THE end (AND A new BEGINNING)

Posted: 2/12/2022 | February 12th, 2022

This publish has been in the works for the last six years. I’d compose it, delete it, compose it when more, only to delete it again.

There just never seemed a best time to hit publish. As it so commonly does, life got in the way, destinations got backpacked, company got busy, and, eventually, COVID came as well as blew a hole in my plan.

The years went by in the blink of an eye as well as I was no better to making my goal a reality.

And that goal? To stop blogging.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I like what I do. I like travel. I like this website. I like the neighborhood we have right here as well as that we’re expanding The Nomadic Network. I like the trainees we assist with FLYTE. And, as aggravating as it is sometimes, I like putting together TravelCon.

I like working in travel as well as I plan to continue to do so…just in different ways.

I’ve been running this site because 2008 as well as have written over 1,400 articles. That’s approximately three million words.

Add in 300 destination guides as well as two books (one with three editions) as well as that’s a great deal of composing on travel.

In all that writing, I’ve laid out quite clearly exactly how I feel about travel as well as what it can do for you. I frankly just don’t have much much more to state on the subject. I feel I stopped truly adding any type of new thoughts to the nature of travel years back as well as that commonly I’m just rehashing topics I’ve talked about already.

And, as I wrote in a blog publish a few years ago, the basics of travel don’t truly modification that much over time. Sure, apps, websites, as well as services come as well as go, however the fundamental why as well as exactly how (travel like exactly how locals live) stay the same.

Fourteen years after I started blogging from my living room, I’ve likewise changed. I like high-end restaurants as much as I like food trucks as well as street food. I’d commonly rather stay in a good hotel with a comfortable bed than a hostel (I don’t sleep in addition to I utilized to as well as it’s much more productive for work).

Sure, I still bring a backpack, as well as in some cases I yearn to satisfy other travelers as well as so will stay in a hostel. however I don’t do it as much as before. And, as a result, I don’t have my ear to the ground for those hardcore budget plan travel suggestions as well as new apps the method I utilized to.

Last year, I’ve discovered balance in my life, as well as this year is going to be a continuation of that. Last month, I was approved for a mortgage, and, after this present trip to Mexico, I’m going back to Austin to purchase a house. A home I would like to stay in for much more than a few days at a time.

At the beginning of the year, when the team as well as I had our annual goal-setting meeting, I gave them much more control over the website. They will be running the day-to-day operations, as well as Chris, our jack of all trades, is now our director of Content.

I want to work out down more, begin a garden, join social clubs in Austin, have much more regularity in my life, as well as just be on the relocation less. I want to travel much more intentionally, without always an eye toward “how can I blog about this.” I don’t want to take photos of menus anymore or go around to grocery stores looking up prices.

And I want to compose much more books as well as that requires much more focus as well as routine too. It’s difficult to compose a book when you’re always on the move.

In light of all this, I’m stepping back from blogging. moving forward, this site will ended up being much more of a resource as well as less a personal blog. That doesn’t imply I will never compose a blog again. I will still have stories to tell. They will just be a great deal less regular as well as much more sporadic. (Case in point: It is mid-February as well as this is the very first thing I’ve written all year.)

Moreover, now that the pandemic has stopped wrecking our finances, we’re going to bring in guest writers again, so there will be different voices that can talk much more to different elements of the road that I no longer can.

I’m sure as this blog changes, a few of you will relocation on. After fourteen years, you’ve most likely altered as well — as well as I get that. I mean, there are extremely few blogs I started reading in 2008 that I still checked out today.

But, as I believe of the next act in my expert career, “writing blog posts” is not truly something I want to do as much. I’m going to focus on other elements of travel — much more books, huge events, group tours, as well as neighborhood meet-ups — things that bring people together in genuine life as well as that take me out from behind the screen.

So, while we may not link right here as much, we’ll link in other ways. The truth that I satisfy people who have been reading the site because the beginning amazes aswell as humbles me to no end. I still can’t believe that I’ve been able to develop a profession around blogging about life on the road as well as sharing my suggestions as well as stories. I appreciate you all to no end.

But it’s time to relocation on to other endeavors. After so numerous years, the timing is lastly right.

P.S. – You’ll still be able to discover me on Instagram, Twitter, as well as Facebook as well as in our regular newsletter, which isn’t going anywhere.

Book Your Trip: Logistical suggestions as well as Tricks
Book Your Flight
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Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, utilize Booking.com as they consistently return the most affordable rates for guesthouses as well as hotels.

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