I have a confession to make, and it’s something I have wanted to get off my chest for quite some time. As you probably know, I am a full-time travel blogger. It is a title that I am very proud of, but it doesn’t come without its difficulties. Recently, I have become increasingly aware that my social media channels only show the sugar coated version of my life (something many people are guilty of). But in reality, I have just as many highs and lows as everybody else. So it’s time for some real talk on the blog today. Here is my travel blogging confession;
I don’t get as excited for my trips as I used to and recently I actually haven’t felt like travelling at all.
There. I said it.
Feeling like this has sparked a lot of worry in my mind because travel is at the very heart of my blog, my income and my identity as The Travelista. I’ve recently begun to question if the novelty of travel is wearing off for me, and how long I want to keep up this lifestyle. Don’t get me wrong, I always love my trips when I get there, but recently I have been packing my suitcase when all I feel like doing is staying at home.
I know there are some travel bloggers who are on the road far more than me, jetting off on multi-destination trips for months at a time. But for the past 3 years I have been on nearly 40 trips, which means I have travelled every single month for the past 3 years and visited around 30 new countries. It sounds crazy when I step back and think about it. Travel continues to be my biggest passion and I am so proud of everything I have achieved. There is no job on earth I would rather be doing right now…
But like anything in life, can you have too much of a good thing?
I think there are a few contributing factors as to why I have been having these feelings,
1) Being in a Relationship
By some goddamn miracle, I have managed to find a boyfriend in amongst all of my travels. When I say boyfriend, I also mean the guy that I know I want to spend the rest of my life with. Without getting gushy, I know he is the one. He supports my blog and my career choice 100% and accepts my unconventional lifestyle. He would never stop me from travelling, but it’s getting harder to keep on leaving him. There are rare opportunities where I can bring him with me, but there is only so much annual leave a boy can take.
2) Feeling Settled in My New Home
In June Scott and I moved into our new home that we bought together. After endless flat-shares at University and in London, it’s the first time we’ve both had our own space and we absolutely love it. It’s definitely harder to leave home when your home is your sanctuary and a place where you feel really settled. On the bright side, it’s always somewhere I can look forward to returning to when I am travelling.
3) Feeling Caught Between Two Worlds
Lots of my friends up North are settling down and having babies where as others are down in London focusing on their careers and enjoying all the hedonistic pursuits that London has to offer. I don’t live in London anymore, but I’m also not ready to have kids so I sort of feel like I don’t fully fit in to either circle. I am now 27 and I love the lifestyle Scott and I have created for ourselves since moving to Leeds, so I am just going to stay focused on my own path and remind myself that we all move at our own pace.
Can I evolve my blog to fit the lifestyle that I have created?
I started my blog when I was 23 and I guess I am slowly starting to realise that I don’t necessarily want that 23-year-old lifestyle anymore. I am travelling just as much, but I now have other factors in my life such as a partner and a house. I still cannot imagine a life without travelling to exotic lands, meeting new people or checking into fabulous hotels. I still love my job and have big plans for The Travelista, but I think I need to accept that it’s OK for my blog to evolve, just as I have.
So going forward, of course I am still going to travel to epic and bucket-list worthy destinations. But I plan to be a little more selective about the trips that I take. I live in Leeds, one of the most vibrant, cultural and buzzing cities in The UK, and I need to realise that I can have amazing travel and hotel experiences much closer to home (my recent stay at Rudding Park in Harrogate made me realise this). I want to dive into Leeds’ incredible restaurant scene and check out all of the gorgeous boutique and luxury hotels in Yorkshire (I already have a few on my hit list). Then when the big adventures come along, I know I will rediscover that feeling of excitement that made me fall in love with travel in the first place.
I’m growing up, so why can’t my blog grow up too?
What do you think of my travel blogging confession? Do you agree that blogs should evolve as the blogger evolves too? Can you relate to anything in this post? I would love to hear your thoughts so please leave me a comment in the box below. Jess x
P.S Vote for me in the Blogger’s Blog Awards
I’ve been nominated for Best Travel Blog in the Blogger’s Blog Awards 2017! If you’ve enjoyed this post or enjoy following my blog and social channels, please take a second to vote for me in the Travel category. It only takes a minute and it would absolutely make my day. Please let me know if you do vote so I can personally thank you x
I think you’re going through what ever blogger (and 20-something) goes through doll – you’re evolving and so are your tastes and interests. My blog was full fashion focused and then as I hit 29, got my own place and stopped buying clothes and started buying homeware, I knew my blog had to grow with me. To be honest, even though I love your posts about international travel I’m also super excited to hear about places closer to home and get your honest opinion! I’m excited for this next chapter for you, especially the rebrand you mentioned on Twitter.
