Why I’m taking a break from travel.

Do you ever just sit and scroll endlessly through multiple social media platforms, gawping at photos of sandy beaches and sunsets from atop mountain ranges?

Or do you ever feel green with envy that folks are able to whip up several blog posts in the time it takes you to brew a coffee?

Welcome to the club!!!

I often feel deflated at the fact that I can’t quite measure up to the success of others I see on the daily.

Beating myself up about how I’ll never be as good a writer or photographer. Wasting copious amounts of time pining over the fact that I can’t travel full time or even afford a weekend break – then suddenly this got me thinking about my behaviours not just as a traveller but as a blogger too.

The internet has brought much richness to my life, such as the ability to connect with people all around the world, to access an endless supply of information at the click of a mouse and of course to share my own corner of the internet through blogging; but from time to time the negativities of social media also rears its ugly head and in enters jealousy and competition.

To some my life may look pretty exciting, but like many of us this simply isn’t the case and we’re all at least a little bit guilty of highlighting only our best moments.

Aren’t we all guilty of sharing only our highlights?

This is why I wanted to write this post and challenge this mentality.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love the travel blogging community, the talent and creativity out there is unbelievable but at the same time I must pause and ask…

When did figures become such a thing?
Or why is it that all I’m seeing are sales pitches lately? When did this become more important than genuine engagement?

How many of you reading this are absolutely bamboozled with the thought of figuring out how social media marketing even works, or setting up a SEO plan?… jeez, how many of us even struggle to find just the motivation to create, pin and even write blog content?
I know I certainly do, daily.

I’d reached a point where all the joy of writing was being sucked out of me – because I was worried about how well ‘liked’ my content would be, or whether it would grab the attention of some fancy company, then stressing about trying to come up with edgy unique content.

Whilst in Slovenia I took a moment to ask myself whether I was actually there to enjoy the city or just to take photos for the Gram.
The fact I even had to ask myself this question said it all.
Travel and the community was becoming a chore.
It changed me.

I think in one way or another we’ve all been a little guilty of this, which is why I think it’s important to stop and ask ourselves just how honest are we about our travel and blogging motives?

Taking a moment to reflect.

So why am I taking a break from travel?

The simple answer – To get back to my roots.

To go back to a time when I found writing enjoyable and adapt a much healthier and creative approach to my work.
To stray away from the negative influences of online jealousy, competition and most importantly comparison.

Instead I plan to focus my efforts other aspects of my life, like honing in on other skills and interests such as art, languages and photography to name a few.

Secondly to branch out in other topics on my blog and add a ‘Journal’ section, to include other thoughts.

To take a Staycation.
Having spent so much time and energy trying to get away from the UK, I’ve realised I’ve taken for granted and neglected so much about where I’m from.
This year I want to dive into more UK based learning and exploration.

So what other factors have influenced this decision?

Money

I’m broke…. like all the time and haven’t spent wisely. Choosing travel over rent. Not a good idea.

This time around I’ve decided to put away a decently substantial amount of savings over the next few years (or to the best of my ability) for a more long term venture in the future.

Like most of us here, I too dream of being able to pack up and travel for a year, or even longer, however at the same time, I’ve decided not to make money be the primary focus. So I felt that this was the right time to cut down my work hours and use this to benefit my mental health.

Lastly to focus on other hobbies which cost little to no money such as going to the gym and painting.

Unhealthy Competition

To break the cycle of comparing my life to others and getting so caught up in the depression it brought along with it.
I no longer wanted to be in competition but instead support and encourage others to follow what they love.

To remember that numbers aren’t everything and isn’t the be all and end all.

To focus more on content

This year I want to actually take a step back and add more love to my blog, to steer away from the ‘5 Best things to do in Slovenia’ but instead actually approach my blog with a more personal perspective from real experiences.

Of course I didn’t tick off everything on my Ljubljana bucketlist but that doesn’t make what I have to say any less credible.

I find that some bloggers forget this.

So yes, this year is all about focusing on reigniting that that spark within my content, figure out my style. Write from present, past and eventually future experiences.

Incorporate new angles and ideas.

Stressing less about how much or how often I post content and remember that quality over quantity is what matters.

Be more in the moment

When I first started blogging I would be eager to write down as many notes as possible in said place, therefore writing a post within a few days or even the same day.

Then soon enough I began realise I couldn’t remember much… as I was too focused on taking just photographs, rather than actually taking the time to just ‘be in the moment’, fast forward a week (who am I kidding, more like 4 months) and here I am still staring at a blank page when recollecting my thoughts

In future, I will limit the use of technology, enjoying the time spent in a location, maybe write down a few notes.
If I’m feeling particularly creative with the camera, then I plan to only take a select few photos, if any.

Be. More. Present

True vs. false expectations

As much as I love social media, Instagram it the absolute worst.
The overly edited, over saturated photos I see repeatedly throughout my feed.

Content Aggregators who gather and regurgitate other people’s content purely for the sake of followers and likes, many of which do not credit the original owners and their work.

Photos which have been altered to the point they are unrecognisable, therefore leaving us with unrealistic expectations, only to be disappointed when visiting these places for real.

I’m not against a little tweaking here or there, cropping, brightening etc…. but let’s keep it real, keep it ORGANIC.

Lastly….

Reflect
To learn to appreciate the opportunities which have presented themselves and be grateful for the opportunities to be able to travel.

This isn’t a post on why I plan to quit travel… I will again – but why I plan to take a step back for now and focus on creating and getting back to my roots and focusing on my blog with a renewed sense of fun and passion.

Why I began this adventure to begin with.