More and more often we see people on the internet who seem to be on holiday all the time. Stand them on trips to distant sites and admire oriental destinations. They play on the beaches sipping drinks or entering cultic peaks, watching gorillas and diving in the beautiful natural setting at the other end of the world. How is it possible that they can afford it? Where do they get their travel money from?
The answer is simple:
Monika on Marrakech
They work and earn money
Most people who I know and who travel have a permanent job. Sometimes better, sometimes worse paid. I belong to them too. I have a job, especially one that I really like – in the promotion of culture. It may not be sensational, but it is very interesting and inspiring, it also allows you to manage your working time more freely. I also had the opportunity to work remotely while living in Asia, because I was just running a project that allowed it. A few years ago I was making a living in England, it is possible that I am still waiting for it. And it does not frighten me at all, maybe I do not have a very good future, but thanks to how I live, I have the opportunity to travel, which is very important to me. I also have a corpo job behind me, I can not complain about it, I noticed that it is fashionable lately. The money was pretty cool, I did not have to listen to strange privet businessman who often have no respect for employees, in addition when I was out of vacation I could ask for a unpaid leave, which I got, if I set up the work so that there were no delays and arrears. For this, whenever I have the opportunity to catch various orders and save money from them or pay off travel debts – yes, it sometimes happens to me to count, just as for a while I do not have a job.
Even when some things seem to be impossible, it’s worth trying. Ask at work, talk. You do not give up in advance, it’s possible that even if the bosses do not understand your passion, they will somehow stoop over your request, try to come with ready-made proposals, look for solutions together. Fingers crossed!
Save money
The issue of priorities. More than once I’ve heard from my friends that I’m going somewhere again, that I am so lucky. So I asked why they would not go? Because they do not have money. I have it because I did not buy a new TV like them. Everyone has their priorities. I respect the choice, but why in that case point out trips to someone? I travel, others have TVs, lunches in the city during breaks at work, and cars. I have a junk TV , and no time to watch it. I cook by myself at home – I also recommend those who want to take care of health and body, at home is cheaper, tastier and healthier! I do not have a car, I have a bicycle. Yes, it can be difficult to get home shopping, drag yourself somewhere in the rain, sometimes you have to fight public transport. But I put money away for trips. It is worth biting your teeth, do not party every weekend and do not buy new clothes (with this I have the biggest problem 😉 ). I do not go on organized trips, I plan the route myself, I buy tickets, book attractions that I can not organize alone or go cheaper in the group. I check the ticket prices regularly and wait for occasions, I often adjust to the dates of cheap flights – not vice versa. Thanks to tam, I can afford snorkeling with whale sharks, visit the orangutans, enter Kinabalu or dive on the wrecks in the Philippines. We make choices every day, and my trips usually lead to travel.
They work for the gifts of fate*
In Poland, earning from blog is hard, if at all possible. Recently, it was loud about the gifts of fate, which is what unruly bloggers get for free. Yes, they get things for free. It’s hard for me to speak for everyone, but looking at friends bloggers writing about travels, they work hard. They test products and write reviews – at the same time they save on buying equipment and pay for it with their own work. They travel to study tours, press tours and write about places, regions and countries. Of course, it’s a great thing and it’s great to go somewhere on invitation, but let’s not forget that it’s hard work, not a vacation, although it may look like in social media or in blog post. And the fact that they are invited means that they have invested a lot in their passion before that: skills, time and money. Lucky people start to pay off with time. There is nothing for free. You have to earn by your work for everything.
* as we call it with sarcasm in Poland
They match travels to the funds they have at their disposal
I have not always dived, I have not always traveled by air. Depending on how much money or time I have, I plan to travel. During my student days I had very little money (I was staying alone, and since high school I earned myself all my dreams), but I had a lot of time. Then I disappeared for over a month for a three thousand euro and traveled by trains across Russia, the Caucasus, Belarus or Romania and Ukraine. No comforts, but with many adventures. There were tents instead of hotels. Instead tickets, a hitchhiking. When time got less and income became more frequent and more certain, or I had some savings after working in the UK, I could afford citybreaks. I could not go on longer, I had a job like that, but I did explore Europe. When hotels were too expensive, I slept in hostels. I ate on the street or cooked alone, did not eat at restaurants. Now I earn a bit better, because I’ve been working for many years, sometimes it’s better, it’s worse: depending on that, I choose such directions and way of traveling, so that I can go somewhere and that I can afford it. And how much I want, and the funds do not allow it, I work, as in a hostel in Kuala Lumpur – in exchange for the so-called food and breakfast (ok, well, only breakfasts). It is known that in our Polish conditions it is different and it is not as easy as this in the west, but it is possible. And this is best shown by my friends who travel around the world on a regular basis.
Why such a topic? Why do I write about it?
Because the more I appear in the media, the more I read the similar comments I’ve seen earlier about other people traveling and photographing. If someone has written an article about you, you are definitely a friend and he or she is doing you a favor, there is no option that you have worked hard. If you are talking about a job, you do not have to work only to drive around the world, dollars fall from the sky. Possibly you won the lottery – I do not deny it, I would like to. You win the competition – happiness of foolish, weak photos, olny Photoshop saved you and likelihood someone from the jury is your friend, everything has been set. You process pictures, such colors do not exist, don’t care it was a sunrise or sunset. If I could afford to travel around the world, I would do better. And my favorite: you’re successful just because you’re a pretty chick. No talent, no work, pretty face and all the doors are open. Well, unfortunately not. Sometimes the opposite.
… etc, etc. I admit, I have not once wondered where people get energy to hate others, it would not be better to sacrifice it for self-development? I thought it was better. Hence, two texts on this subject in the FAQ section – maybe they will open someone’s eyes, maybe those complain about themselves will try to travel in a more original way and try to do more, to photograph more interestingly and better. Fingers crossed!
Other from the FAQ series:
https://oliwia.world/faq/photoshopa-moich-zdjeciach/
Photo: post cover: Paulina Wierzgacz 🙂
