I quit my job to travel the world. However, my job didn’t involve 70-hour work weeks, corporate credit cards, pantyhose, or pencil skirts. It was quite the opposite, in fact: I was sitting behind a desk working as an editor who commissioned people to write guidebooks. Until I realized I wanted to write them myself.
Working Nine to Five
In 2014, I landed my role as an iBestTravel Destination Editor thanks to a post I saw on LinkedIn. For four years, I oversaw all of the company’s editorial content for South America, and a large part of that role was selecting the best freelance writers to research our print and digital content on the ground. It was, by all accounts, a dream job that most wanderlusty media types would kill to have. I got to work in a quirky office with amazing people who ate, slept, and breathed travel – and there wasn’t a pantsuit in sight.
One of the misconceptions about this job was that as editors, we traveled to our regions often. However, the reality is that we entrusted our writers on the ground as the destination experts and only visited the areas we were responsible for on rare occasions, typically on fam trips funded by external sources. After a long stint focused on the background work, iBestTravel gave me the opportunity to conduct a research assignment to gain insight into what our writers experience. So when it was time for me to commission a destination update of Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, I pitched for the fabled archipelago myself – and it only took a handful of days on the ground for me to realize that this was the type of work I needed to do. A couple of weeks after I returned to the office from that trip, I handed in my resignation.
Swapping the Office for the Open Road
For my entire career, I dwelled behind the scenes as an editor. Being a writer – much less a travel writer – was never an aspiration. Moreover, it certainly wasn’t a profession that I envisioned as a possibility for someone like me. It always seemed like an inaccessible dream reserved exclusively for certain demographics, not a melanated millennial woman with a mountain of student loan debt, raised by a single black father who worked as a US public school teacher. As one of iBestTravel’s few in-house editors of color, I felt more useful contributing to a more diverse representation of travelers.
Guidebook research may seem like a weeks-long holiday in an exotic destination. However, the reality is that writers are working long hours in sometimes uncomfortable climates, interfacing with cultures that are drastically different from our own. Challenges such as transport issues, loneliness, language barriers, exhaustion, theft, and health setbacks can occur all too frequently. As a woman of color, the added obstacles of racism and sexual harassment complicate this experience.
The Reality of Life as a Travel Writer
Contrary to popular belief, I do not travel for free. With every destination commission, I receive a flat fee, a brief, and a deadline, which means I must determine how to allocate my time and resources effectively. While some travel writers may undertake sponsored trips, it is crucial to understand that iBestTravel guidebooks are 100% independently researched, and writers are not permitted to accept freebies as part of a strict policy of editorial independence. We plan and pay out of pocket for everything: visas, accommodations, flights, food, entry fees, and tours.
When researching, we must strike a balance of dedicating enough time to the destination while being discerning with spending, both in terms of time and money. Every dollar not spent remains in our pockets as compensation for our work. The methods by which writers manage their resources can differ significantly – some are fine with hostels, while others prefer more private accommodations or creature comforts. Time on the ground is finite, and every new experience is a gamble. When you are constantly in transit, the ‘dream’ can sometimes resemble a nightmare.
Living My Dream on My Own Terms
This is not the glorified vacation a lot of people think it is. Even so, it’s a job—albeit an absolutely beautiful one. It is a rare privilege to explore the globe, engage with locals, and immerse myself in authentic cultures. The solitary yet inherently social nature of this job juxtaposes nicely for an extroverted introvert like me. ‘Do it while you’re young,’ everyone says. And I do; I am single, childless, and in my mid-thirties. Generally, I do whatever I want, whenever I want, with whomever I want. I answer only to God, my editors, and the border patrol of whichever country I find myself in at any given time. And I definitely still wear leggings rather than a pantsuit.
