Why having a source of income can boost your travel enjoyment.
“Live your life with a compass, not a clock.”
This motto may prove somewhat difficult to adopt if your life revolves around your job. With early mornings, commutes, office meetings and a host of other work-related responsibilities very much part of the daily grind, taking some time off to enjoy a well-deserved holiday probably isn’t something you do very often.
Unless, of course, you happen to be a writer. Travel and content writing have made a huge leap forward in recent years, with thousands of writers working mainly remotely. Telecommuting opens up a world of possibilities (literally!), rendering the importance of location practically moot. You can now write from home, your local coffee shop – or anywhere else, for that matter!
And, for those with a perennial wanderlust, working online allows them to marry work and play – or rather, work and travel – in the ultimate fashion. Writers are transformed into carefree digital nomads. You can write from anywhere in the world if you are a remote worker. Pack your laptop – but don’t forget your camera!
Here’s why we think writing and travelling at the same time is the bee’s knees:
1) You can stay away for longer
How long has your longest trip abroad been? A few days, a week, a few weeks, at most? And how often have you returned home rested but curiously disappointed, hoping you could’ve stayed just a couple of days longer? Well, if you work remotely, you can stay for as long as you want! Working online means there’s no job for you to return to – all you need is your trusty laptop and a working internet connection! Remote writers don’t need to worry about their job location; as long as they put in the hours and turn in good quality texts, they might as well be working from the moon!
Prolonging your travel time opens up a multitude of opportunities for you both as a traveller and a teleworker. Not only will you have more time to catch up on your sightseeing, but seeing more of where you are will probably serve as great inspiration, especially if you’re a travel writer or blogger. Extending your stay also has the benefit of eliminating that pressing urgency for cramming as many experiences as possible into a short time frame. Instead, you can afford to take things slow and truly savour every second of your trip.
2) You don’t have to live on a budget
Have you ever found yourself having to cut back on your expenditures as you near the end of a holiday? Travelling requires a fair amount of financial backing and the discerning traveller will go to great lengths to save as much as possible, sometimes even compromising on their travel enjoyment. Many tourists will have a budget they plan to stick to throughout their stay, perhaps opting for cheaper, less comfortable alternatives in order to cut costs. If you work and travel at the same time, however, you don’t have to stick to any budget whatsoever. You have a steady source of income which you can dip into at will – exactly the same as you would be doing at home. That means you won’t have to skimp on necessities such as good accommodation and transport.
3) You don’t have to take time off work
One of the main factors that determine where and when you can leave the country is how much leave your employer is willing to give you. While some occupations have the luxury of extended vacation leave, others are not so lucky, and many companies will be unwilling to give their employees paid leave just to take a holiday. Unpaid vacation leave is another, altogether less palatable, alternative. Yet, if there really is no other way, unpaid vacation is something you might have no other choice but to take – if it is offered to you at all. It is also highly doubtful you would be permitted to stay away from your workplace as long as you would like.
Working online means you don’t have to take time off work in order to travel. In actual fact, you don’t even need to inform your employer that you will be away! As far as they’re concerned, nothing has changed. Who cares if you’re writing from a beach in Tahiti instead of from your study at home?
4) You can move about from place to place
Flexibility is definitely the name of the game when you’re a remote worker. And, if you also happen to have itchy feet, writing and travelling will suit you to a tee! Once you feel that you’ve got all that you can from one particular place, just get up, brush the sand from your feet and go catch that plane! You can move about within the country itself, visiting rural and urban areas and getting a better feel of the nation. Or, if you’re the type who wants to see volumes, change countries altogether. And don’t forget not to waste your time in transit. Make sure all your devices are fully charged and punch in a few pages while on your way to the next fabulous destination.
5) You can get inspired by totally immersing yourself in the local culture
There’s nothing quite like throwing yourself body and soul into a new country, breathing in new and exciting air, and immersing yourself deep into the vibrant beat of a different culture. Having the opportunity to see with your eyes and feel with your hands is an experience no Google search can match, no matter how thorough. How else could you write about the chaotic array of life and colour in the souq at Marrakech, or describe quite accurately the uniqueness of the taste of escargot as it slips delicately down your throat in some quaint French restaurant? Both are experiences you could have missed out on had you simply been on holiday, either due to time or monetary restraints. Work and travel enable you to experience the places you visit to the fullest. 
6) You can inspire others
Having all the time in the world to pursue both of your great loves will surely have you turn out some great texts! And yes, although most writers do write for their own pleasure, there’s no doubt that our most important audience is always the reader. We hope that reading this blog post has inspired you to start – or continue – writing! If yes … we need you! Sign up as a writer today, get ready to work and travel and let Topcontent open up a world of possibilities for you.
