Is a travel blogger the best job in the world? Three successful writers reveal why the digital nomad lifestyle isn't always what it's cracked up to be  

  • Anita Dhake, Nomadic Matt and Mollie Bylettall work as travel bloggers 
  • They revealed to MailOnline Travel the downsides to the lifestyle
  • They include loneliness, financial instability and too many distractions  

The life of a digital nomad - a person who can work digitally as they travel around the world - sounds like a dream to most people. 

The globe is their office, whether it's a beach bar in Bali, a coffee shop in Paris or a park bench in London. 

But before you weep into your portable coffee mug on your daily commute to a grey office, know that the life of a digital nomad isn't always as perfect as it seems on their filtered Instagram posts. 

Travel blogger Anita Dhake has shared with MailOnline Travel the cons and well as the pros of her chosen life path
Travel blogger Nomadic Matt has shared with MailOnline Travel the cons and well as the pros of his chosen life path
Travel blogger Mollie Bylett has shared with MailOnline Travel the cons and well as the pros of her chosen life path

Three travel bloggers (from left) Anita Dhake, Nomadic Matt and Mollie Bylett have shared with MailOnline Travel the cons as well as the pros of their chosen life paths

While we'd probably still give our right arm for their jobs, a handful of successful travel bloggers have been sharing the cons and the pros of their chosen life paths.

Anita Dhake, Nomadic Matt and Mollie Bylett now all make a living from touring the world and tell their story online, and now they're sharing their tales with MailOnline Travel... 

Anita Dhake runs the blog The Power of Thrift

Anita Dhake runs the blog The Power of Thrift

Anita Dhake runs the blog The Power of Thrift 

Anita Dhake, from Chicago, saved up for ten years and gave up her job aged 33 to travel the world.

Now the former lawyer spends around 11 months of every year visiting countries including Vietnam, South Korea, the Netherlands and Canada and writing in her blog about her travels. 

She said: 'I have a lot of friends and family scattered around the world and I also occasionally travel with friends when they're free, but I'm always traveling, so around half the time I'm doing it alone. 

'I love everything else about my life, I have so much to look forward to, my days are fun and filled with cool and interesting plans and I'm always learning something new. 

'But the biggest downside of my lifestyle is that it can be very lonely - I feel like I have a lot of friends, but very few close friends as I'm never around long enough. 

Dhake, from Chicago saved up for ten years and gave up her job aged 33 to travel the world

Dhake, from Chicago saved up for ten years and gave up her job aged 33 to travel the world

'I'm also single and it's very hard to date when I'm moving around so much, at airports is where I feel it the most as I hate taking my luggage into the bathroom with me.

'I don't miss having stuff, but I do miss having a bike and I miss knowing how to get around easily - I feel like I'm always lost.

'On the one hand, I get to be a small part of a lot of friend's lives. On the other hand, I miss the close friends and the last minute plans.'  

Matthew Kepnes runs the website Nomadic Matt

Matthew Kepnes runs the website Nomadic Matt

Matthew Kepnes runs the website Nomadic Matt   

Kepnes is a travel writer, from Boston, who runs the blog Nomadic Matt about his travels, tips and money-saving deals.

He has also written several books including one called The Ultimate Guide to Travel Hacking, which is about using the system to collect points to travel for free.  

He said: 'The best thing about being a digital nomad is that you can work from wherever you want.

'I don't get lonely because there are always people around and the internet has made it very easy to meet up with travelers through sharing economy websites. 

'When a lot of people begin traveling, they think it's going to be hard to meet people but the opposite is true as everyone else is just like you - alone and far from home, wanting to meet people just as much as you.  

'The downside though, is that there's always a distraction - when you are in a new place for a short period of time, the last thing you want to do is spend all that time behind a computer. 

Kepnes is a travel writer, from Boston, who runs the blog Nomadic Matt about his travels, tips and money-saving deals 

Kepnes is a travel writer, from Boston, who runs the blog Nomadic Matt about his travels, tips and money-saving deals 

'It's often hard to develop a routine and get work done in a way that allows for a good balance. 

Being always on the move also makes it hard to have relationships if that person isn't on the move with you - eventually, your someone has to decide to stay or leave as you can't do long distance forever. 

'Most people I know in relationships that work online do so together as both partners can be 100 per cent mobile.

'It's hard to have a love life when you are always on the move and it's even harder to start one.' 

Mollie Bylett runs the travel blog Where's Mollie?

Mollie Bylett runs the travel blog Where's Mollie?

Mollie Bylett runs the travel blog Where's Mollie?   

After finishing her A-Levels three years ago, Londoner Mollie Bylett ditched the traditional route into full-time work by opting instead to travel the world.  

Unexpectedly, the blog that she launched aged 19 while backpacking around South East Asia to keep in touch with family and friends took off and she now works with a number of big brands. 

She said: 'Making a living from travel blogging comes from a variety of revenue streams, including social media campaigns, sponsored content, reviews and selling photos. 

'It's a graft and it can be very unreliable at times but from hard work it has become consistent enough to let me maintain a life on the road.

'The best points are that I have the flexibility to be wherever I want, whenever I want, as well as the obvious perk of the travel - it's madness just how much ground I have covered and how many incredible things I've been able to experience. 

After finishing her A-Levels three years ago, Londoner Bylett ditched the traditional route into full-time work by opting instead to travel the world

'Although the cons don't outweigh the pros, there are many negatives beyond the Instagram-worthy beach images. 

'Before getting to a position where I could delegate work to someone else, I would very frequently find myself burned out and a big wake up call was when I fell asleep at the wheel in the desert in Arizona. 

'Also, blogging is a freelance career which means when you pursue it, you lose the financial stability and the familiarity of work colleagues, with no guarantee of success, future or pension. 

'When one is continually seeking new adventures, it's impossible for a friend or lover to keep up with you, so my life doesn't really allow for a relationship right now but I'm okay with that. 

'This the life I have chosen and I know my life won't be this crazy forever - just for as long as I've got a lot of energy and enthusiasm to turn the world upside down.' 

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