Hi everyone! I know my blog has been quiet for a while, and I’ve been getting messages from people asking what’s going on. No worries. The blog has been down for about a month. I’m in the process of rebuilding and making some changes. The old blog was what it like living in the middle of nowhere, refurbishing an old house, and mountain life. With new changes in my life, I decided to do something different. I’m living on the road full time now in a converted schoolbus. Penny and I are chasing the sun and living on the road in our skoolie.
I blogged about this for a few posts starting in September when we started out. I’ve nearly been on the road for three months now. I’m pretty far behind in sharing the experience, so I’ll be doing my best to catch everyone up!
A Better Travel Blog
I was looking through the Barnes and Noble in Tucson, AZ the other day. In my hand was a public lands map of Arizona and a coupon to donate a percentage of my purchase to local women’s programs in the area. I figured if I was spending some money, since I had just been paid, I was going to check out the travel magazines.
On top of content creation for private clients, my YouTube Channel, podcast, and this blog, I have still been pitching stories to travel blogs and magazines. Then there’s my novel I’m still working on…but that’s a whole other kettle of fish. It’s been a while since I have looked through some of the magazines. These glossy cover magazines have captivated my imagination for travel destinations and what awaits me for decades. But this time, when I picked them up I realized exactly why my pitches are either unanswered or I get rejection letters telling me “no thanks.”
My writerly insecurities were telling me I wasn’t good enough. My stories about living on the road are boring or pointless. Imposter syndrome was weighing down on me like an anchor in the middle of the ocean, and yet I just kept trying to tread water. After thumbing through some magazines which would have been my dream gig, I came to the realization that the magazines aren’t what I’m writing about. It’s not that my writing is a bad fit for them, it’s that these magazines are a bad fit for me.
What’s Wrong with Travel Magazines Today
Skimming through the magazines I found a few features, mostly list articles, and tiny blurbs which were so heavy on sales and promotions that I didn’t even recognize the publications. I found myself holding them by the corner like a smelly diaper and putting them back on the shelf. That isn’t the stuff I want to write. What happened to thought-provoking, insightful travel stories? Narrative descriptions about places to see and experience, the food, the culture, the sights and sounds?
Instead I found magazines packed with advertisements, sponsored content, and nearly pornographic dream vacation destinations that only the 1% could afford, yet the rest of us would read through vicariously living through the experiences of beautiful 20-somethings with unlimited expense accounts.
Seriously. WTF?
Where was the content that people like me and people like you once found inspiring to venture out to new places? Gone. Even Outside read like an Instagram wet dream, complete with listicles and Top 7 Adventure Trips in Nepal or somesuch. Magazines have gotten out of touch with regular readers, leaving the rest of us considering taking our next trip to Middle Earth because it seems just as attainable.
What I Want to Do with Living on the Road
Since I’ve been living on the road, I have had so many experiences. I’ve faced challenges. I’ve had amazing days, and I’ve had tough days. Each day brings something new. The miles I travel everyday reveal something new about myself and about the country I’ve always been expected to love unconditionally, without ever knowing why.
I want to bring my readers along for the journey. I want to talk about the places I have visited and the people I have encountered. The richness and beauty of this place so many of us call home. The stories that don’t get a second thought from an editor sitting in a high rise office trying to figure out how they can sell trips to Fiji. My stories are for those who would appreciate the chance to travel and want to do it themselves. Maybe they are just looking for some inspiration.
In short, I want to write the stories I would rather be reading every time I pick up a travel magazine. Not some unattainable vacation porn choked with bullshit ads. I want to tell stories about pushing my comfort zone, and hopefully inspire others to do the same.
There Will Be Ads
That isn’t to say that I won’t be putting out some content for products. My affiliate marketing links are here to help support my site so I can continue to travel and bring you stories from my adventures. Affiliates give me a percentage back for purchases you made by clicking through on my links at no extra charge to you. In other words, come for the stories, click on the links for some quality products. Even if you don’t click, please comment, like, and share with others. Our world is changing and so many of our voices aren’t being heard because a handful of companies control all the ways to share our stories.
For the most part, if you see an affiliate marketing link it’s for a product I believe in, and unlike the travel magazines, my content isn’t created around the thing I’m trying to sell. Usually.
A Bit About the New Name
Every time Penny and I get ready to head out to a new destination, I tell her, “Let’s shake some dust!” She loads up in the bus and hops onto her spot on the bed where she stays for the drive. I don’t like to stay in one place for very long. A rolling stone gathers no moss, and as much dust as the bus picks up in one place, I like to hit the road and blow it all out as we travel from place to place.
I hope you enjoy what we’ve got coming in the next installments of my blog. Photography, stories from the road, revisiting old favorites, and even some new places to explore we have found while living on the road. Rather than sitting on your butt waiting for something to happen in your life, get up and shake some dust!
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