Last year, I decided to take the plunge into travel blogging. The goal was clear: I wanted to travel with my autistic son, document our journey, and support my dream of inspiring others to explore the world. But as I approached my first year of this grand adventure, the reality hit hard. I hadn’t made a dime, the footage I had collected was still gathering dust, and my website didn’t turn out the way I envisioned it.
Here’s why I decided to walk away from travel blogging and pursue a new path.
The Grandiose Idea
I’ll admit, I underestimated how enormous the task of becoming a paid travel blogger truly is.
The key word here is “paid.” While I loved creating content and sharing my travels, I quickly learned that having tons of views and likes doesn’t automatically translate into income.
To make travel blogging a sustainable career, there has to be a business element. Without it, this passion can easily become an expensive hobby rather than a thriving business.
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There are many ways to generate income as a travel blogger, and here are the top 10 that stood out to me:
- Keep your full-time job and travel during annual leave.
- Become an affiliate marketer.
- Be a brand ambassador for select brands.
- Create and sell digital products.
- Start a Virtual Tour Business
- Pursue copywriting or writing if that’s your forte.
- Become a film creator.
- Work as a photographer.
- Be an Independent Travel Agent.
- Get into online trading.
While these are all viable options, the reality is that each requires time, effort, and a significant skill set to make them work.
The Learning Curve
For someone like me—a perfectionist and a bit of a hedonist—I dove headfirst into learning new skills. Whether it was filmmaking, photography, or writing, I invested in tools, courses, and time to master these areas. But here’s the thing: no matter which avenue I pursued to generate income, it took time to reach competency.
That time investment meant that I wasn’t traveling, I wasn’t blogging, and I wasn’t enjoying the experience I initially set out to document. Instead, I was stuck in the weeds, constantly learning and perfecting my craft.
Planning Fatigue
Being a solo travel blogger means doing almost everything yourself. From planning the trips and shooting video, to creating scripts and selecting wardrobe—sometimes it felt like I was running a production company, marketing agency, and—on top of it all—a mother, teacher, and “therapist” to my son with autism.
The stress became overwhelming, especially as I approached a trip to Japan. Instead of feeling excitement, I felt drained. I just wanted to enjoy the experience with my son, not juggle the pressure of being a content creator while also making sure everything was perfect.
The Loneliness
Before I became a travel blogger, I was a backpacker, a solo traveler, and even a flight stewardess. I loved meeting new people, exchanging stories, and making friends on the road. But once I started blogging, that sense of connection faded.
Traveling as a blogger felt more like work—everything had an agenda: visiting landmarks, taking photos, gathering content. I found it hard to mingle with fellow travelers or forge the kind of friendships I cherished when I traveled as a backpacker or a flight attendant. It felt isolating, even though I was physically surrounded by new places and faces.
Traveling with a Neurodivergent Child
I absolutely loved traveling with my son, especially seeing his joy in experiencing new places. But it was challenging to blog and travel while taking care of him at the same time. I had to be constantly vigilant, monitoring him and making sure he was safe and comfortable.
Some places I wanted to visit weren’t appropriate for him, and I had to compromise on some of my plans to make sure he had a positive experience. I also found myself teaching him how to navigate situations, as he didn’t know how to independently carry himself in certain environments. Traveling with him was rewarding, but balancing that responsibility with blogging proved to be more difficult than I anticipated.
Evolving Focus
Initially, my goal was simply to document our travels on a blog. However, as I delved deeper into the travel blogging world, my focus evolved. I realized that I wanted to do more than just share our experiences—I wanted to help other travelers like myself: single mothers traveling with special needs children, solo travelers who can’t drive, and people aspiring to be digital nomads.
I needed a turn-key solution that didn’t require starting everything from scratch. That’s when I found InteleTravel.
Finding My New Path with InteleTravel
I didn’t want to run a travel agency; the thought of starting a business from the ground up—especially with limited resources—was overwhelming. But I did want to offer high-quality service, and I’ve always believed in offering value over volume.
InteleTravel provided the perfect solution. With their platform, I could still travel and earn an income, create meaningful content that inspires others, and most importantly, support parents like myself who have neurodivergent children, helping them travel with confidence. It also allowed me to offer personalized travel planning services that don’t typically go into booking trips.
Conclusion: A New Beginning
Travel blogging had its highs and lows, but it ultimately led me to a more sustainable and fulfilling path. InteleTravel allows me to pursue my passion for travel while providing value to others, offering a service I truly believe in. I’m excited to continue this journey, helping people create their dream trips while managing the balance between family, work, and travel.
Stay tuned for more on how I’m embracing this new chapter, and how you can too!
