I have a big announcement to make friends!  I am going back to full time travel blogging!  I’m trading my 9-5 life to one of a bit more uncertainty but hopefully will open up a lot more doors for…you guessed it…travel.

Over the past two years, I’ve been trying my darnest to keep up with Going Awesome Places and while I haven’t been able to stay active on ALL fronts, I’ve always made sure to get at least one post out a week.  That didn’t come without its own challenges and I’ve been yearning to do MORE.

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So as the story goes, I started blogging after I left my job the first time around to travel Asia and that was in 2012.  At that point in time, I was fresh on the scene and eager to absorb as much as I could.  I was completely clueless but I was determined to figure out how to be a successful blogger.

So for a good 3 years I toiled in between growing the travel blog, building my own startup, Find My Itin, and starting up Travel Blog Breakthrough.

The latter part of those years were true breakthroughs, getting my first break in the blog-o-sphere with my first press trips, sponsored campaigns, Twitter chat hosting and a slew of other opportunities.

Alas, the prospect of stable income and “OMG I’ve been out of work for 3 years” hit and so I started looking for work and soon after started a new job doing my bread and butter, technology/business consulting in May of 2015.

So why?

Here’s a picture of what my life was like for two years.

It was brutal.

Weekdays

  • Work from 10AM -7 PM at my full time job
  • Stay late after work or shift to a local coffee shop or head home and switch gears to work on Going Awesome Places
  • Have dinner late or squeeze in dinner in between at home
  • Go to local travel events if I could fit it in
  • Sleep at 1 or 2 AM
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Weekends

  • Work on the blog
  • Try to carve out some personal time to spend with the fiancée or family

I was essentially working two jobs.  I was working 10 hour days.  It was brutal.

But I soldiered on, determined to try to kick-ass at both, I worked my butt off to do my real job and also keep up with the blog.  As you can imagine though, it was near impossible to keep up with social media and growth.

What suffered of course was any semblance of balance, and social and family life took a dip as well.  Trust me it was rough!

You could call it FOMO

Still, why leave with a well paying job and having big financial commitments in a mortgage and upcoming wedding?  It really came down to the desire to grow Going Awesome Places and take it to a new level.  For the past 5 years, I’ve seen the potential in terms of reader base, social following, and revenue.  Watching other blogs that I follow, I knew that the opportunity was out there.  It was just a matter of working for it.

You could also call it FOMO because I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to really put my 110% into it and give the business an honest push.  I thought to myself, “If I don’t do this now, I’m not sure if I’ll get this opportunity again”.  Yes, I have regular expenses but I’ve proven that the income is real and that we can totally survive.  We don’t plan on having kids yet so the time is now to travel more and to grow the business.

And honestly that’s how you have to think of this if you’re serious about blogging.  Blogging is a business and I am an entrepreneur.

So I did it.  

How I survived

If anyone’s counting, I lasted a decent 2 years and 3 months in the working world.

What I told myself going into full time work was that I was going to keep growing my blog however I can and I did that through FOCUS.

  • Focus on writing good content
  • Focus on opportunities that will bring in revenue
  • Don’t focus on small things that are too much effort for little value

Beyond that it was about having a plan for what I wanted to work on week to week, ensuring I was able to meet assignment deadlines, and being disciplined enough to get into zone which was usually accompanied by copious amounts of caffeine.

The uncertain but “I believe I can do it” future

So whether I’m someone you can look up to or perhaps just a bad influence, I just hope that if you’re a fan, keep coming back to find out what adventures I’ll be up to and if you’re a blogger see this as someone not afraid to take some risks and not afraid to go after his or her dreams.

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The first time around I had to start from the ground up and build my foundation.  This time, I have a solid base to work from and the next step is to build a plan.

What’s coming up on Going Awesome Places

I didn’t jump into this without thinking it at least a bit through what the plan is for the rest of 2017 and going into 2018.

What I want to do is focus more on video.  Members of the community, Ryan Thomas Woods and Arienne Parzei (make sure you subscribe!) have been instrumental in showing me what I’ll need to do to step up my YouTube game.  YouTube is the perfect place to tell you my travel story and take you right into the action.

YouTube Channel
Check out the Going Awesome Places YouTube channel and watch my progress.

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Social media traffic has taken a massive dip in the past two years and I want to concentrate on building that back up again and properly do Pinterest finally.

Travel Blog Breakthrough has been neglected for the past year and I apologize for that.  With more time now, I hope to kick start that back up and help all of the part-time and full time bloggers out there.

Balance has been missing these past few years so I want to get back to that.  There’s life beyond blogging and I’d like to actually have time off and go out and spend more time with family, play more sports, read more books, and in general not be ON 24/7.

More kickass content of course.  There’s so much I want to write about so with more planning and more time, I’ll be able to finally have time to make it happen.

