Let me try to break it for you...
Slow travel has become a popular trend these days, which is good. But we all know that it is still something far away from easy to be understood by the common people. So let me try to break it down for you, and make you understand what exactly slow travel is all about.
So how do you define slow travel?
Slow travel, or slow living, is a choice not only of time but also of money. By travelling “slowly” you have the opportunity to be very conscious of your choices, which means you can really enjoy your trip and choose to spend on things that really make a difference instead of being caught up in the rat race.
It is taking a slow approach to things and it is all about enjoying new experiences more fully, appreciating the local culture and surroundings, and getting to know the people of the place you travel to rather than just ticking off places on a checklist.
This may not be for everyone, some prefer to have a home and be comfortable, but if you like to immerse yourself in the culture and explore, this might be a lifestyle you want to create.
What we do hear a lot is “travel the world as a content creator”, but the truth is it can be an exhausting job, constantly needing to think of new and creative ways of conveying a message. When your only way to make an income is with the places you visit and deliverables, you lose this passion and cultural immersion is less possible. It becomes simply creating content for marketing to ego-boosting content purposes.
On the other hand, if you find different ways to earn an income and travel at your own pace, every step of the way. This is where true freedom is. To be able to pay for yourself and have no deliverables. Enjoy the comfort of knowing you’re not being rushed from place to place or having to make someone else happy or dictate what is to be created.
It is taking a slow approach to things and it is all about enjoying new experiences more fully, appreciating the local culture and surroundings, and getting to know the people of the place you travel to rather than just ticking off places on a checklist.
How do I maintain that lifestyle?
I don’t like to put labels on things because so many things can define a person, but I guess it does help visualize them. After my first solo trip at 19 years old, I tried many things from remote work to find jobs in places I visited. There are so many ways to make it possible, the only thing you need is to find a good fit for you.
For example, I have met people that creates erotic videos online, app developers, photographers, financial and data analysts and poker players to name a few.
As for me, I’m a branding designer and in my free time, a content creator that focuses on the unique, slower life of travelling and living in different cultures with the goal to document stories about our environment. So what is the key? Diversification of your time and income!
4 ways I can make slow travel sustainable
- Main income: Branding Designer: Most of my income comes from this sector. From logo designs, pitch decks, brand identity and strategies, this is where I have positioned myself as an expert. Most of my clients come from the United States and Canada because the pay is often higher and it is much easier for tax purposes.
- Free time income: Branded Photography and videos: Whenever I’m back in Canada, I have a few contracts with my network and I can make an additional income with this skill, which is really fun and nice to have. Although, when I travel, it is not something I could to full-time because of the reasons I have mentioned before.
- Passive income: Ionizer machines to replace chemical and plastic usage: Passive income is something I want to work more into to leverage the power of compound and work smart and not harder. As of now, I have set up a small side business that allows me to get a few thousand every year without doing much. To read more about it, click here.
- Work trade with accommodations: Monthly fees paid with branded content for marketing: This one is with the same skills as number 2, but something I enjoy doing is researching accommodations I want to live in and that seems to be a good environment to work and base myself for a few months. Then, I simply send a message with a few work references and propose to them a marketing package in exchange for a monthly stay.
Alright, that is it for now. I hope you learned something new today and that this concept is more clear to you. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me.
I believe the main point of this blog post is:
Separate what is income activities and your passion projects is the key to maintaining balance. For example, for myself, I enjoy documenting or meeting local people in remote places and the reality is those people often don’t have the money to pay for your services, instead, you are in the position to help them. Everything is not about getting the most out of people or self-benefits but giving without expectations. What you will notice is inside, you become way richer.
Bea xx
