Christy Woodrow — relaxing here in Cabo, Mexico — is the full-time blogger behind Ordinary Traveler.
She tells INSIDER she made over six figures last year from blogging about traveling to places like the Cook Islands, pictured here.
She makes money through photo sales, sponsored posts, and paid projects with tourism boards, as well as her freelance writing. Here she is camping in California ...
... And kayaking off of Vancouver Island. While traveling the world for your job may sound fun, it took Woodrow awhile to get used to the lack of stability.
“When I was six months into pursuing my blog full-time, I was kind of a basket case,” she recalls to INSIDER. "I’ve learned that there will be months when I’m not going to make a lot of money and then sometimes I’ll make a ton of money."
Since then, she says she’s learned to let go and focus on her passion.
Though the money she earns comes in waves, it has forced her to learn to budget for the off-season.
Woodrow says if aspiring bloggers want to make this kind of money, they need to be passionate.
"A lot of the travel bloggers that are making pretty good money with their blogs went into it as a passion," she says. "It’s important to go into it with that mindset."
You also need to realize you’ll be working — a lot.
"The first few years I worked 80-hour weeks, and now I try to set certain hours where I work because it can be really consuming," she says. (It can't all be relaxing in the water, like she is here off the coast of Pinel Island in Saint Martin.)
But while balancing her job and free time can be a challenge, Woodrow says her amazing experiences make it worthwhile, whether it's camping in California or a solo trip to Cabo, Mexico (below).
"My best memories usually have to do with wildlife," she tells us. "I went snorkeling with humpback whales in Newfoundland, [which was] a really cool experience because there are only a few places in the world where you can do that."
She also loves puffins. "I first saw them on an Island in Scotland," she says. "I saw them again in Newfoundland where one of them flew over to us."
Woodrow says it’s best to go into a trip without expectations.
"Go into it with an open mind," Woodrow advises. "Whatever happens — delays or fights with your partner — it won’t always be awesome and perfect. Just take the experience as it comes."
You can see more of Christy Woodrow's travel tips and follow her adventures on her blog, Facebook, and Instagram.
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