Frequently Asked Questions

FAQs

What do you do for a living that allows you to travel all the time? 

I’m a freelance journalist and a contributing editor for Verge Magazine, a publication devoted to travel with purpose. Since Verge’s head office is in Peterborough, I telecommute for work—which means that I can work literally anywhere that has a reliable Internet connection.

You get paid to travel? That’s awesome! 

No. This is almost never the case. Yes, I work for a travel magazine, and yes, I freelance for other publications as a travel writer. But for the most part, I pay for nearly all of my trips out of pocket. However while I never get paid to travel, I’m always getting paid while I travel. I very rarely take “vacations.” Instead, my office is just mobile.

With that being said, I am occasionally invited to participate in press trips, which are paid for by tourism commissions. I also sometimes travel for work with the Go Global Expos.

How do you afford to travel so much?

I actually have no idea. It’s just about different priorities, I imagine. I don’t own a car (I bike or walk everywhere), I don’t have any real vices (other than coffee) and I don’t really spend money on anything else.

The trips I take are also relatively inexpensive. I stay almost exclusively with friends overseas. When I do have to pay for accommodation, it’s always at hostels or guesthouses. I’m not big on visiting tourist attractions, I don’t go shopping and I know the value of buying meals at the grocery store. I’m not averse to taking 12-hour bus rides, which are considerably cheaper than hour-long flights. Finally, I always take public transit to and from the airport.

To give you an idea of what I might spend, my month-long trip to Central America cost less than $2,500, including flights. You can also read my post on how I save for travel. 

Do you have any suggestions on ways to travel for cheap? 

I LOVE points programs. Since flights are usually the most expensive part, I’m happy to share my biggest secret—become a mystery shopper for flights. Through Evaluate It by SQM, you can get half-priced Air Canada flights to a ton of destinations all over the world. You can also read my post on 12 ways to travel for cheap.

Last updated October 2017.