Lastly, I want to take this time to travel more.  Sounds cliché coming from a travel blogger but when you have a full time job, you can’t exactly be on the road all the time so hoping to go to more…dare I say…awesome places?

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So what are your thoughts?  I’d love to hear from you!  Do you struggle with the same thing if you’re a blogger?  Did I make the right choice?  Drop me a line in the comments below.

Travel Resources For Your Next Trip

If you’re in the process of planning your trip and putting together your itinerary, these are genuinely the best resources that the Going Awesome Places team stands by 100%.

Credit cards: Don’t get burned by hidden fees on top of terrible exchange rates. When we travel now, we use the Wise Card. Simply load it with the currency you need before you go and use it as a regular VISA or their digital wallet card. Use their free app to track how much you have and top up when you need to.

Flights: Of all the booking search engines, Skyscanner is the most helpful and easy to use thanks to their Everywhere feature. Kayak is also another that’s we will often check as well.

Car Rental: If you’re looking to save money, these car rental coupon codes will be a true game-changer. Otherwise, DiscoverCars and RentalCars are great places to start.

Rideshare: For new Lyft users, use code WILLIAM4825 to get 50% off your first 2 rides (max $10 USD per ride). Offer valid for 14 days after you take your first ride. For new Uber users, use code psuqbjg4d7rn for the same offer except it’s valid for 30 days.

Airport Parking: You’ll need a spot to leave your car at the airport so why not book a spot at a discount. Use code AWESOME7 to get at least $5 off at Airport Parking Reservations or Park Sleep Fly packages.

eSIM: Lately, we’ve really loved using eSIMs. We’ve tested several over the years and we have access to a few special promotions.

  • AmigoSIM – Use GOINGAWESOMEPLACES to save 25% off. Code is re-useable.
  • Gigsky – Use TANG149 to get $3 USD when you sign up, then use code GOINGAWESOME to save 20% on all eSIM orders.
  • KnowRoaming – Use code GAP10 to save 10%.
  • AloSIM – Use code GOINGAWESOMEPLACES to save 15%.
  • Airalo – Use referral code WILLIA9500 to get $3 USD credit on your first purchase.
  • UbigiAWESOME10 to save 10% on your first order.

Wifi Hotspot: We’ve been a huge fan of wifi hotspot devices such as PokeFi (use code GAP24300) because their rates are are hard to beat and it works globally. Solis is another that we recommend. Pros are that you can share the wifi with your whole group but cons are that you have to invest in a device and you have to charge it every night.

Hotels: Our go-to is Booking.com because they have the best inventory of properties including hotels and B&Bs plus they have their Genius tier discounts. Expedia is also worth using especially with their One Key rewards program which is basically like cash. The exception is Asia where Agoda always has the best prices. Always do a quick check on TripAdvisor as well.

Vacation Rentals: Your first instinct will be to check Airbnb but we always recommend checking VRBO as well if you’re looking for a vacation rental (now eligible for One Key).

Tours and Activities: When planning our trips, we always check both Viator and GetYourGuide to at least see what’s out there in the destination that we’re going to. They often have different offerings and prices so check both.

Travel Insurance: Learn how to buy the best travel insurance for you. This isn’t something you want to travel without.

  • HeyMondo – Popular insurance provider for frequent travelers and comes with great coverage and special perks. By booking through our link to get a 15% discount (from June 19-29)!
  • RATESDOTCA – Search engine Canadians looking for the cheapest insurance including multi-trip annual policies.
  • SafetyWing – A perfect fit for long-term nomads.
  • Medjet – Global air medical transportation.
  • InsureMyTrip – Best for seniors, families, and those with pre-existing conditions.

If you need more help planning your trip, make sure to check out our Travel Toolbox where we highlight all of the gear, resources, and tools we use when traveling.

William Tang of Going Awesome Places
About The Author

Will Tang

Will Tang, founder of Going Awesome Places, has traveled to 51 countries. He shares his insanely detailed itineraries, travel guides, and packing lists. Will’s travels have been featured on Huffington Post, Men’s Journal, and Entrepreneur.

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The Discussion

  1. I’ve kinda “lurked” Will for a while now. Checking out his blog, & web site. Didn’t join up right away, but could only resist for so long. He has obviously put much effort into creating a recognizable & value added online presence.
    We made a decision to travel to Egypt and were so taken with his 10 day itinerary we decide to jump in with both sandals. After contacting Djed Egypt Travel, we pretty much carbon copied his posted trip. Our travel time is still 7 months away, …… the difference between a holiday and a adventure is in the planning. More to come when we return.

    1. Thanks for stopping by! I’m so glad that you guys liked the Egypt itinerary and glad that Djed has been able to take care of you. Have an amazing trip!!

    1. Thanks Steve :) Knew you’d like this one. But hey if you need a helping hand in anything let me know ;)