10 Things I've Learned From Being a Travel Blogger for (Nearly) 10 Years

Writing and travel are two of my greatest passions in life, so you’d think combining them would send me into a state of euphoric delirium. The truth is that being a travel blogger means I am constantly thinking of ways to make content out of my travels, which can be draining at times. When you’re in a new place experiencing new things, it’s generally best to simply be in the moment and enjoy it, but there is always a little voice in the back of my mind reminding me that these posts don’t write themselves.

General TravelLogan T. HansenMarch 31, 2026travel, travel advice, travel guide, travel blogging, travel blog, travel writing, travel diary, travelogue, travel lists, travel recommendations, travel reviews, travel tips, travel ideas, travel industry, travel inspiration, travelspiration, travel planning, travel appreciation, travel hacks, travel junkie, travel logistics, travel bucket list, travel mishaps, Ireland, Iceland, Israel, Jordan, Cobh, content creation, 10-year anniversary, Greenland, Michigan, Great Lakes State, Great Lakes, Mitten State, The Mitten State of Mind, AI, ChatGPT, Sint Maarten, Simpson Bay, David Pumpkins, David S. Pumpkins, headline writing, writing tips, Canada, Minnesota, Northwest Angle, Europe, Eurotrip, Euro trip, cheap flights, Grand Rapids, Indiana, Ohio, road trip, road tripping, road trips, movies, movies about travel, SEO, search engine optimization, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, travel mistakes, burnout, Logan's Run, All Things Wanderful, Seattle, Pike Place Market, social media, Medium, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, sorry not sorry, the 'gram, traveler versus tourist, tourist trap, Guinness, Guinness Storehouse, Dublin, Guinness beer, Atlanta, Georgia, Final Four, car crash, hit-and-run, University of Michigan, Michigan Wolverines, NCAA, 2013 NCAA Tournament, NCAA Men's Basketball, college basketball, Louisville Cardinals, hitchhiking, Colorado, Keystone Resort, skiing, music festival, Firefly Music Festival, Delaware, rental car, Florida, Orlando, spring break, spring break travel, World Nate, Intrepid Introvert, Nomadic Matt, Pitcairn Islands, remote travel, remote island, Google Flights, GQ, Gentlemen's Quarterly, The New York Times, National Geographic Traveler, National Geographic, Diomedes, Diomede Islands, Big Diomede, Little Diomede, International Date Line, Russia, Alaska, United States, Maine, ghost trains, dealspotr, Beaver Island, Lake Michigan, Beaver Island Music Festival, U.S. Ghost Adventures, haunted, haunted tourComment

2021 Wasn't Exactly Wonderful, But At Least Some of the Wander Returned

Starting is always the hardest part, isn’t it? Taking that leap, acting on that big idea, staring at the blank page. But after you finally get the ball rolling, a new challenge materializes: keeping it rolling. It’s not enough to simply plant the seed; you’ve got to water it, make sure it has fertile soil to work with, give it a proper amount of sunlight. It can be a lot of work, but then again, nothing worth having comes easy, does it?

General TravelLogan T. HansenJanuary 6, 2022travel, travel inspiration, travelspiration, year in review, happy new year, All Things Wanderful, travel guide, travel advice, travel ideas, travel planning, travel writing, travel recommendations, travel appreciation, travel junkie, travel blog, travel blogging, Denver, Colorado, year-in-review, Cheesman Park, Logan's Run, 2020, 2021, Las Vegas, Detroit, Detroit Tigers, Six Flags, Six Flags Great America, Gurney, Illinois, Michigan, football, football season, College Park, Maryland, Ann Arbor, St. Louis, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Missouri, Northern Illinois, Maryland Terrapins, University of Michigan, Michigan Wolverines, Sooner State, Cessna, Cessna 402C, Chicago, Manistee, Windy City, Cape Air, Manistee County Blacker Airport, Airbnb, vacation rentals, Sin City, New Mexico, Old West, Old American West, Keystone, Keystone Resort, skiing, snowboarding, Centennial State, travel injuriesComment

3 Spots to Grab a Drink (or Four) in the Washington, D.C. Metro Area

While paying a visit to our good friend Abe or taking in the magnificence of the World War II Memorial or reflecting quietly at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial are all perfectly good uses of your time in the nation’s capital, there is also a good selection of watering holes for those looking to wet their whistles after the sun goes down.

North AmericaLogan T. HansenDecember 2, 2021travel, travel guide, travel advice, travel inspiration, travelspiration, travel guidance, travel recommendations, travel reviews, travel tips, travel ideas, travel itinerary, travel planning, nightlife, Washington D.C., District of Columbia, Washington, Lincoln Memorial, Abraham Lincoln, eating out, Looney's Pub, The Midlands, The Midlands Beer Garden, National World War II Memorial, World War II Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Howard University, Park View, draft beer, pub grub, bar food, sports, football, soccer, Detroit Lions, Washington Football Team, University of Maryland, Maryland Stadium, Maryland, Michigan Wolverines, University of Michigan, Elephant & Castle, Pennsylvania Avenue, White House, get your Brit on, fish and chips, Smithwick's, Crabbie's Ginger Beer, cocktails, specialty coffee, Edinburgh, wine, game day, College Park, Terrapins, Looney Bin Painkiller, Captain Morgan, Malibu rum, Scooby Snack, Girl Scout Cookie, Baileys, Rumple Minze, British pub, capital city, National Mall, Crabbie'sComment

Meandering Around Music City; or, Three Days in Nashville: Day 2

I awoke Saturday morning and was pleasantly surprised to discover that I hadn't died during the previous evening's shenanigans. Looking around, however, I did notice the yellow mustard stain on my pants, which had been hastily discarded on the floor some eight hours earlier.

The B1G Tour: Wending Our Way to West Lafayette

On Saturday, three hours or so past the crack of dawn, a friend, my brother, and myself squashed ourselves into my brother's black Ford Focus and took to the freeway, heading south for the great(ish) state of Indiana, America's Crossroads, as they say.

Stranded in Tennessee: The Hit-and-Run Incident That Left Us High & Dry on the Way to the Final Four

Having just sung the final lyrics of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" — as a gang of five college students are apt to do, apparently (or was that just us?) — the front of another vehicle collided with the rear passenger door of the Ford Focus, sending us flying off into the ditch.

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