As bigger and better opportunities involving travel come my way, I find myself blogging from the road quite a lot. Often in settings that are incredibly scenic but not necessarily ideal for writing or publishing meaningful content online, I’m learning to adapt to my life on-the-go as I try to maintain the same level of consistency and quality (I hope!) as when I was a more static blogger.
I’m heading off soon to Northern Italy for about a week and a half to pursue a self-designed foodie itinerary leading me to some of the region’s best breweries, ham factories, wineries, restaurants, pasta workshops, street markets and even the so called “greediest salami competition in Italy”. To be sure I’m going to have a fantastically gourmand romp across one of the world’s yummiest countries. And that certainly is my aim. But what’s making it possible for me to get over there and have this adventure are a few commissions to write about my experience as well as the prospect of more work to come based on the stories I ‘collect’ while there.
This is going to be a working holiday – or perhaps ‘holidaying work’ might be a more apt description. So I’m going to need to stay disciplined in order to make the most of the trip once I’m back home and carrying on with my writing. As intent as I am to have an absolute blast, I’m going to being making tons of notes, cataloguing hundreds of photos I’m bound to take, keeping track of all the other projects and such back home and juggling what’s probably going to seem like a zillion other concerns. And if all goes to plan, I’ll hopefully be able to blog throughout the journey in addition to posting lots of titbits on Twitter, Instagram and all the other social media sites and apps I regularly use.
Based on a few recent press trips as well as some other ‘holidaying work’ situations – not to mention just freelancing my way through town on hectic agenda-filled days here in London – I’m starting to realise what’s helpful in maximising my travels for writing while not distracting too much from the actual reasons I like hitting the road in the first place.
For making notes, tweeting and posting other social media updates, drafting and publishing larger pieces online, one thing that’s become indispensable to me now (but not so long ago I really only thought of as a nice amenity) is a tablet. These days, I’m to the point that I’m happy to travel without a laptop as long as I’ve got my iPad Mini or Acer Iconia A1 with me. If you’re just looking for something to throw in the bag that’ll get the job done, I recommend having a look at some Acer tablet reviews or even Acer laptop reviews for yourself. A compatible external external drive (which can be a bit of a pain to find for the iPad) and maybe a bluetooth keypad aren’t bad ideas for digital doings on the road either.
There are a few other must-haves and tips I could share. But maybe they’re best saved for future posts. I need to get packing! See you on the other side 😉
