Fotografo de Bodas, Santiago

December 12, 2010

Because Andi is starting her posts on Chile today, I thought it fitting that I write about something she and I discussed in depth while she was in Santiago on her short trip here — long term travel versus having a job. And why that versus even exists.

The travel world has been all up in a tizzy because of an article that Matt Kepnes wrote for the Huffington Post. He seems to imply that people who have “real” jobs are all unsatisfied with their lives. Matt is part of a contingent of bloggers who are traveling indefinitely, living off of money they make off of their blogs, or some other kind of job that keeps them on the road. A lot of them live very cheaply, couchsurfing their way around the world. Their way of life, put into words via blog posts, often seems to imply that those of us who travel in spurts, who have jobs and a home base, are somehow doing it wrong.

Andi and I chatted quite a bit about this. We both have careers that we control, that are flexible and allow us to make travel a huge part of our lives. But travel is not the only part of our lives. Andi is a world traveler and a Chinese Medicine Doctor. I am a wedding photographer and a world traveler (though not even close to the extent that Andi is!). Neither of us have any desire to escape our “chains,” and quit our jobs. We both love what we do.

To assume that anyone who has a job that keeps them in one place feels “tied down” is downright stilly.

Seba and I traveled through Europe for 2.5 months last year (if you want to read about that trip, go to Aug/Sept/Oct of 2009 in the archives, they’re on the sidebar). By the end of it, I’m going to say the thing that no real traveler is supposed to say — I was itching to get back to my job. For me personally, 2.5 months was too long to be away from my dogs. I enjoyed the aspect of meeting people via Couchsurfing, but I didn’t enjoy sleeping on floors and couches and using other people’s stuff. It was too much for my germaphobic nature to handle. If I were to travel long-term with no breaks, the way the RTW travelers do, in order for me to get maximum enjoyment out of it, I’d need to photograph a wedding in most of the countries we visited and to travel, not necessarily in luxury, but in privacy, at the very least. Call me spoiled, but I think my hostel and couchsurfing days are over. I highly dislike the idea that’s put out on so many travel blogs, that if you don’t want a life as a perpetual nomad, you’re not a real traveler.

Once we got back from that trip to Europe, we focused on getting our business going, since we had quit our jobs after I got ran over. We were now full time wedding photographers. Having a real job hasn’t diminished our love for travel in any way. In fact, I’d say, I enjoy traveling even more when I am going off somewhere cool to go meet an amazing couple and take pretty pictures of them on one of the most important days of their lives. Yes, we have to stay in one place for a few months at a time during wedding season in Chile, but I like that. It’s a nice break from being on the road, we still get to meet just as many cool people here as we could be meeting anywhere else in the world, and then when we go back out, we appreciate the excitement of being in a new place even more. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Since we started working more, we’ve started traveling more too. We’ve been to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to photograph a wedding at the Alvear Palace, one of the most beautiful venues I’ve ever seen. We traveled to the south of Chile to do a wedding on a remote island called Voigue off of the main island of Chiloe and camp alongside the bride and groom and their guests, where we also got to witness one of the coolest cultural Chilean traditions I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing — the curanto.

We’ve also been able to travel all over the U.S. to lots of places we’d never been. We’ve taken pictures of wedding ceremonies in Manhattan and Brooklyn and Long Island and shot engagement sessions at the Highline Park. We got to go to San Francisco for work and pleasure.

Spain, for work and play, was incredible too. So was the free trip down the Peruvian Amazon in a luxury boat. We recently roadtripped in Florida and Michigan.

Almost all those trips have in some way involved our “real” job. We don’t feel chained down by it. Quite the opposite. Our job has allowed us to travel places and connect with people that we probably never would have been able to under normal circumstances.

I think I can speak for Andi, when I say that we’re both fulfilled by our jobs. We don’t feel the need to quit and up and leave them. You can be fulfilled by both travel and your work. It doesn’t have to be one or the other. That’s all I’m saying, people.

PS. If you’re coming from Andi’s blog and don’t care about wedding photography or posts about life as an expat in Chile, simply go to the sidebar and choose Travel from the drop down categories menus.

