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A career in travel writing is not at all bed of roses. It’s not as glamorous as a best-selling novelist’s or an aspiring actor’s career, and no matter how hard you work and get into the upper ranks of travel writers, you’ll still not earn as much as the least-paid songwriter in Hollywood does. True, and I agree with correspondent Cheryl Conner when she said that travel writing is a popular idea because of the thrill of the all-expenses-paid travel, but a number of aspects of travel writing are also prosaic, including a feast-and-famine cash flow.
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I remember budget dining with the locals in Isaan (Isan or Esan), Thailand. That was when I learned of what Thailand is all about. Also, it gave me a broader perspective of what a travel writer’s essence really is. Being the poorest and the most ignored province in the country, Isan confounds many expectations. Nobody speaks English there and no one will offer you a cozy tete-a-tete or a courtesy slice of pound cake to go. Since I had limited means to go around and eat whatever I craved, I reduced my expenses by carrying snacks within easy reach in my luggage during long walks and sweaty songthaew rides. When I had almost nothing but water, I had to ask a local in Sisaket to teach me how to fish the Isaan way.
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Travel writing is fun and the learning experience I get from it is endless. But the truth is felt where the pockets lie. Only those with the knack for writing and the yen to do it can take a full-time go of this career. Nevertheless, difficult as the job may seem, I still love it and the thrill that comes with it. The job sounds low-key, and it surely is. But that’s where its fascination lies, along with geological eccentricities and out-of-the-comfort-zone elements.
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Louis Habash 
