7 Reasons Freelance Writing is the Best Job While Traveling + Tips How to Work Effectively Freelance Writing on the Road

I am not going to lie. My love for travel and taking my work with me on the road was one of the many motivating factors when I decided to become a freelance writer.

My story is not the typical digital nomad story. I was a nomad way before I became digital. Traveling became part of my being during our family road trips. Everything changed when we lived in Italy for 3 months when I was 10. I first moved abroad when I was 17. 

My nomadic life started at 26 when I went to grad school in Amsterdam and did my fieldwork research for my thesis in Kenya, while doing some other traveling on the side. I quickly started changing countries every few months due to work and a long-distance relationship. I also spent over a year traveling, working on organic farms, and house-sitting. There wasn’t anything digital about any of this.

My first attempt at trying to add some digital aspect to my life was a decade ago when I trained as a health coach. I quickly switched to freelance health writing, and the rest is history. Working as a freelance writer while traveling was a goal I achieved. 

The pandemic changed things, of course. After 3 months in South-East Asia, I came back to the US in early 2020. My plans included short trips to Central America, some Caribbean islands, and a few states in the US, a summer in Europe, and going back to Asia for the winter. None of that happened. Full disclosure, since then, I haven’t really traveled except around the Midwest. But I am shining my boots and hope to get back to it soon. Traveling is like air.

Over the years, I have learned a lot about how to effectively work while traveling. Today, I want to share the reasons why I think freelance writing is one of the best jobs while traveling and offer some tips on how to effectively work on the road.

7 Reasons Why Freelance Writing is the Best Job While Traveling

Whether you are backpacking the world, vanlifing your way around the US, taking long road trips, or going on vacation, freelance writing is seriously one of the best jobs you can do while traveling.

Location Independence

Location independence used to be a cool new term. Today it feels like an overused cliche. Though the word itself is overused, location independence has so many benefits.

As a freelance writer, your business is online. All you need is a laptop and internet. This means that as long as there is internet, you can work from anywhere — including writing remotely while traveling. 

Yes, you can absolutely work from your living room, a local cafe, or a coworking space. But you can also work from airports, hostels, your van, and from any country around the world, as long as there is internet. You can’t do this with any business. You can’t just pick-up your bakery on your back, but you can absolutely run your freelance writing business while traveling.

Daily Flexibility

Working as a freelance writer allows daily flexibility. This means, you can work whenever you want to. There is no 9 to 5. There is no boss or HR to report to but yourself. As long as you meet your deadlines, you can work at any time. 

This may mean that you work a bit in the morning, spend most of your day sightseeing, hiking, laying on the beach, or doing other fun things, and then working in the evening again. This is my preferred option. It may also mean that you pick 2 or 3 days of the week when you work most of the day and then leave the rest of the week for fun travel things. 

Since there is no office, you can work from anywhere with beautiful views or people watching options. Though it looks nice in pictures, I don’t recommend the beach though. The sun and the sand are not convenient. Trust me one that.

Working on Your Own Terms

As a freelance writer, you are your own boss. This means that you are in control of your own business. You make your own decisions. You not only control your work hours, but you control everything else.

You decide how many clients you take on. You set your boundaries. You may set a boundary of not responding to emails over the weekend. You may decide on a 24 or 48 or even 72 hour response time. As long as you inform your clients ahead of time and perhaps complete some projects ahead of time, you can take time whenever you want to.

Controlling Your Own Income

If you have a full-time job, you are not in control of your salary. You may have some negotiating power before you get hired or before getting promoted. But generally speaking, you get what day offers. Having a stable salary is a pro, but it’s not as stable as it seems. You can get fired at any time.

As a freelance writer, you have a lot more control of your income. First of all, you are working with multiple clients at the same time. This means that even if you lose a project or client, you won’t lose your entire income. With a regular full-time job, if you get laid off or fired, at best, you can hope for some unemployment. 

As a freelance writer, you can also set your own rates and raise them at any time. Raising your rates gradually for each new client is a good practice, especially as you gain more experience.

Ability to Grow or Change

Being in control of your business has so many benefits. Having the freedom to decide who you work with, what services to offer, when to work, and what to charge is a perk. A freedom to grow is another perk.

At a traditional job, your boss or company is in control of your salary, raise, promotion, and even what training or conferences you can attend. If you get a promotion or a new job, but it doesn’t work out, you can’t ask for your old role back a month later. As a freelance writer, you make the decision. 