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17 Comments

this post brings up lots of interesting points. 1) since when has travel become a competition? just saying you’ve stopped into a country doesn’t mean you are some sort of expert on the country- people who jump from place to place seem to be + interested in checking a country off of a list than actually getting to know it 2) when i travel i like to travel – i would say many people feel that way – when you are working, you’re not really traveling in the same way (my boss, my old boss, one of my best friends, etc get to travel all over the world for work BUT it’s always with a deadline and a to do list, not the same as just going) 3) agree whole-heartedly with you re: youth hostels and couch surfing (the idea of which i am practically allergic to) – there’s a time and place to troll around on some stranger’s couch – it’s called pre-25 years of age. or in my case, never i can’t imagine something less relaxing than having the small talk chit chat w/total strangers and then having a sleepless night on their couch. 4) that said i generally think it’s really cool if you want to couch surf or blog to travel – i think that’s awesome & i may just read your blog – it’s just not for everyone. 5) if i could do an awesome job ANDtravel (in the real sense of travel i.e. actually have time for myself) regularly, then please sign me up. i think those jobs are few and far between and while traveling around on a dime and writing about it might seem cool for some, i can’t imagine having that as a career. as you point out, you have to love your job – not everyone would love blogging. and lots of jobs can’t be done just anywhere. try being a traveling defense attorney. or engineer. are those job uncool? maybe to some. and to finish – there’s the obvious point that the world wouldn’t function if everyone was a travel writer. we need banks to put our money in and bridges to drive across and trash men to take out the trash and doctors for the sick and social workers to help those who are being unfairly evicted from their housing…this guy’s self-important article was a little shocking from someone who touts himself to be such an all-knowing world traveler. i think he’s a d-bag.

Comment by KM — December 13, 2010 @ 6:41 am

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I agree, Katina, I think travel became a competition when travel blogs became hot.

Though I guess for me working/traveling is a little different than for most people. I do enjoy still enjoy the travel while I’m working though, yes, sometimes we don’t have much time to get out and see the sights. But for the most part we try to plan our trips in a way so that we have some fun time too.

And that’s what I’m saying. I don’t think that being a lawyer or a doctor or a career that “chains” you to one place is uncool, and assuming that all people in those professions are miserable is a little far-reaching if you ask me. That’s what I strongly disliked about the article. Some people actually get fulfillment out of their jobs and don’t need to travel 24/7 in order to be happy.

Comment by Kyle — December 13, 2010 @ 6:47 am

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“That’s what I strongly disliked about the article. Some people actually get fulfillment out of their jobs and don’t need to travel 24/7 in order to be happy.” — Agreed! It seems quite silly to generalize that way, to suggest that living a low-key life is inferior and that those who do it are inferior souls. The idea of being chained to jobs is compelling, but I can’t help feeling like Kepnes illustrates but then misses his main point, which has to do with the sort of poverty that I think really took effect post-WWII in this country… it’s like, there is such an incredible emphasis on having *stuff*, and it’s one that’s extremely hard to reject. I’m having trouble articulating this, but it seems like there’s certain stuff (appliances and power to run said appliances), and it all costs money, and because of that there isn’t really such a thing as comfortable or at least livable poverty — it quickly becomes abject. Does this make any sense at all? I think this guy’s post is presumptive toward a lot of people, not just those who lead fulfilling lives that merge travel and work but also the many, many people who are trapped in a poverty that they really did not get to choose.

Anyway, it’s hard to talk about this in such a little space, but I hope you’ll do some further posts in this vein… I’d be really interested in a life-in-Chile post on this topic, related specifically to Chileans and work. Is that something you might be willing to do?

Comment by Carrie — December 13, 2010 @ 7:12 am

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That’s another really good point, Carrie, that I never even thought about. It is really presumptive towards those who don’t have the discretionary income, or (even enough non-discretionary) income for travel.

I could definitely write a post on Chileans and work and travel, or lack thereof. I think I’ll start with why even rich Chileans choose not to have destination weddings

Comment by Kyle — December 13, 2010 @ 8:05 am

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It is hard to believe but not all people like to travel. I work as an engineer in an office and I work with people that hate to get out of theier homes. We can save up travel rewards from the small field trips we take and their rewards expire!!! So I guess that what upsets me is that we all get so close minded with how is the “correct” way to do things. People become very extremist with what they believe is correct. The guy w the blog and the ones that just want to be home. We just have to accept it as different instead of wrong.

