Most people have probably thought about ditching their jobs and spending months traveling around the world. It’s also likely that the vast majority of these people don’t follow through with those plans. Instead, they put their dreams on hold to live a more conventional life, filled with offices, homes and bills. But if you are seeking a more adventurous lifestyle, do not despair.
There is a way you can hit the road, make money and live the dream, achieving a lifestyle that people will envy for decades to come. That’s what Jeremy Jones is doing. He and his wife Angie are the authors of the blog, Living the Dream.
As Jones told RewardExpert, “Don’t keep thinking about it, commit to doing it!”
Make It Happen
The Jones family started living their dream a decade ago. “I started Living the Dream in 2008 to chronicle a long-term trip that I was planning, and since then have covered two long-term trips that myself and wife Angie have been on, as well as featuring staff writers who have covered their own long-term travels,” said Jones.
Since then, the website has featured diverse and descriptive travel postings on how to make long-term travel more adventurous, more exciting and more fulfilling. These posts include information on transportation (such as how to buy tickets on Spain’s RENFE train service), food (such as the best chocolate bars in Ecuador), budget travel (such as how to visit Easter Island without spending a fortune) and general sightseeing tips (such as the top three walking streets of Barcelona).
Travel on a Budget
As experienced long-term travelers, the Joneses frequently write about ways to save money on flights, hotels and experiences. “The most important thing anyone can do to save money while traveling is to research all the options,” said Jones.
He said it’s imperative that travelers open their minds when it comes to air travel. That includes exploring alternative airports that may be many miles from a desired city. It also includes opening up your calendar to travel any day of the week.
“We ended up visiting Macedonia and Albania because of this as we were able to get a cheap, direct flight to Dubai a few days later versus what we were finding available from Montenegro,” said Jones. “Embrace it to spend your money on the ground and not on expensive flights!”
Make Money Traveling
And now comes the money question: How do you hit the road, explore exotic locales and still pull in a buck?
“It is not hard to make money blogging, but it is hard to make good money blogging,” said Jones. He says that he makes about $40,000 a year in gross revenue through travel blogging. Living the Dream has 65,000 monthly page views and has 65,000 fans on social media.
The Joneses also run another site, Discover the Burgh, which chronicles things to do in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where the family lives when they’re not hitting the road. “Discover the Burgh receives 80,000 to 100,000 monthly page views and has over 125,000 fans on social media,” said Jones.
Advice for the Long-Term Traveler
While being a travel blogger isn’t going to make you rich, it can still pay off big-time by allowing you to live your dream by traveling the world and seeing sights you only thought you would see online. Jones says the key to finding success with a life on the road is making sure that you keep your expectations in check.
“If you are envisioning earning a full-time income blogging, or a six figure target or more, this is often unobtainable for most – especially in the travel market. I think setting realistic goals and focusing on building an audience and traffic is the most important. Work towards that, and money will follow,” he said.
Check out Living the Dream(www.livingthedreamrtw.com) , as well as Discover the Burgh (www.discovertheburgh.com) , and get started on your very own adventure. The Joneses favorite places are Everest Base Camp in Nepal, Easter Island, Mauritius and the Seychelles, and Petra in Jordan! Get started on finding yours today.