This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you buy or book through one of these links, I may earn a small commission .
It’s true. I just left my full-time tax accounting job to be (drumroll please) … a travel blogger. I’ve abandoned the comfort and security that comes from a nice salary and benefits for the unknowns of an internet business.
What have I done??
Quitting My Full Time Tax Job for Travel Blogging
The imposter syndrome is real
So here’s the thing: I’ve wanted to go all-in on my travel blog for a long time. Aaron and I have had many discussions about this, and have done plenty of planning and budgeting.
He could always tell how passionate I was, taking the time to learn the ins and outs of the industry, and spending many hours after work writing blog posts and editing photos.
That said, I’m having some major imposter syndrome. Who do I think I am to do this? Aren’t I really a CPA, meant to sit in an office crunching numbers late into the evening?
Aren’t there already other great travel bloggers out there? Traveling more and further, taking better photos, already having written hundreds more blog posts than me?
I’m so excited though!
If you look at this on paper, yes. I have worked in accounting for eight years. And of course many people have traveled more than I. Like, I’ve been leaving town solely on PTO time these past few years. Kind of hard to see the whole world in 26 days!
However, on paper, I’ve also been blogging for three years. In that same period, this blog has grown and I’ve grown. My photos and writing have improved, I’ve traveled more, and I’ve honed in on what I truly value.
I’ve honestly fallen in love with all that blogging entails. I’ve always put itineraries and budgets together for myself. The fact that they now help other people plan their trips, not to mention make me a little money, is simply amazing!
I’ve also always been a big picture taker during trips, but had more photos than I knew what to do with. Now I have a home for them on my blog and Instagram, but alas, somehow still have even more photos than places to put them…
Finally, having a business is something that has always interested me. Over the years I’ve floated things to my husband like having a bridal shop, or something else of the brick-and-mortar variety. I honestly think he is very happy I landed on blogging before I went and started filling our house with inventory!
It is a huge transition
This is indeed a big change, but is it odd that it actually feels really natural? Today is my second business day after leaving my job, and I thought I’d be more freaked out to not be gainfully employed anymore. After all, I’ve basically been working for somebody since I graduated high school.
I think one of the reasons the transition doesn’t feel too weird is that I’ve been working from home for the past year. Thanks to the pandemic, I haven’t been in the office to work since last spring. I think it would feel much stranger if just now I was suddenly transitioning from being in the office all day to working from home full time.
Another thing – it’s not like Fueled By Wanderlust is new. Like I said, I’ve been working on it for over three years. After I left my job, the blog was just sitting here patiently waiting for me to start working on it. Especially since recently I haven’t been giving it the love it needs under the stress of these past few months.
But I’m ready for the challenge
I’m honestly so excited about this change! I’ve never been able to put the time into Fueled By Wanderlust that I’ve wanted to. At the end of the day, I am extremely passionate about this blog. That passion is what I am going to lean on when times get hard, and doubt inevitably sets in.
Obviously, I expect that every day won’t feel like a dream. I’m sure there may be people out there who think I’m going to be spending my days lounging. I’ve already had a person or two suggest that would be the case (though most people have been incredibly supportive 😊).
Travel blogging will come with plenty of new challenges. Here are just a few:
- Navigating travel by myself vs. with Aaron and using his limited vacation time
- Facing fears like visiting new countries and traveling alone
- Continuing to put my work out there and show up even when things get hard. I feel like it’s much easier to slack when it’s just you you’re letting down, and not another person, like a boss or coworker.
Nothing worth having in this life comes easy though, travel blogging included. Thankfully, I have amazing people in my life who help me keep believing in myself when things get hard.
• • •
Ultimately, I am ready for this new chapter and to take on these new challenges and opportunities. Finally, I feel like I am living life on my own terms, and I just want to embrace this new self-employed life and see where it takes me!
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this below. Is leaving your job to start a business something you’ve ever thought of doing?
Congratulations! The risks we regret are the ones we don’t take, as they say… and I’m a huge fan of following your heart and gut where it leads. (Which means I need to take my own advice more often, come to think of it.)
I look forward to following along on this new phase of your life journey!
Thanks so much Leslie! Totally agree! 🙂