I've always had a problem with travel blogging. Let me start by saying that I think there are some very informational blogs and blog posts online. Some are digital Lonely Planet blogs, sharing the best restaurants, hostels, cheap activities, and hidden gems a particular place or town has to offer. Others share the do's and dont's of a particular area or country.
Still others share the passion for travel; living out of a backpack and exploring the world. Although this is fine and dandy, there is a nagging voice in the back of my head screaming "PRIVILEGE!". I know my passport can take me (almost) anyhwere in the world, my US dollar will (almost) always back me up when in a pinch, and that I can travel between borders with little turbulence. I understand that power. It irritates me.
Some articles really stick with me, especially the posts that discuss privilege, the lack of passport power of other travelers, and the facade of instagram and facebook blog/picture posts. I enjoy hearing about the stolen wallets, the dirty clothes, and the nearest bathroom being 100 kilometers away. I do not take pleasure in these but rather enjoy experiencing a different side of travel, the not so glamorous side. I want honesty. I want truth. I do not need to see your pictures of Chichen Itza or any other wonders (I've taken some myself).
But what bothers me is still the same. For the most part, I know that many of these articles I enjoy and connect with are written in order to make a profit, win another blogging website gig, or to get free tickets to the next destination. Maybe the posts are genuine, but knowing that it is going towards the perpetuation of similar posts to make another buck doesn't sit well with me.
When I first began traveling, I jumped on the bandwagon. I created a wordpress blog in the hopes of landing a gig and getting travel paid for. It is a very large and prosperous industry. It thrives on your insecurities. Not only that, it preys on your stuckness, your stagnation, your FOMO (fear of missing out).
All I want anymore is to print and frame one of the thousands of picture I take that truly resonates with me, that brings back the emotion of the moment, that takes me back.
Does anyone else feel this way?