make me smile: โYouโre so lucky! You just sit on the internet, drink coffee, and travel for free.โ
I wish it were that simple! While I love this โnomad lifeโ Iโm trying to build and choose instead of a 9-5 job in the office, the reality is a lot more than just capturing the perfect shot at a cafe.
Transitioning from a general lifestyle blog to a dedicated travel space has taught me that this โdream jobโ comes with its own set of mountains to climb (and I donโt just mean the literal ones!).
If youโre thinking about hitting the road or becoming a digital nomad someday, here are the three biggest challenges I am currently facing today.
The Portable Office
When I first started blogging, I thought a basic laptop and a smartphone were all I needed. I quickly realized that when your office is a different cafรฉ every week or a remote island, your gear becomes your lifeline.
As a travel blogger and a side-hustling freelancer, I canโt just rely on simple tools anymore. Iโm constantly thinking about upgrades, likeโฆ
- A camera that captures the raw beauty of a 5:00 AM hike.
- A laptop that can handle my freelance projects and clients without crashing.
- Reliable power banks and portable Wi-Fi because you never know when a deadline will hit while youโre off the grid.
Itโs a challenge for me because these tools are expensive investments, but they are what allow me to produce the high-quality guides and work that my readers and clients expect.
Balancing the "Experience" with the "Content"
This is probably my biggest personal hurdle. Thereโs a constant tug-of-war between wanting to live in the moment and needing to document it for my readers.
When doing the actual โworkโ during a trip, aย 3-day trip isnโt just a trip for me; itโs an interview with guides, taking notes about the destination, and ensuring I have the right visuals to make a travel guide helpful for you.
In a world of fast content, like TikTok videos, I choose to write โrawโ and โdiary-likeโ stories even knowing that most people nowadays have short attention spans. I mean, does anybody still read blogs? Writing really takes time. Itโs hard to spend an entire day at a desk writing when thereโs a new city outside your door waiting to be explored.
Being a freelancer on the side, I am also juggling client deadlines. Sometimes I want to spend the whole day at my desk โwriting my thoughts away,โ but I have to balance that with the need to go out and actually experience the world Iโm writing about.
The Financial Reality
Here is the truth: travel blogging involves money. We donโt always get โperksโ or free trips. In fact, to keep my guides honest and raw, I often pay for my own flights, gear, and stays.
So, I invest in the journey. Flights, local transportation, and those long-term stays add up. Because I prefer slow travel rather than hopping from place to place at a quick pace, I have to be very intentional with my freelancing budget.
Sustaining the brand is a big investment too. From domain hosting to premium design tools, running a self-hosted blog is a business. Iโve learned that if I want to provide high-quality travel blogs, I have to treat my blog like the professional studio it is.
Read on how to start a blog:
How to Start a Blog: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners
Sustaining this lifestyle is a constant balancing act. Since I donโt just โtravel for free,โ my freelance work is what fuels my adventures. Today isnโt the same as it used to be. I have to be very intentional with my finances. Every trip is an investment in my blog, and learning how to make that sustainable is a lesson Iโm still mastering every single day.
So, Is Travel Blogging Hard?
The short answer? Yes, but not for the reasons you might think.
It isnโt โhardโ in the way a 9-to-5 corporate job is.
Itโs hard because you are rarely just โon vacation.โ When Iโm exploring a new city, my brain is constantly working. Iโm thinking: Is this path safe for solo travelers? What was the name of that local guide? Did I get a clear photo of the menu for my readers?
You are the photographer, the editor, the writer, the researcher, and the marketing team all in one. Sometimes, after a long day of adventure, the last thing you want to do is open a laptop at a cafe and start typing. It requires a lot of self-discipline to stay consistent when the world is calling you to come out and play.
But is it worth it? Absolutely. The โhardโ partsโthe heavy gear, the dead zones with no Wi-Fi, and the long hours at the deskโare what make the final guide so rewarding. For me, itโs about building something that is truly mine.
Why I Still Choose This Life
Despite the glitchy Wi-Fi and the heavy tech gear, I wouldnโt trade this for anything. I used to be a corporate girly, and I knew back then that I wasnโt meant to be in four-cornered room for the rest of my life. Being my own boss means my time is mine. If I want to take a break and just watch the waves for an hour, I can.
Blogging is a journey of continuous learning. Itโs about finding that sweet spot between being a freelancer and a curious traveler, and I love sharing these raw experiences with you.
Lifestyle blogging is what I enjoy most coz I always find stories and content for my blog. Travel blogging is a second niche, but even with this pandemic, I can still write about travel.
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