It felt like I had ages in between my final worldwide journey in March and my subsequent one in May – and but right here we’re, lower than 10 days away from that subsequent massive journey! 2023 is already flying.
The final couple months have been busier than anticipated, however general fairly nice when it comes to each journey and running a blog. I wrapped up a cool journey abroad, took a pair brief breaks inside the US, and am now planning to spend 8 entire weeks in Europe this summer season!
Before we dive into how insane my summer season is about to be, although, let’s first look again at March and April.
March and April: The months in journey
- Countries visited: 3 – Morocco, Portugal, USA
- States visited: 2 – Washington DC and North Carolina
- Flight taken (incl. connections): 7
- Days spent on the highway: 28
Travel highlights
Having a tremendous time in Morocco – I printed my final month-to-month replace after I was just some days into my 15-day tour round Morocco with Intrepid Travel. As anticipated, it was a tremendous tour full of historic websites and scrumptious meals. Highlights of this journey to Morocco included an in a single day within the Sahara, two nights within the Blue City of Chefchaouen, a day within the loopy souks of Fes, a enjoyable tagine cooking class, and many interactions with native households.
My buddy Ashely and I additionally had the BEST time. I actually do not assume I’ve ever laughed a lot with somebody on a visit, and we’re already planning one other journey collectively this summer season!
Exploring the Algarve in Portugal – After Morocco, I flew to Portugal for a brief go to, with the primary purpose being to discover the southern a part of the nation known as the Algarve. I primarily based myself within the city of Lagos for a couple of days, and had a good time exploring the cliff-top trails and golden seashores this a part of Portugal is understood for. (And I’ve a publish about Lagos coming quickly!)
Catching wisteria season in DC – I spent a quick weekend in Washington, DC in April. It was largely a private journey, however I squeezed in a day of sightseeing and staying at a swanky downtown resort, too, as a result of why not? Along with visiting some Smithsonian museums, I additionally lastly made it to the gorgeous gardens at Dumbarton Oaks on the tail finish of wisteria season!
Visiting the Kindred Spirit Mailbox in NC – Towards the tip of April, I took a fast journey right down to the Brunswick Islands in North Carolina in partnership with their tourism board. Along with exploring little seaside cities and consuming a number of good seafood, my favourite factor was a 3-mile seaside stroll out to the Kindred Spirit Mailbox on Bird Island. People from throughout write messages, notes, and confessions in journals and go away them inside this mailbox. It’s actually touching, and I’m glad I made the trek.
Travel lowlights
Feeling unwell in Lisbon – I’m nonetheless uncertain whether or not it was a bug or simply being rundown after 2 weeks of actually intense journey in Morocco, however I didn’t really feel nice throughout the couple days I spent in Lisbon, Portugal. I’d had plans of re-visiting some favourite spots within the metropolis and taking a day journey to Sintra, however as a substitute I largely stayed in my resort room. Thankfully, at the least, I felt a lot better after 2 days, simply in time to go to Lagos.
Train strikes in Portugal – Speaking of going to Lagos, I received caught up within the results of a practice strike (that are fairly frequent in Europe, to be honest). What ought to have been an inexpensive 4-hour practice journey with one change become a 3-hour practice journey adopted by a $75 Uber journey to get me all the way in which to Lagos. Oh nicely. Far worse issues may have occurred!
A rental automobile snafu – Lastly, I had a hilarious rental automobile expertise throughout my North Carolina journey. I’ll simply say this: do not ebook one of many “surprise” low-cost automobile offers on a rental reserving web site, as a result of even when the outline makes it sound such as you’re renting a small financial system automobile, you would possibly really arrive to be informed that the one car out there is an enormous 4-door Dodge Ram pickup truck. Could I’ve pushed it? Maybe. But I had a gentle panic assault inside it within the lot, and opted to cancel the reservation and go hire one thing smaller from one other firm – thank goodness they’d vehicles out there! Lesson discovered.
March and April on the weblog(s)
While I all the time anticipate site visitors to drop barely round Spring Break in March, it often begins rising once more quickly after as individuals begin to plan their summer season travels. This 12 months, nonetheless, that does not look like occurring. I feel it is a mixture of a Google algorithm replace, financial considerations, and the truth that a variety of locations are simply already booked up this summer season.
My April site visitors ended a lot decrease than I anticipated, however what are you able to do? That’s the way it goes with journey running a blog generally. I did at the least get on a roll with publishing new content material within the final couple of months!
A Dangerous Business site visitors: 149,429 distinctive guests and 203,225 pageviews in March, and 124,018 distinctive guests and 172,658 pageviews in April
Most fashionable publish: Olympic National Park in Winter: Things to Do + Tips for Visiting – This publish will not be tremendous related for planning journeys till subsequent winter, however I do assume it is helpful! Olympic National Park is nice within the winter.
