In a clear sign the American economy is improving, my parents found a buyer for their house. It is a moment I’ve been contemplating since before I’d left for my trip around the world in late 2007.
What would I do if the option of living with them was suddenly off the table?
As much as they wanted to see me get another office job, I stubbornly stuck to a very narrow set of criteria (editorial work for travel websites, based in NYC or Washington, DC). After 5 1/2 years of planning my great escape from the corporate world, and another 20 months of traveling and living abroad, the prospect of going back to cubicles, 3 weeks of vacation per year, office politics, and waking up before 9 AM seemed ludicrous.
If you’re thinking “just grow up and get a job,” I understand. I’ve been living an unconventional life for several years, and it’d be natural to suggest it’s just a phase or needs to come to a tidy conclusion. But, this is where my stubbornness (or naivete) comes into play.
I believe I’ve reached the tipping point where I can support myself through a personal passion — travel blogging. The only caveat is that I’m not yet able to do so while living in a major US city such as NYC or DC. And maybe that’s a good thing, as it gives me the perfect opportunity to return to Colombia for the remainder of 2010.
The change in scenery will be bittersweet. As much as I didn’t want to leave Medellin behind last year, I’ve since settled into daily routines, developed a yoga practice, made new friends, caught up with old ones, and been able to go on dates without a English-Spanish dictionary. I will especially miss going out every weekend to my favorite club, The Salsa Room.
After the TBEX (travel blogger) conference June 26-27 in New York City, I’ll board a flight to Cartagena. For the first few weeks of July, I’ll be soaking up the sun on the tropical beaches of Colombia’s Caribbean coast. Then, I’ll head back to the mountains of Medellin to further grow Go Backpacking, Medellin Living, and Travel Blog Success.
About the Author:
Dave is the author of 1573 posts on Go Backpacking.
Dave (Editor-in-Chief) blogged his way around the world from 2007-2009, and then started Travel Blog Success to teach others how to do the same. When not writing, he can be found salsa dancing in Medellin. Follow him on Twitter @rtwdave or look for him on Google+
The Travel Blog Success community offers practical resources and personal support to help you build a better travel blog.
Whether you treat blogging as a hobby, or dream of building a location independent business, you'll learn what's required to create a name for yourself in the online travel world.
Benefits of Joining:
- Personal support from Dave, including site critiques and tips on negotiating advertising deals.
- Ability to learn from others' mistakes, and save yourself time, energy and money.
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Categories: Colombia, Features, Planning
Post tags: blogsherpa, Colombia, medellin
64 Comments
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If you are currently supporting yourself entirely from your travel blogging, that’s really a great accomplishment ! Sometimes …. it’s so easy to forget that being self employed and doing it your way is something special. I reached a similar point when I became entirely self employed in 2004 but then I lost the feeling when the recession hit in 2008. Things are rolling again though.
Amanda
Hi Amanda, yes, in the second half of 2010 I was living in Colombia and supporting myself fully from blogging. I still am, only now I’m currently traveling Ecuador, and the rest of South America. :)
But it’s still a very month to month thing for me. If I go a few weeks without any new ad sales coming in, I definitely start to stress out more than when the opposite is happening.
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