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

Trip Planning Perfectionist? Over-Packer? Useful Tips & Tricks for Every Type of Traveler

As with almost everything in the history of ever, travel tips and tricks come in all shapes and sizes. Some bits of advice prove useful; others you might swat away like a mildly-pesky fly. Right here, right now, we’re trying to steer clear of the fly swatters and break down some of the best travel hacks out there, depending on the type of traveler you are.

General TravelLogan T. HansenSeptember 8, 2021travel, travel guide, travel advice, travel inspiration, travelspiration, travel guidance, travel tips, travel hacks, romantic getaway, romantic weekend, romantic retreat, trip planning, travel planning, logistics, travel logistics, Anthony Bourdain, Money Magazine, Travel + Leisure, The New York Times, Paris, The Louvre, Eiffel Tower, nightmare vacation, nightmare trip, travel mistakes, Instagram, budget travel, budgeting, travel budget, Patrice J. Williams, Kate Young, style, travel style, airport style, Shivani Vora, luggage, packing tips, overpacking, Margot Robbie, Michelle Williams, TripAdvisor, TripAdvisor.com, tripadvisor.com, Bourdain, Eat Your World, travel blog, travel blogging, Making Obama, Pod Save America, The Daily, NPR One, NPR, This American Life, Business Wars, podcastsComment

'Ten Thousand Lightning Bugs': Experiencing Firefly Music Festival in the Woodlands of Dover

It was mid-February when I decided to drop $350 on a four-day weekend pass to a summer music festival. I was in Grand Rapids, Michigan, at a friend's place, looking over the details online — who would be playing, where we would stay, etc. — when he and I pulled the trigger and signed ourselves up for the Firefly Music Festival in Dover, Delaware, the capital of America's first state.

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