Bloggers Who Glamorize Their Lifestyle

I got an email from freelance writer and editor Elisa Doucette (sweet name!) this morning about a writing project she is working on. One question got me thinking:

Do you feel like aspects of the lifestyle are glamorized?

I feel like it’s the opposite. I mean… people come back from trips abroad and write posts like, “it’s not all it’s cracked up to be… I had a hard time finding internet!”

It reminds me of that Louis CK bit “everything is amazing and nobody is happy.” Like: yeah traveling the world, working from anywhere, and not having a job was glamorized by bloggers because you had a hard time finding internet?

My background is from small business America. Before that, I had a gig at a fortune 500 company. My first hand experience is that most Americans work their asses off (God bless them!).

I spent 50 hours a week at my desk. I primarily interacted with people who felt compelled to push around spreadsheets to pay mortgages.

Call it noble if you want– it’s not my bag.

I spent 2 hours a day in my car. I struggled to pay for all my bills. I felt guilty as hell when I took a week off. I never got to leave my country.

Contrast that with the lifestyle of the location independent freelancer or entrepreneur.

Just being able to see another country for more than 2 weeks is something so amazing to me that I’m not sure I have the writing chops to properly glamorize it.

How can you glamorize deciding your own future? Traveling anywhere you want? Waking up without an alarm clock?

I couldn’t be more thankful I’ve had the good fortune to enjoy this type of living.

So I'm staring at this map all morning like a dummy...

I’m spending the morning staring at this map. I need to go somewhere for a visa run. I still haven’t decided.

I used to dream that this kind of thing was possible.

I wish I could send a note to my 22 year old self. It would start “don’t worry….”

I’m going to go book a flight… any ideas?! :)

Cheers,
Dan
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