It felt like I had ages in between my final worldwide journey in March and my subsequent one in Could – and but right here we’re, lower than 10 days away from that subsequent huge journey! 2023 is already flying.
The final couple months had been busier than anticipated, however general fairly nice by way of each journey and running a blog. I wrapped up a cool journey abroad, took a pair brief breaks throughout the US, and am now planning to spend 8 entire weeks in Europe this summer season!
Earlier than 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
- Nations visited: 3 – Morocco, Portugal, USA
- States visited: 2 – Washington DC and North Carolina
- Flight taken (incl. connections): 7
- Days spent on the highway: 28
Journey highlights
Having a tremendous time in Morocco – I revealed my final month-to-month replace once I was just some days into my 15-day tour round Morocco with Intrepid Journey. As anticipated, it was a tremendous tour stuffed with historical websites and scrumptious meals. Highlights of this journey to Morocco included an in a single day within the Sahara, two nights within the Blue Metropolis of Chefchaouen, a day within the loopy souks of Fes, a enjoyable tagine cooking class, and many interactions with native households.
My pal Ashely and I additionally had the BEST time. I truthfully do not suppose 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 principle aim being to discover the southern a part of the nation referred to as the Algarve. I primarily based myself within the city of Lagos for a number 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 principally 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? Together 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 – In the direction of the top of April, I took a fast journey right down to the Brunswick Islands in North Carolina in partnership with their tourism board. Together with exploring little seaside cities and consuming a lot of good seafood, my favourite factor was a 3-mile seaside stroll out to the Kindred Spirit Mailbox on Fowl Island. Folks from throughout write messages, notes, and confessions in journals and depart them inside this mailbox. It is actually touching, and I am glad I made the trek.
Journey lowlights
Feeling unwell in Lisbon – I am nonetheless not sure 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 in the course of the couple days I spent in Lisbon, Portugal. I might had plans of re-visiting some favourite spots within the metropolis and taking a day journey to Sintra, however as a substitute I principally stayed in my resort room. Fortunately, not less than, I felt a lot better after 2 days, simply in time to go to Lagos.
Prepare strikes in Portugal – Talking of going to Lagos, I bought caught up within the results of a prepare strike (that are fairly frequent in Europe, to be truthful). What ought to have been an inexpensive 4-hour prepare journey with one change become a 3-hour prepare journey adopted by a $75 Uber journey to get me all the way in which to Lagos. Oh properly. Far worse issues might have occurred!
A rental automobile snafu – Lastly, I had a hilarious rental automobile expertise throughout my North Carolina journey. I am going to simply say this: do not guide one of many “shock” low cost automobile offers on a rental reserving website, as a result of even when the outline makes it sound such as you’re renting a small financial system automobile, you may really arrive to be instructed that the one car accessible is an enormous 4-door Dodge Ram pickup truck. Might I’ve pushed it? Possibly. However I had a light panic assault inside it within the lot, and opted to cancel the reservation and go lease one thing smaller from one other firm – thank goodness they’d automobiles accessible! Lesson realized.
March and April on the weblog(s)
Whereas I at all times count on site visitors to drop barely round Spring Break in March, it normally begins rising once more quickly after as folks begin to plan their summer season travels. This yr, nonetheless, that does not seem like occurring. I feel it is a mixture of a Google algorithm replace, financial issues, and the truth that numerous 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 is the way it goes with journey running a blog generally. I did not less than get on a roll with publishing new content material within the final couple of months!
A Harmful Enterprise site visitors: 149,429 distinctive guests and 203,225 pageviews in March, and 124,018 distinctive guests and 172,658 pageviews in April
Hottest publish: Olympic Nationwide Park in Winter: Issues to Do + Ideas for Visiting – This publish will not be tremendous related for planning journeys till subsequent winter, however I do suppose it is helpful! Olympic Nationwide Park is nice within the winter.
Different posts revealed:
I additionally up to date a number of older posts, together with my always-popular publish about how I earn cash as a journey blogger.
My Cleveland area of interest website, however, appears to have gotten by means of 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 wish to see what I have been as much as on Cleveland Traveler recently, go to the location right here.
March and April on social media
My aim of spending much less time creating social content material and extra time writing weblog posts has been pretty profitable to this point this yr! I labored by means of a great 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 once I’m not setting apart time commonly to edit movies, however I’ve nonetheless been protecting my Instagram Tales up to date in kind of real-time.
Now that I am forcing myself to seek out extra stability, I wish to give attention to 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 essential Instagram account has been stagnant (follower count-wise) without end, although, so I wish to strive some new sorts of movies there.
Hottest publish on Instagram (@dangerousbiz): I began sharing Morocco content material in March, and this picture dump from my 15-day tour was the preferred factor I shared! (This Reel about what I ate in Madrid was a detailed second, although.)
Hottest publish on Instagram (@clevelandtraveler): Arms down, this Reel a couple of DIY lunchtime “meals crawl” round Cleveland’s AsiaTown was my hottest publish within the final couple of months!
March and April enterprise replace
Keep in mind, I report my earnings once they hit my checking account, which means these promoting earnings are from December and January, and the affiliate earnings are principally from February/March journey.
These months weren’t one of the best for me (April, WTF?), but in addition not the worst – and I am nonetheless within the technique of shifting over my resort associates to a extra common payout system, which is taking a while.
A Harmful Enterprise March revenue report:
- Promoting: $7,865.18
- Associates: $6,892.1
- Course/product gross sales: $368.30
- Different: $1,200
A Harmful Enterprise April revenue report:
- Promoting: $7,163.93
- Associates: $3,877.32
- Course/product gross sales: $206.7
(Observe that that is my revenue earlier than deductions/bills and taxes.)
On Cleveland Traveler, I bought these candy vacation advert earnings paid out, which made for a really good March!
Cleveland Traveler March revenue report:
- Promoting: $4,387.82
- Social media: $96.56
Cleveland Traveler April revenue report:
(Observe: A Harmful Enterprise 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.)
Enterprise highs
I do not know that I’ve something particular to spotlight right here this month!
Enterprise lows
Goodbye, social bonuses – One annoying replace is that Meta ended its content material bonus packages for creators on each Instagram and Fb in March. Beforehand, they had 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 further {dollars} monthly was nonetheless good (and motivated me to work extra on artistic social content material). It is a fantastic reminder that you must by no means depend on getting cash from content material on platforms that you do not absolutely personal!
Getting hit by an algorithm replace – I have been pretty fortunate with Google algorithm updates in recent times, coming by means of most updates to look outcomes pretty unscathed. However an replace in April undoubtedly hit my essential website, and my site visitors (and advert earnings) are reflecting that accordingly with a couple of 20% drop. I am 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 website!
(But additionally, like, when you wanna click on round a bit and browse a pair further issues this month, I’d not thoughts!)
Upcoming journey plans
Could: Prague – A pal is getting married in Prague on the finish of Could, and Elliot and I are going to the marriage! I have never been to Prague for a decade, and it will likely be Elliot’s first time there. We’re on the town for about 5 days – who has new Prague ideas?
Could/June: Norway! – Elliot and I made a decision to move to Norway after Prague. We’ll be spending time in Oslo after which the Lofoten Islands, which I’ve at all times wished to go to. Keep tuned for some epic photographs!
June: Undecided Europe – From Norway, I am going to most probably be spending a bit extra time in Scandinavia and perhaps hopping over to Estonia. And I am planning to fulfill up with a pal in Slovenia mid-month. I would not be stunned if a cease in London components in, too, as a result of it is exhausting for me to withstand London.
June/July – After which I am rounding up my time in Europe with a 2-week highway journey with two mates by means of 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!