P.S. I have to travel a lot for work and I loved it at first, but as I’ve got older, I love the comfort of my own bed more 🙂
Vic xx
http://www.apartmentnumber4.com
Thanks so much for this comment Victoria! It’s really interesting to hear how you evolved your blog because I have only ever known it as an interiors blog! I didn’t realise you had transitioned into this. I think it’s important to blog about and share things that really interest you and as you say, your interests change as you get older. I know I will always blog about travel but I definitely want to try and diversify so that I don’t have to rely on long haul travel to make money / create blog posts. I think a mix of close-to-home lifestyle and exotic travel could be the perfect balance x
I totally agree with you Jessica! I certainly think a blog can change and evolve just as the blogger themself changes and evolves. It’s great that you get so many opportunities to travel but it’s also important to stay grounded and spend time at home too; I think it’s just about finding that perfect balance and I’m sure you’ll find a happy medium soon! xx
http://www.imjustagirl16.co.uk
Hey there – I can relate! I too have been blogging for a long time (since 2007) and totally want to change up my focus, niche, identity. All. of. it. At least that is what it feels like when I am being terribly rash. In reality, I am finding ways to add things that matter to me more – bit by bit – and so far no-one has complained. (for me, it is a shift from all gardens to other creative pursuits and travel – but I am keeping a garden flavor as my hope is to re-kindle my previous passion but with a little less of the burnout feeling). It is a hard thing to learn and do, but change is good and blogs have to change with the people who create them. Duh. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise – I trully think that is crap advice. As for your travels – I lived in london with my husband for 4 years (2 years kid-free and then 2 years with a baby). When we moved there we vowed to travel at least once/month. To our American minds, the cheap EU flights and proximity were just too much to pass up. We both held full time jobs and 2 years in we also had a baby in tow… but we did it. It was basically all weekend trips which are a great way to keep traveling, but also gives an opportunity to go to places you wouldn’t go to otherwise. So many places really only have a day or so worth of stuff to really get into… but it is still worth it. It is a different way of traveling but still quite worthy and interesting and provides plenty of blog content.
I totally feel you Jess, especially on the torn between two worlds part. I feel like i’m one person in London and someone completely different when travelling. To the point where I love my travelling side a lot more than I do my London side. However, I don’t think you should put pressure on yourself to be like everyone around you. You certainly are strong and independent and I know you aren’t easily influenced by others either. Just take some time to slow down and figure the things out. The blog will always grow the way you do. After all, you are the heart and soul of The Travelista.
Wow… I think it took a lot of guts to write this post. I really appreciate the honesty and the sharing.
I also want to share the same honesty, I don’t know if transforming the blog only in local travels will be as successful as it is now. People love exotic destinations and new/different cultures. Maybe you can write about lifestyle for a little bit until the needs and love for travels will hit you back.
Oh girl I completely hear you girl – I feel so similar to how you do right now, I turn 27 next week and have been having the exact same feelings about being stuck between both places! You’re absolutely killing it lady so just stay true to yourself and the rest will fall into place!
Hayley xo
http://www.frockmeimfamous.com
I think it is inevitable that as we grow and change as people, our blogs follow suit, there is nothing wrong with that and in fact it should be encouraged. Your peers, people who have been reading your blog for a little while, have also changed and are growing up and are probably looking for a slightly different style too. I have definitely seen it in my blog. I started in 2010 when I was 29 and now I’m in my mid-30s (cry…) I can totally see a change in my blog style, including the types of post I write. I am way more picky on collaborations these days and while I don’t have the same travel opportunities as you, very much like to work on things that mean I can spend quality time with the people I love and doing the things I love. I think it’s good – we grow, we develop, we learn, we change. And it makes sense that our blogs follow suit.
Hi Zoe, thanks so much for your comment! It’s so nice to hear you think that blogs can evolve with the blogger. I suppose I have been battling with trying to keep my identity the same for the past couple of years and not accepted that I want to mature and move on to the next stage of my life. Your commment, and many others, have made me realise that changing and evolving your blog can be a positive thing, not a negative! So I am going to be proud of the changes I make and will be more honest with myself and with others about how much travel I want to do. Thank you for your supportive message x
I can totally imagine that it must get a bit much to be travelling so often all the time! I would find it extremely hard to be jetting away without my husband. As someone who easily gets homesick, I definitely wouldn’t want to be going away by myself and I would miss home a great deal if I was away so much. I think it’s great that you’ve decided to change things a little to make yourself happy – that should be the most important thing after all! x
Jenny | LuxeStyle
Hi Jenny, thanks so much for your comment and for your understanding! Settling down with my boyfriend in our house has definitely made the frequent travel harder. I agree my happiness is the most important thing but I have to admit I definitely haven’t put it first recently. That’s going to change from now on though 🙂 Happiness comes first
Ever since I quit my corporate job and the intense travel schedule that came with it, I’ve fallen back in love with travelling again because I now travel on my terms rather than my employers so in that respect I can totally relate 🙂 – it’s totally more than ok to be selective about the trips that you say yes to Jess! Your blog is your piece of the internet so never be afraid to be unapologetically you xx
Hi Maggie, thanks for your comment. That’s so nice to hear you rediscovered your love for travelling! My trips will never 100% be on my own terms as they’re usually part of content campaigns but that doesn’t mean I can’t become more selective about the trips and prioritise jobs closer to home. Thanks for your support always, means so much! ~X
I have read your blog since a while and I love yours articles ! And in particular this one, because as you said what we show on the social medias as blogger is not exactly representative of our “real” life !
