Five Ways Blogging is Like Travelling

As I was travelling last week, I had little access to a computer. I thought we would have wireless in the room, but indeed, we did not. My internet access consisted of a once a day “fly-through” of email at 90 pesos an hour. Needless to say, my blogging mind continued to roll and I resorted to a little note-taking throughout the week.

One of the things I thought about was how similar blogging is to travelling. I’m sure there are further comparisons that can be made, but here are five:

You never know where you’ll end up.

I hate staying in one place, and when I’m travelling it’s no different. I guess it’s my ADD that demands a change of scenery. By the end of the week, I was pretty comfortable with the lay of the land and where things were. But at the start of the week, we got on a city bus and had no idea how far up we had to go, what the ride would be like or if we’d possibly miss the destination. In many ways, blogging is the same way. As I look back on almost two and a half years of posting my thoughts on the internet, I think about the early days. Did I ever think I’d be where I am today? Could I have planned my route through uncharted territories? As I compare, I wonder what I might have done differently if I knew the lay of the land beforehand. As another two and a half years unfold, where will blogging lead me? Will I see fame or fortune? Will I crash and burn and be another has-been? Will I miss the bus completely?

The people you meet are very different from you.

Indeed, Mexicans are not Americans. Their culture is different than ours. When driving out in “the jungle”, people lived in grass thatched huts in 110 degree heat with no air conditioning. Merchants claw for your business as your business could be what feeds their kids that day. The friends you make are from different cultures, enjoy rugby and drive on the wrong side of the road. Everyday, the world of blogging, though it grows in numbers, consolidates in nature. People become closer. New readers read your blog and become subscribers. Politics are different. Socieities are different. People are different.

Sometimes you need to connect to make your flight.

Ont he way to Mexico, we made a connection through Newark, New Jersey. We nearly missed our flight because the airline switched our gates and didn’t tell anyone. They didn’t even update the in-airport monitors. Flying back, we connected through Houston. Again, we nearly missed our flight due to long lines at Immigration, Customs and security. As a blogger, it is the rare case that you can get a direct flight from day one newbie to superstar. It often takes time and connections, forcing you to make pitstops and focus your attention in different areas building your profile along the way.

You may go on a business trip, a vacation or a State away in the car but in the end, you’re still travelling.

Travel is travel no matter what. You may simply get in a car and drive or you might board a trans-atlantic flight. You’re still travelling and you still have a destination. As a kid, I recall family camping trips to the Adirondack Mountains and constant nagging at my dad, “Dad, are we there yet?” In his overusing dumb jokes kind of way, he always responded, ” We’ll never be there, we’ll always be here.” Think about it. As bloggers, we all have our own definition of success. We always have an idea of where we’re going. With that in mind, we’ll never arrive because we always have to focus on the here and now. What is your profile today? What is your audience today? Where are you going today? The joy is in the journey.

“The Road Goes Ever, Ever On…”

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say. –J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

This plays directly into the above point. We are all connected by roads. If I so chose, I could get in my car and begin driving the roads. If I map it out and follow the roads, eventually I can arrive in Cancun. I’d rather fly, but regardless, we are all connected. As bloggers, there is a certain sense of “the six degrees of separation” that is very real. Sure, there are niches of blogging where groups of bloggers seem to coalesce around various topics. However, even between those niches, there is often times a road connecting each other.

So what about you? Are there comparisons you might make between travel and blogging? If so, I’d like to hear about them.

Tagged as: culture