I can’t do couchsurfing either. I don’t trust people and I’m very picky with a clean bathroom. I like to meet locals and having so many Colombians that left the country makes it easier to at least have a friend of a friend everywhere I go. At least to ask which is the best restaurant in town.
I have a hard time managing my time off. I have never had a day denied but I only have 16 days of personal time. I don’t get sick. If I’m sick I still come to work. If I don’t have enough vacation I get non-paid time off… There are ways to work around it. Some of my coworkers make comments Like “you are leaving AGAIN??” and I just say “yes I am”. As long as my boss authorizes my time off they should not care. I do have a lot of work before and after I go. And I can’t take more than 2-3 weeks at the time. I can’t let them get used to work wo me Bc I will lose my job. But I usually don’t want to be gone 3 months. I would love to travel more and if I had more days I would probably use them but I’m ok now: I can save enough for traveling AND shopping. I

Comment by Catalina — December 13, 2010 @ 8:38 am

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As you know from our conversation that night, I fully agree. I will be the first to admit that I would love to travel more than I currently do, and I think that’s a realistic goal in the same way that having a higher salary in the future is a realistic goal. For me, I’d like to make it a priority to include flexibility and additional vacation time in future promotion/raise negotiations. But I wouldn’t like to be on the road all the time, and I don’t think I’d like to work by myself either. The kinds of things that interest me are things where, right now at least, I get a lot of out going to an office with coworkers who challenge me and teach me new things. I may not wake up jumping for joy every single morning, but overall I like my job.

And I know myself well enough to know that I like my dog and my home and yes, even my stuff (gasp!) and after a while on the road, no matter how much fun I’m having, I look forward to coming home and being in my familiar surroundings while processing what I’ve just seen and done in another place. That’s part of the enjoyment for me too, that moment of coming home and telling people about it and looking at the pictures and through that getting to to sort out how I feel about where I went.

Comment by Emily — December 13, 2010 @ 9:13 am

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I totally agree with you on this one. Finding balance, achieving goals and having fun is what its all about. There are so many different ways to get where you want to go. I find that many people play the role of the extremist to often – either quit and travel indefinitely or focus on career at all costs. But then again, who am I to question their views!

Comment by Cam — December 13, 2010 @ 10:56 am

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Based on many of the travel blogs out there today, if there is another way to fund your travels besides selling ebooks to/designing headers for other travel bloggers I haven’t seen much of it. I’ve seen so many posts lately that just *assume* everyone’s doing the cookbook, save up and live below your means, quit your corporate job, and backpack around the world. It definitely makes for an interesting blog, and I don’t want to sound like I’m dissing them – I love many of those travel blogs (and bloggers). I actually wrote a post about this a long time ago: RTW Reservations about why I had trouble with the idea. I also try to remember that there are millions of other people out there living happy lives not funded by travel blogs – we just aren’t reading about them as much because they aren’t bloggers!

Kyle, I have great admiration for how you’ve (like Andi) built your life around things you enjoy. Maybe you don’t “fit in” with the RTW blogger mold, but that means you’re out there doing something that not everyone can! I fit in somewhere in between – I am working a job that’s not my passion and doesn’t have the flexibility that I need. As tempting as it is to drop everything and travel the world, I would rather take that year (or whatever) and focus on building a life that gives me that flexibility.

Anyway, sorry for the book; great post!

Comment by Laura — December 13, 2010 @ 11:14 am

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I think there is a movie where they describe travelling through europe as a competition because it’s who stayed where for the cheapest and who had the craziest adventure.

Of course, I haven’t found a job that is my bliss (unless you count stay at home puppy-mom…which I can’t technically have as a job because I don’t have a puppy). But the work I was doing, I only got 4 weeks off a year which is a lot. But means that I had to strategically plan how I was going to get home to visit my family for that four weeks. It made me a little claustrophobic – how could I spend all those four weeks with my family AND go to vanuatu? The logistics can be challenging. But that doesn’t mean, I’m not living life the way I want to live it.

Comment by Deidre — December 13, 2010 @ 12:59 pm

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Great post topic! I can’t speak for other travellers or travel bloggers, but to me, ANY type of travel is “real” travel. How can it be any other way? My husband and I are a little different as well in that we’ve been almost forced into most of our recent round the world travel due to our being an international couple (I’m American, he’s Aussie). Our reason for our last RTW was to get 12 months living together for a partner visa for me in Australia – because I couldn’t just stay in Oz that long on a tourist visa. Before that, he was working (as an engineer, not a job you can do from the road) and travelling long-term in between. I had never been a long-term traveller, only doing trips of two to three weeks at a time, never staying in hostels. When I met my husband in a hostel, it was the first time I’d stayed in one! We’re heading off travelling again for a year, but then plan to go back to work in a new region. We’ll be expats then, only getting away for short trips once again.