Do you want to attend a conference or buy a course? Go for it. Do you want to learn or offer a new service? You can do it. You want to raise your rates? You absolutely should. You want to start outsourcing or hiring some other help? If it feels like the right time, you certainly can. Do you want to change your mind and stop offering your new service or don’t want to outsource anymore? You can try something else or go back to your old, proven ways.

More Fulfillment

If you choose a niche that you genuinely enjoy and choose to work with clients that align with your values, you will be more likely to feel fulfilled in your work. I am certainly not saying you can’t feel fulfilled doing another job. You certainly can.

All I’m saying is that with freelance writing you are completely in control of what kind of work you do. Sure, there are some administrative stuff you need to take care of, but you won’t have to do ‘other tasks assigned’ or surprise tasks unrelated to your job description. 

You are in control of who you work with. You can say no to an offer or drop a client if they are not in alignment with your values, goals, and mission. If you feel more fulfilled with your career, it will be easier to do it even if you are traveling to the most beautiful places in the world.

No Experience Necessary

A lot of jobs require a college degree or even a graduate degree. Changing careers often require a new degree in a new field. This is absolutely not true for freelance writing. You can get started without experience and learn on the go. 

Now, let’s be clear, you won’t be a 6-figure writer starting day one and you won’t be as good as someone with 10 years of experience either. But you can get started without getting a new degree or having any experience.

Tips for Working on the Road While Traveling

Working while traveling sounds like a dream. I am not going to lie, though. Freelance writing while traveling can be challenging at first. You want to see all the sites and may find it difficult to find the motivation to work. You may have jetlagged or been tired after a full day of running around a new city. Hostels and cafes can be noisy.

There is a trade, though. Sure, working while traveling is not a complete vacation. Freelance writing while traveling means that you get to do some amazing experiences and earn money at the same time. Once you figure out some systems and strategies that work for you, freelance writing while traveling will be a breeze. 

These are my tips for working on the road while traveling:

Figure Out Your Most Productive Hours

Do you work better in the morning or at night? Maybe mid-day? Are you better when working in bigger chunks, working for 4, 6, or even 8 hours straight with only small breaks? Or are you more effective when setting aside 2-hour chunks throughout the day?

Organize your day around what works for you. I like to sightsee and have fun during the day and then work in the evening. Sometimes I work a little in the morning and some in the evening. You may want to only in the morning. Or you may want to spread it out throughout the day, working an hour or two in the morning, mid-day, and in the evening too.

Work Ahead of Time

If you have a shorter trip coming up, you can do a lot of work ahead of time and only worry about submitting your projects and maybe dealing with revisions during the vacation. If you have a flight or day-long bus trip coming up or will be without internet for a few days, batch work beforehand and allow some stress-free time to enjoy your trip.

Be Mindful of Your Deadlines

Forget about cramming the night before your ‘exams’. Set achievable deadlines with your clients. Then set some earlier deadlines for yourself to meet. Get organized and aim to achieve your tasks at least a few days before your submission date.

Don’t Overschedule

Be realistic. Know how much you can take on while traveling. And know how much work you want to take on while traveling too. You want to enjoy your trip instead of sitting cooped up at your hotel 12 hours a day trying to complete your tasks.

Check for Internet Access

Make sure there is internet access where you are going. Check with the hostel, hotel, or airbnb. Ask for advice on forums. Scout out co-working spaces or cafes with the internet ahead of time. Look into mobile internet options. 

Be Flexible

The truth is, travel is unpredictable. You are in a new place and you can’t control everything. Life happens. Be flexible and adapt as you go. You will become a great problem solver and get to go through some personal growth as you encounter the unexpected.

Outsource

I don’t personally outsource, but hiring some freelance writers and outsourcing your work can be helpful when working while traveling. You don’t have to go full agency mode and this can be a temporary situation. If you are outsourcing your work, you will only have to worry about coordinating with clients and writers and editing.

Final Thoughts

There are so many options you can do on the road. Freelance writing is one of the best jobs you can do while traveling. It offers a lot of flexibility and control of your work. And you only need a laptop and internet. Follow my tips on how to effectively work while traveling and enjoy your next trip.

Are you interested in creating a sustainable freelance writing business without the hustle? Check out my freelance writing course with a step-by-step process of exactly what you need.

Do you love traveling? Do you work while traveling? Do you have some tips or tricks on how to effectively work as a freelance writer while traveling? Share your tips with us. I would love to hear from you.