Reflecting On Full Time Travel
As I write this I am about to enter my 4th year of travelling on a full time basis and while it has been an amazing journey that’s not over yet, there are many more aspects to this than meets the eye. In this blog I want to share a real and unfiltered take on this lifestyle. While for many people this way of living is not realistic, there is an ever-growing group of people who are location independent and might want to consider this route, at least for a little while.
Most of you have followed me for a while, but there are many new faces to the blog so let me share a very quick story. After working in the automotive industry for 10 years I decided to try a different path following a mini quarter life crisis as I approached 30 years old. I always wanted to be self employed and have location independence, even before photography was a serious consideration. Although I had two businesses before, they both failed in a spectacular fashion and set me back a few yeas. During that time, as I was drowning in debt, single, and in a dead end job, I leaned on the only thing that I got joy from, photography. For a while I used this craft as a form of escapism from a very miserable life.
As time went on, my skills started to improve and after opening an Instagram page in January of 2018, I started to build a small following around my work. I also began picking up a few freelance photography clients here and there. Over the following years I got my head down, minimised my expenses and put all my eggs into the photography basket. Fast forward to summer 2021 and I was making around 50% of my day job income from photography. I also was at my lowest point with the day job and I even though I was not financially ready, I handed in my notice and said fuck it. 2022 rolled around and the reality of my decision kicked in. I couldn’t afford to pay rent and travel at the same time, so although I was self employed, I was still trapped in a small English town with no money to go on photography trips. This is when I had the grand idea of getting rid of all my possessions, packing a bag and going on a big multi year trip. Fast forward to today and I’m writing this from a small cafe in Lisbon on a foggy Monday morning, with no sign of this long trip coming to a close any time soon.
Another common question I get is how do I make money to sustain myself. While I covered this in detail before, the short story is by running a social media and photography business. My income consists of:
Brand sponsorships (Squarespace, Bellroy, Adobe, Hasselblad etc)
My own products (books, guides, presets etc)
Advertising (YouTube Adsense)
Affiliate Marketing (Amazon)
Photo Licensing
Freelance Photography
The best way to structure the blog is to share the pros and cons of this lifestyle and lean into the realities, instead of the polished dream version that so many try to sell on social media. Let’s start with the pros.
Travel Slowly
This lifestyle allows you to travel slowly, and in my opinion, it’s the most wonderful way to travel. The obvious benefit is that there is no rush to see everything over a weekend before moving on. You can spend more time drilling into all the locations and really get to know the place on a deeper level. From a photography perspective, slow travel allows you to capture way more and spend time working on each scene. Slow travel is very rewarding because you have time to immerse yourself in the location and process everything. Lastly, slow travel is a more sustainable approach. This topic perhaps deserved a dedicated blog in the future.
Photograph Better
I feel like my growth as a photographer has been tenfold since I began travelling. Experiencing a wide spectrum of locations, subjects, lighting conditions, people, and pace has been foundational to my development. If I stayed in one spot, I feel my growth would have been much slower. While I don’t think travel is essential to become a better photographer, it’s certainly a massive cheat code. When travelling full time as a photographer, you don’t have any rest because you’re always keen to shoot and make the most of this unique experience. While this has many disadvantages, it’s also a full-on crash course in photography.
Live Minimally
Even though I have a mini home base where I store most of my things, when I’m travelling, I only have two carry-on bags for all my stuff. A duffel for my clothes and a backpack for camera gear. I have spent nearly 6 months living out of this set-up without any issues. Travelling like this really forced me to have a healthier relationship with material possessions and think my purchasing decisions through. While it’s nice to have a wide selection of clothes or cameras to choose from, you quickly learn that you only really need 30% of what you think you need. While I am by no means a minimalist, travel has streamlined my entire material life.
Save Money
The main reason I started travelling full time was to save money. I couldn’t afford rent and travel at the same time, so one had to go. You can travel smartly and actually save a huge amount of money compared to living at home. First of all, you don’t have the big expenses like a house, car, and holidays. Secondly, you can pick a location where the cost of living is lower or one that has a weaker currency. While I don’t advocate travelling to these locations only because it’s cheap, it’s certainly a consideration. Travel can be done on a budget. You can take coaches around Europe instead of flying. You can stay in a cheaper hotel a short commute into the city instead of bang in the middle. You can go to the supermarket and get basic food instead of eating out. As long as you don’t have expensive habits, travel will save you money. I am writing this as someone who doesn’t have kids. When I do, I will publish another blog on how they impact all this.
Make Friends
If you’re open-minded, you can make some amazing friends while on the road. I’ve made great friends all round the world due to travel. The hardest thing is knowing you will never get them all together in one room and that you might only see them once a year if you’re lucky. However, knowing that you have a mate in every corner of the world is a great feeling.
Grow & Learn
If done for the right reasons, travel can be the best education you can get about life. Interacting with strangers, overcoming challenges, understanding other cultures, empathising with those in different situations, and learning more about yourself. These are just a few of the benefits of travel. If you travel with an open mind and proactively try to learn about where you are, you will grow as a person whether you’d like to or not.
While this sounds amazing so far, the reality is that there are just as many cons to this lifestyle.
Loneliness
If you travel alone, loneliness can creep in. Let’s not confuse loneliness and solitude. You can be lonely on the road or at home surrounded by friends. By loneliness I’m referring to the realisation that travel is best shared with someone close. The moment you try the best breakfast you ever had is more special when there is someone else to share the happiness with. The amazing view after a long hike is best shared and that cold beer by the river on a sunny summer evening tastes nicer when it’s not by yourself. While I am lucky to share most of my travels with my girlfriend, mum and friends, I have experienced brief periods of loneliness on longer solo trips. With all that said, short solo trips are really fun as long as you have a clear purpose.