I think you have analyzed your situation quite deeply and I think it’s normal to change since your blog beggin and hopefully I mean ! Maybe it’s time to change a little bit of your “blog formula” I mean sometimes it’s small changes that make the difference : maybe decreasing a little bit your travel quota and enjoying more your new home, maybe you should (if you can for sure) travel more with your boyfriend, ….
Anyway, I am sure you will find your new path, with new goals and your friends and community will follow your new adventures for sure !
Have a good day 🙂
Hi Florence, thank you so much for your comment. I think everyone appreciates the honesty in this post! I think I need to see this change as a positive thing and you’re right, I probably have analysed it deeply! I’d love to travel more with my BF and will try to make this a priority next year. Hope you can follow along and see the changes 🙂 x
I think its great that your blog will evolve with you! Its exciting and I sure cannot wait to see what you get up to next especially in the UK! I think your blogs and social media are fab! I can literally just lose myself in your blogs and travel pics on Insta! Keep it up Jess and embrace the change! I will also definitely be voting for you 🙂
Gemma, thank you so much for taking the time to write this comment! It means so much. I have definitely overlooked so much UK travel up until now but I have recently realised that I can create great travel content by staying much closer to home. I am so happy to hear that you love following my blog. I am currently embarking on a big re design so hopefully you will enjoy it even more after it’s all finished. Thank you also for the vote. It means the world! X
Of course your blog can evolve with you! Please don’t forget Jess this is YOUR space, YOU created it and made it into this incredible brand! Don’t be distracted by others and follow the path you want so you can keep doing what you love. I completely understand how life gets in the way (in a good way – house and boyfriend, sounds perfect!) but I can promise your readers/followers won’t be going anywhere. Looking forward to seeing your future unfold on here xxx
Hi Emma, thank you SO much for this reassuring comment. It’s hard to not feel pressures but maybe I have been wrong about what my readers want. Writing this post and reading the comments has made me realise that my readers are growing up with me, which is a beautiful thing! You have really helped to put my mind at ease so thank you for taking the time to write this x
My blog evolves with me. I used to write about traveling with my husband and now I write about traveling with our twin babies!
Tip: maybe your boyfriend could join your trips as a photographer and make it his own full time job? Or quit his job to join forces in The Travelista as a couple blog?
Thank you Anna! It’s nice to hear how your blog has evolved with you through your life stages. It makes me think I can do that too. My BF is working on his own dreams but definitely supports mine. I don’t think he would want to quit his own job but he makes a good photographer when he joins me on the trip 🙂 x
It’s only natural that your blog with evolve and adapt with time and there’s no shame in wanting go spend a little more time at home. Leeds is a fantastic place to be inbetween those exotic destinations, so taking that time to enjoy being in the UK is definitely a great step and almost feels like the perfect compromise?
Hey Lizi, thanks so much for your comment! I really appreciate your support and you’re right, I shouldn’t feel bad about wanting to spend more time at home, especially as I have been working towards getting a house for so long. Leeds is a great place to be in the UK so I definitely want to make the most of it. This post has been like therapy for me! X
I think it’s only natural to feel this way. You have other things that fill you with joy and its balancing that with travel. A blog should grow as you grow. It keeps things fresh and interesting for you and your readers.
Thanks so much for your supportive comment. Yes my life is progressing in a positive way so I should see my blog changing as a positive thing too. It will still be about travel but I think I need to accept it’s OK to evolve it to fit my new lifestyle. You’ve helped me to affirm my decision! 🙂 x
I think bloggers who are authentic create much more interesting blogs. Give us reality!
Thanks Rena, I agree! Honesty and authenticity is the most important thing. People like things they can relate to x
I think it is completely acceptable that your blog evolves as you do and it is so important that your personality comes through in your writing too. I live in York, so I am excited to hear about the places on your list and try them myself! You are an inspiration, do what makes you happy!
Thanks so much for your comment Amy, I really appreciate it! Writing this post has really made me realise that my readers are growing just as I am. Pleased to hear you’d like some local / Northern content 🙂 xx