Day in the life of
Travel Blogger – JB Macatulad
People who don’t understand blogging think that it’s all fun and games but it actually entails a great deal of work. In fact, I read somewhere that about 95% of people who start a blog will quit within the first year when they realize how hard it actually is.
You may not keep regular hours but blogging is a full-time gig. I get up at around 7AM, fix myself a pot of coffee, and do my morning ritual of replying to emails, doing social media, checking our Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and keyword tracking. This takes about 30 minutes to an hour. After that, it’s off to the races with actual work on the blog. Depending on what I’m working on at the time, typical tasks include editing photos, doing research, writing new articles, posting on social media, and creating new videos for our YouTube channel. A new article or video usually takes me around 2-3 days to complete. Aside from traveling, this is the fun part about travel blogging and what I enjoy the most.
The less fun aspect of blogging, and what most people don’t see, is all the backend work you have to do to help your blog succeed. Running a travel blog isn’t just about traveling, taking pictures, and writing articles. The technical administrative part is just as important because if your articles don’t rank on Google, then no one will read them. Making sure that your site is fast, mobile-friendly, SEO-optimized, and error-free is critical to your blog’s success. When we’re not traveling, I juggle creative and administrative tasks everyday from about 8AM till 10PM, Monday through Sunday. I rarely allow myself days when I just sit around and do nothing.
The bottom line, running a blog takes a lot of effort but the rewards are just as great. One, you get to be your own boss. You decide what projects to take on and you don’t have to answer to anyone but yourself. Two, if you grow your blog enough and are smart about your finances, then you can pretty much live and work anywhere you want in the world as long as you have a laptop and a solid internet connection. There aren’t many jobs in the world that give you that type of freedom.
With that said, blogging isn’t without its stresses. It can make you feel incredibly anxious at times. The income isn’t stable and you’re essentially a slave to algorithms which is why bloggers are always worried about the next Google update. Seeing your traffic drop can send your heart into your stomach. Plus, there are all the social media platforms you need to be on top of. Personally, I find social media to be exhausting but it’s essential to a successful travel blog and brand. With how fast things move these days, I find it very hard to switch off which can be taxing to your mental health. You have to be on top of things all the time which is why you can’t be a casual blogger and expect it to work.
But if you can make it work, then running a blog is a dream job for people who love to travel. I value experiences, not things, which is why I find this lifestyle to be so appealing. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.
Pros
The pros are obvious – location-independence, I’m my own boss, we can pretty much choose to live and work wherever we want.
Cons
The biggest cons are that it is incredibly competitive and you can never ever truly switch off. Plus, you’re at the mercy of algorithms (ie Google) and the pay can be inconsistent and unpredictable. It takes a lot of non-stop work to turn blogging into a viable business but if you can succeed, then nothing can ever compare to this. It is the perfect job for people who love to travel.
How long have you been a travel blogger?
Our blog actually started around 2012 as a recipe and restaurant review blog with some travel content. It didn’t transition into a full-time travel food blog till 2014 or so. It grew slowly over time and 2020 was supposed to be my first full year as a full-time travel blogger, but then the pandemic hit and grounded our plans. We’re just biding our time now and hoping to pick up where we left off soon as it’s safe to travel again. We intend to do more long-term travel moving forward, starting with 15 months in Vietnam, then if all goes well, a move to Latin America where we plan on staying for a few years.
How often do you travel?
We were traveling about six times a year. Our trips grew longer and longer over time. We used to be away for just 4-5 days at a time, then that stretched out to two weeks, then to a month. Our last trips were a month in Japan, two weeks in Taiwan, a month in Vietnam, and five weeks in Europe.