Lack of Routine
Some people need a solid routine to stay on top of their lives, and others can just go with the flow. If you crave routine, then you will either have to compromise or suffer. You can install as much routine as possible, but travel never goes according to plan. So many times entire weeks’ worth of plans were changed at the last minute due to unforeseen circumstances or better options. I haven’t had a routine in years, and while I do crave it, I know it’s a pointless exercise as long as I am living like this.
Health & Fitness Slipping
Unless you prioritise your health and fitness over everything else, it will slip. If you’re lucky and you have a good gym in your hotel or within a 15 minute walk, it will make life easier. If you have a park nearby, that will help too. However, I’ve learned that usually the best locations in the historic parts of town, don’t have many good gyms. Keeping on top of your diet will be even harder. Unless you go to a supermarket and make your own meals, eating clean healthy food is always a challenge. In big cities, this is easier, but in smaller towns, it’s carbs or nothing at all. I remember after 2 weeks in small Japanese towns, all I wanted is a fresh plate of vegetables. Last but not least, if you only have a short amount of time in a specific location, you’d rather be out exploring and shooting than working out. So many times I’d be walking to my gym only to regret that decision due to the amazing photography conditions outside. Staying healthy needs routine, something that at least for me doesn’t exist when I travel.
Home Life Moving On
Even if you have the closest and most supportive group of friends, don’t be surprised to find that they might not take much, if any, interest in your new lifestyle. Most people are too self-absorbed in their lives that they simply won’t care about your trip to Morocco if it didn’t involve them. Also, don’t be surprised to come across some jealousy and envy from friends who might not have the means or ability to do the same. Even the closest friendships need constant work to keep them healthy and strong. If you’re spending most of the year overseas, you will simply not have enough time to keep these relationships going to the same degree as you did before. For some people, this will not be an issue. For others, it might end up in lost friendships. Aside from time, the main factor that keeps friends together is shared interests and values. After 5 years of you travelling around the world while your friends are working an office job, raising kids, and paying the mortgage, you might find a lot less in common when you return.
Issues on the Road
Travel can be easy, effortless, and fun. It can also be deeply stressful, especially when things go wrong. The reality is that at some point, things will go wrong. It’s something you need to be ready for by having a plan B, plenty of savings, and a good travel insurance policy. In 2022, I managed to catch a nasty skin infection in Turkey. It got so bad that I had to cancel the following trip, fly home, and go straight to A&E. Thankfully, this wasn’t a serious issue. Another example was me arriving in my Lisbon Airbnb only to find the front door not locking and the host not being bothered to do anything about it. Although I got a full refund plus compensation, I had nowhere to go during peak tourist season. This resulted in me going back home and spending August in London before the next scheduled trip.
Impact on Locals
This topic is an elephant in the room anytime long-term travel is discussed. Especially when the travel is done by people from wealthier parts of the world and into areas where the locals don’t have that type of income. The reality is that many locals in such communities don’t like people like me. Digital nomads drive up the cost of accommodation, they push locals further out into the suburbs, and they increase the cost of living for everyone. To a software engineer from the US, paying $1000 a month to rent an apartment might be peanuts. To a local who earns $1300 a month, it might mean having to pack up and move further out. Of course, I am not blaming digital nomads, and I am fully aware I am part of the same problem. I am also aware they bring money into the local community that simply was not there before. I am not sure what the answer is where everyone benefits. It’s just something to keep in mind. There are some things one can do to reduce this burden such as staying in hotels instead of Airbnb, shopping in independent stores instead of known chains, and being extra respectful, polite, and friendly to locals.
Remote Work Can Be Annoying
If you watch any travel blogger or influencer flaunt this life, you would see them working out of hipster coffee shops, on the beach, and by the pool. Looks ideal, right? Let me tell you the reality. Working out of coffee shops for more than an hour is a nightmare. The Wi-Fi is slow, the seats are uncomfortable, the tables can be dirty, there is a lot of noise, and of course, who will look after your stuff when you need to use the toilet? I personally found coffee shops are ideal for 30 - 60 minutes to catch up on emails or admin work.
What about the beach? You will get sand everywhere. Under the keyboard, in your bag, everywhere. You will not see your screen even at max brightness. Maybe if you’re in the shade, it might be better, but not always. Your laptop will overheat. Bright sun, a hot climate, and large metal tech don’t mix well. Finally, your battery will drain like crazy. Oh, and don’t get me started on sitting posture. As for the pool, it’s the same issue minus the sand. Again, a great place to quickly catch up on emails and do some admin but not for serious work. The coffee shop / beach / pool is for chilling out. All my serious work is done in my hotel.
Burn Out
Can you burn out from travelling? Yes, and it creeps up on you quicker than you think. As a matter of fact, it happened to me towards the end of last year. 2024 was a crazy travel year, and while the whole year was spent on the road, the last quarter was too much. Three weeks of driving through Morocco followed by three weeks travelling across Japan and followed by a month travelling across Vietnam. 10 weeks without a single proper rest day of travelling, driving, shooting, editing, and keeping on top of YouTube and the blog. The last two weeks were in Saigon with a bunch of friends, and honestly, I barely socialised in the evenings; my battery was on zero. So yes, you can very easily burn out if you don’t take rest into account.
No Time To Process
One surprising reality was not being able to process what just happened. Because I go from one big trip straight into another, I don’t have time to reflect on the previous trip, photography, and experiences. This often leads to me simply forgetting some amazing moment while I am busy making new ones. I miss being able to fully relax after a long trip, process everything, and get ready for the next one.
