Selling travel experiences. :D - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**freespiritz** · 04-29-2007, 02:28 PM

Just wanted to share - travel doesn't always have to be a cash drain, although it often is!

I made my first money off travel this past month. I sold two 12 x 16 photos of China for 50 bucks a pop (pure profit, since I didn't pay for printing and framing!) and also donated two to a charity auction and I think they went for about 30 each. And two days ago I got an email saying that a travelogue I submitted is going to be published in STA's newsletter, and they're giving me a US 100 travel voucher for that, which will go towards my next plane ticket. :D It was a nice surprise because I'd forgotten about it - I'd sent it in a few months ago.

Anyway, just wanted to encourage those of you who might be aspiring travel writers/photographers (I need the encouragement myself).

Just be genuine about wanting to share your moments with the rest of the world, and good luck!

**Fedfe** · 04-29-2007, 02:58 PM

good point, i'm definitely going to do some writing about my next trip, wherever that happens to be.. Finding a job or a way to make money by traveling is pretty key.

**DC_Jessica** · 04-29-2007, 04:16 PM

Which story? Was it the toilet-yak one??

Congrats and thanks for the tip!!

**travelpunk** · 04-29-2007, 04:37 PM

Excellent job, Hwei

!

**LiveFreeorDie** · 04-29-2007, 06:44 PM

Sweet! Congrats!

**TheJake** · 04-29-2007, 11:04 PM

that's so awesome! Good job chica!

Keep on rocking the jamaica action!

**worldwidemike** · 04-30-2007, 08:18 AM

Yeah, I suck at getting out there and trying to be published...

Way to go, Hwei!

worldwidemike

**omisan** · 04-30-2007, 08:27 PM

Nice!

Yeah, I've had one of my photos licensed for use in the intro to some TV show I've yet to hear of ever again. My writing & my blog have attracted the attention of a couple of reporters in the past..

The key is to get your stuff out there! If you've got a travel journal, sanitize it for the public and throw it up on a blog. If you've got great photos, throw 'em up on the web. Tag 'em. Keyword 'em. Make sure people find them on searches - that is, if you don't want to lose your anonymity. It's amazing how many people out there are actually interested in your stuff.

**freespiritz** · 05-01-2007, 05:06 PM

Thanks guys.

I wrote about my visit to a monastery in Sichuan involving a van breakdown, altitude sickness and food poisoning in the himalayan foothills in a place with no bathrooms.

**patchouli Lover** · 05-01-2007, 06:06 PM

girl that is awesome news!!!! I hear all the time from people who want to travel that they wish they could turn it into a job, and I'm like "why the hell not?"

I know that eventually that I would love to write/shoot for and of the national geographic mags (A dream that might not come true, but it is fun to dream!!) or hell any travel mag. I want to combine travel with my future job.

When I start traveling here in a few months I plan to keep a travel journal (and hopefully a real website with a domain name and everything) while I'm out and about. Hopefully I can make it work. My biggest problem is I like to procrastinate and slack off!

So just curious where did you sell ur pics? I have a friend who sells her crochet on ebay. I think that is a killer idea.

Anyway congrats chick that is awesome!!!

**marc873** · 05-01-2007, 07:33 PM

Speaking of making money while traveling. Heres a question, if you were hanging in the common room of a hostel and there was someone giving shoulder massages for a very reasonable price, would you do it or not. That is a big part of how my wife and I are going to try to make it on the road for 2-3 years (we are both massage therapists). I know that I have gotten a massage laying on my beach towel on a beach in Italy.

SO, what do you think Tpunks?

**TheJake** · 05-02-2007, 03:47 AM

I think you'd have better luck on the beach than in the hostel... In fact I would bet money on that.

**marc873** · 05-02-2007, 04:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheJake

I think you'd have better luck on the beach than in the hostel... In fact I would bet money on that.

Yeah, we are planning on trying that in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Croatia. I have found some hostels in Oz that actually offer massage.

**buzzingtalk** · 05-02-2007, 05:42 AM

really depends on price. is it gonna be premium beach price or backpacker cheapside price?

**marc873** · 05-02-2007, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buzzingtalk

really depends on price. is it gonna be premium beach price or backpacker cheapside price?

Well in the hostels, it would be cheap of course. Gotta take care of the fellow traveler. So probably something like 5 euro for 15 minutes and the beach price would be 10 euro for 15. This is extremely cheap compared to what we make at home, but thats not really the point. The point is to make money while traveling and allow others that could really use a good massage after carrying there packs, get one. We have both been doing massage for over 7 years, so I have no doubts or concerns.

The beach price would very depending on the country etc...
Any other thoughts are appreciated.

**freespiritz** · 05-14-2007, 12:37 PM

Here's the article, for those who might be inclined to check it out.