Other posts printed:
I additionally up to date a couple of older posts, together with my always-popular publish about how I earn cash as a journey blogger.
My Cleveland area of interest web site, then again, appears to have gotten by the Google updates unscathed, and site visitors has stayed fairly regular there.
Cleveland Traveler site visitors: 43,411 distinctive guests and 57,491 pageviews in March; and 48,904 distinctive guests and 66,973 pageviews in April
If you need to see what I’ve been as much as on Cleveland Traveler currently, go to the positioning right here.
March and April on social media
My purpose of spending much less time creating social content material and extra time writing weblog posts has been pretty profitable to this point this 12 months! I labored by chunk of my weblog publish backlog in March and April, whereas nonetheless touring fairly a bit.
It does imply that I shortly fall behind on posting social content material when I’m not setting apart time often to edit movies, however I’ve nonetheless been retaining my Instagram Stories up to date in kind of real-time.
Now that I’m forcing myself to seek out extra stability, I need to concentrate on creating video content material that may really assist me develop. On my Cleveland Traveler IG, I get new followers each single day from Reels with out even making an attempt. My predominant Instagram account has been stagnant (follower count-wise) perpetually, although, so I need to strive some new kinds of movies there.
Most fashionable publish on Instagram (@dangerousbiz): I began sharing Morocco content material in March, and this picture dump from my 15-day tour was the most well-liked factor I shared! (This Reel about what I ate in Madrid was a detailed second, although.)
Most fashionable publish on Instagram (@clevelandtraveler): Hands down, this Reel a couple of DIY lunchtime “food crawl” round Cleveland’s AsiaTown was my hottest publish within the final couple of months!
March and April enterprise replace
Remember, I report my earnings once they hit my checking account, that means these promoting earnings are from December and January, and the affiliate earnings are largely from February/March journey.
These months weren’t the very best for me (April, WTF?), but additionally not the worst – and I’m nonetheless within the means of shifting over my resort associates to a extra common payout system, which is taking a while.
A Dangerous Business March earnings report:
- Advertising: $7,865.18
- Affiliates: $6,892.1
- Course/product gross sales: $368.30
- Other: $1,200
A Dangerous Business April earnings report:
- Advertising: $7,163.93
- Affiliates: $3,877.32
- Course/product gross sales: $206.7
(Note that that is my earnings earlier than deductions/bills and taxes.)
On Cleveland Traveler, I received these candy vacation advert earnings paid out, which made for a really good March!
Cleveland Traveler March earnings report:
- Advertising: $4,387.82
- Social media: $96.56
Cleveland Traveler April earnings report:
(Note: A Dangerous Business was began in 2010, and has been monetized for greater than 10 years; Cleveland Traveler was began in 2019, and has been monetized for 3 years.)
Business highs
I do not know that I’ve something particular to focus on right here this month!
Business lows
Goodbye, social bonuses – One annoying replace is that Meta ended its content material bonus applications for creators on each Instagram and Facebook in March. Previously, they have been providing performance-based money bonuses for posting sure sorts of content material (i.e. Reels). I wasn’t making a *ton* with these bonuses, however a pair hundred additional {dollars} per 30 days was nonetheless good (and motivated me to work extra on inventive social content material). It’s an ideal reminder that it is best to by no means depend on making a living from content material on platforms that you do not totally personal!
Getting hit by an algorithm replace – I’ve been pretty fortunate with Google algorithm updates lately, coming by most updates to look outcomes pretty unscathed. But an replace in April undoubtedly hit my predominant web site, and my site visitors (and advert earnings) are reflecting that accordingly with a couple of 20% drop. I’m doing my greatest to not fear an excessive amount of, although, as I do know issues like this occur – and it is nice motivation to do a little bit of housekeeping and clean-up on my web site!
(But additionally, like, when you wanna click on round a bit and browse a pair additional issues this month, I’d not thoughts!)
Upcoming journey plans
May: Prague – A buddy is getting married in Prague on the finish of May, and Elliot and I are going to the marriage! I have not been to Prague for a decade, and will probably be Elliot’s first time there. We’re on the town for about 5 days – who has new Prague suggestions?
May/June: Norway! – Elliot and I made a decision to go to Norway after Prague. We’ll be spending time in Oslo after which the Lofoten Islands, which I’ve all the time needed to go to. Stay tuned for some epic images!
June: Undecided Europe – From Norway, I’ll more than likely be spending a bit extra time in Scandinavia and perhaps hopping over to Estonia. And I’m planning to fulfill up with a buddy in Slovenia mid-month. I would not be stunned if a cease in London components in, too, as a result of it is laborious for me to withstand London.
June/July – And then I’m rounding up my time in Europe with a 2-week highway journey with two buddies by Scotland and Wales!
Since my weblog content material is commonly delayed, be sure you observe alongside on Instagram if you wish to see any of those journeys in real-time!