This is not one of those “why I took a break from blogging to beat writer’s block” posts.
I did not take a break from my social media accounts, I’ve very much been present as well as occasionally adding a blog post or podcast episode (just not as frequent.)
And while my presence has been known, I just could not find the motivation to create anything. I have a long list of things I could write about, videos to edit from past trips, but the fire that kept me going to do those things had fizzled.
I felt so…..blah! And I think it’s because I felt like a failure. A fake.
The Thrill is Gone
I have a family travel blog and social media accounts about travel, but I’m not frequently traveling like I see these big influencers/bloggers doing. I spend more time “arm chair traveling”, making lists of places I want to go and posting throwback shots online than actually traveling.
Social media has a way of crushing your dreams and NOT in a good way!
The envy of what others in your industry are doing is real! It’s especially discouraging to see other travel bloggers visiting amazing places I’d love to see someday, working on projects for clients that I know I would be very good at creating content for if given the chance (but unfortunately you need to have hundreds of thousands of followers on social media for your hard work to apparently be taken seriously.)
Meanwhile, I’m lucky enough to go somewhere at least once a year and write about it due to working my full-time job, Tristan’s school schedule and our financial responsibilities at home.
But I know I shouldn’t complain, believe me I know.
Some people can’t travel because it’s a luxury, not a necessity. Some people don’t even have vacation days or any paid time off for that matter.
Social media has a way of crushing your dreams and NOT in a good way!
It suckers you into thinking everyone in the field of work you’re doing are living their best life. Apart from some, they could genuinely be living their dream of travel blogging and I applaud them for that because it’s a tough industry to break into. It takes a lot of hard work and motivation to accomplish this.
But as many of you pointed out to me on my Instagram post, the grass is not always greener on the other side. And as Meshach also summed it up: “Sometimes the grass is greener on the other side because it’s #fake.”
Into The Groove
I want to say a big, THANK YOU to everyone’s comments and DMs I’ve received these last few weeks.
When you ask for help, it’s an amazing feeling to see the online community come together cheering each other on. We’re all not perfect but we do the best we can.
With your help, I have slowly begun to get my motivation to blog back. It may not be a weekly post, but I think I’m ok with that. Are you?
One thing I did enjoy writing this year, is my Dublin city guide. I worked so hard on that post and it was a rewarding feeling to know I was helping travelers. I feel like Rick Steves would be proud of me!
Side Hustle
Before I end this post, I also want to add that we’ve been busy this year starting up a lawn care business. It’s called, MTR Lawn Care and got the name by using the first letters in Meshach and Tristan’s name along with R for Ramnath.
I thought for sure we’d be going on a trip to Lisbon or Prague for spring or summer break, but we invested that money into equipment and marketing materials so no Europe trip this year.
For the last couple of years, Meshach has always wanted to do lawn care as a side gig to make extra money. It not only could fund our travels, but also set us up for the future when we retire early and he can run it full-time.
As for me, hopefully I will be globetrotting somewhere and writing about it when I return home.
Do you ever get caught up comparing yourself to what others are doing on social media and feel a lack of motivation from it? Also, how often are you able to travel during the year?
Comment below and share this post!
P.S. I just noticed my headings all resemble song titles LOL
Sign up for our FREE newsletters and get inspirational stories, travel tips, giveaways and more great content delivered to your inbox!