It think one of the reasons that so many RTW travel bloggers talk about “escaping” from the corporate world is the larger issue of not doing something you love and are passionate about for work in the first place. You and Andi have jobs that fulfill your dreams and passions from the sounds of it. I don’t know if you just got lucky or if you took a lot of time and care to be sure to follow your hearts in the right directions. Not everyone does that – it’s sad! A lot of people fall into careers, or do what their parents wanted them to do for work (I meet lots of ex-lawyers and people who went to business school who fit this category). They never stopped to think about what would really make them happy in life. Then one day something major happens or they take a sabbatical and everything changes for them. I think if more people really sat with themselves and found a career path that was fulfilling, not just one that they think will make them rich, there would be fewer people needing to “escape” from their jobs.

I think that kids start university too soon after high school in the US. They would do themselves more justice if they travelled then, while they were young, and took some time to self-reflect and learn about themselves before spending thousands of dollars on educating themselves in the wrong direction. Europeans have a better mindset – many use their 20s for travel and self-development and start their careers later. Perhaps if more people did that, we wouldn’t have so many corporate drop-outs.

Comment by Andrea — December 13, 2010 @ 3:36 pm

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Travel is fun. I’ve traveled a lot and I enjoy it. But I resent the fact that someone would make it seem like those who don’t travel are unsatisified with their lives. I don’t think that everyone can travel 100% of the time nor do I think that there exists a perfect work/life balance that allows people the time and resources to travel when they want. Many people don’t travel because of money, children, health issues, etc. Does that mean that they are boring? Hardly. In fact, some of the coolest people I know are not as well traveled as the competitive country-hoppers I would share hostels with when I traveled.

Comment by Sara — December 13, 2010 @ 4:27 pm

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Cata, yes, as much as it is shocking to me, some people simply don’t like to travel. Even some people in my family! It shocks me that my brother, who is 100% my brother from the same mom and same dad, doesn’t really care for traveling. Well I don’t think he dislikes it, but it’s not a priority for him and he’s not missing out on anything in his life because he doesn’t go all over the world. Which is fine. Like you said, we just have to accept that.

Emily, you and my mom were exactly the two people I was thinking of when I said not all who have jobs feel like they’re chained. Both you and her get enjoyment out of your work and the people you work with and is it perfect all the time? No. Of course not. Neither is being self-employed.

Cam, I think human nature is to be extreme. We find something that we want, or think we want, and we zero in on it.

Laura, fabulous post. Anybody reading my blog post should go and read Laura’s as well!

Deidre, when are you getting a puppy? And can you post photos of the process? I want to see all the furbabies in the running!

Andrea, definitely, I wish it was customary for kids in the U.S. to travel more. That being said, I don’t think I was mature enough for a major trip right out of high school. I probably would’ve done something stupid like gone into major credit card debt to finance it. And yeah, I agree with you completely. Any kind of travel is real.

Comment by kyle — December 13, 2010 @ 10:34 pm

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Also, thank you so much everyone for your very insightful comments. This has been a really interesting discussion to follow!

Comment by kyle — December 13, 2010 @ 10:39 pm

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Dear Kyle & Andi,
You ladies rock! It is amazing that you both have found jobs you love, which seems to be a rarity these days. I believe in the “Live and let live” mentality. If you want to have a 9-5 job, great; if you’d like to live out of a backpack the rest of your life, fantastic. I’m even willing to say if group tours with the woman waving the flag and shouting “Follow me please!” is your thing, (even if I find them downright annoying sometimes) well that’s just fabulous. People should travel how they want, when they want, and where they want. Each to their own And while I may encourage people to do something, such as go on a safari in Kenya or go snorkeling in Bali, it’s simply because I’m sharing with people what I have enjoyed so much- not because I think it’s for everyone and that everyone must do it. Okay, well sometimes I might insinuate that everyone must skydive at some point, but hey, I just get carried away sometimes . Nice post!

Comment by Laura — December 14, 2010 @ 5:48 am

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Haha, thank you Laura! I’m right there with you. Tours aren’t my thing, but hey, apparently they are some people’s thing since I see them around Santiago all the time, so more power to them. Live and let live!

Comment by Kyle — December 14, 2010 @ 12:12 pm

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this is pretty off-topic for your post, but i CAN’T BELIEVE you did an engagement session at Highline Park. That’s my dream-pre-wedding-photo-spot!! JEALOUS.

Comment by nikki — December 14, 2010 @ 8:27 pm

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We did two there Nikki, and it’s freaking GORGEOUS. The whole Meatpacking District is pretty awesome for photos with the cobblestone roads and everything. I love it!

Comment by Kyle — December 14, 2010 @ 8:29 pm

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