When I started researching the travel blogging world, I had a "wait...really?" moment...
Yes, people make money travel blogging.
But it’s also a grind.
I won’t get into all that here (I break it down inside The TravelXLR course), but let’s just say—there’s a smarter way to do it. I did a research deep dive into the topic. I share it with you for FREE.
My Own Travel Audit
This sent me down a rabbit hole…
I pulled out my passports and started listing every country I’ve been to.
Total?
10 countries. (As of 2026)
Not exactly world traveler status.
Meanwhile, my wife’s been everywhere and speaks five languages like it’s casual.
So yeah… time to step it up.
s🌎 My International Travel (As of 2026)
- Mexico - (x100) Tijuana, Rosarito, Tecate, Ensenada, Cabo San Lucas, Todos Santos, Loreto, La Paz, Cozumel, Cancun, and Guadalajara
- Bahamas - Nassau (Baha Mar), Atlantis Paradise Island
- Canada - Vancouver (x2)
- Nicaragua- Managua, Granada, San Juan del Sur, Montelimar
- Costa Rica - San José, Liberia, Tamarindo, Montezuma, La Fortuna
- Dominican Republic
- Jamaica - Montego Bay, Negril (x2 trips)
- Peru -Cusco, 4-day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, Aguas Calientes, Lima
- Malaysia - Kuala Lumpur
- Zimbabwe - Harare, Rukuru Bush Camp (Zambezi River), The Hide Safari Camp (Hwange National Park), Victoria Falls
- Zambia - technically… that would be 11 countries, but I don't have a passport stamp.
States You've Been to?
Finding Some Redemption
Then I looked at my U.S. traveling.
I went state by state, listing everywhere I’ve been.
Turns out…
30 states.
Okay, better. Not bad.
Still—20 more to go.
New goal.
🇺🇸 My Domestic Travel / 30 States Down (As of 2026)
- Alabama - Birmingham
- Arizona - (x12) Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa, Scottsdale, Flagstaff (Grand Canyon), Sedona
- California - (x100+Home-Base) Anaheim, Los Angeles, Pasadena, Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, San Jose, Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Napa Valley, Marin, Sonoma, Livermore, Lake Tahoe, Fresno, Bakersfield, Lone Pine, Big Pine, Bishop, Mammoth Lakes, June Lake, Bridgeport
- Colorado - (x3) Denver, Colorado Springs, Boulder, Durango, Silverton
- Connecticut - Greenwich
- Florida - (x10) Orlando, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, St. Augustine, Miami
- Georgia - (x3) Atlanta, Savannah
- Hawaii - (x9) Big Island, Maui, Oahu, Kauai, Lanai
- Idaho (x4) Boise, Soda Springs, Lava Hot Springs, Bear Lake
- Illinois - (x3) Chicago
- Kansas - Kansas City
- Louisiana - (x5) New Orleans
- Maryland - Ocean City
- Massachusetts - Boston, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, Provincetown
- Minnesota - Minneapolis
- Mississippi - Jackson
- Missouri - (x6) St. Louis, Farmington
- Nevada - (x100+) Las Vegas, Henderson, Boulder City, Reno, Lake Tahoe
- New Jersey - (x10) Bergen County, Hudson County, Jersey Shore, Wall Township, Asbury Park, Spring Lake
- New Mexico - Albuquerque
- New York - (x15) New York City
- North Carolina - Asheville
- Oklahoma - (x2) Oklahoma City
- Oregon - (x3) Bend
- South Carolina - Charleston, Hilton Head Island
- Texas - (x12) Houston, San Antonio, Fort Worth, Dallas, Waco, El Paso, Austin
- Utah - (x10) Salt Lake City, St. George, Logan, Sandy, Cottonwood Heights
- Washington- Seattle, Bellingham
- Wyoming - Jackson, Teton Village, Jackson Hole, Yellowstone National Park
- Bonus: Washington, DC (not a state… but I’m counting it as “I’m getting around nicely”) 😄
Why This Matters
That simple exercise turned into something bigger.
It’s not just a list—it’s:
- Stories - Guidance
- Content - Valuable to others
- Assets that can pay long-term
And if you want, it can become income too.
You could turn your next trip into a asset that pays you, ongoing.
What Really Matters? Making AI Images? No.
Real Life > Everything Else
Here’s what I know now…
You can build a lot online. Cool. I like Zoom meetings.
But the moments that actually matter?
They happen in real life—with people, not screens.
That said… the right people, in the right places?
That’s a different level.
That’s the real mastermind.
I’ve been doing this for years—now there’s a more formal structure around it. It starts with joining the community.
Not just scheduled calls and shared notes—but conversations that happen naturally, ideas that click faster, and experiences that stay with you long after the trip ends.
That’s the whole point.
Full Circle
So for me, this isn’t about becoming a travel influencer.
It’s about building a life where I:
- Travel More
- Enjoy It More
- Monetize It More - Get Paid to do the things I love to do... MORE.
And just as important—being around people who think bigger, move faster, and actually do something with the ideas we talk about.
That’s what TravelXLR and the Rain Room really leads to.
If that resonates…
Come take a look.
We might just find ourselves together, masterminding in some incredible places around the world.