Home Blog Travel passion into profession: How I became a travel blogger and a part of the industry of dreams

Travel passion into profession: How I became a travel blogger and a part of the industry of dreams

by Hanna
19 comments

This is a story – my story. It’s about how I started dreaming of traveling, how I ended up working in the industry of dreams, and why I eventually started writing my blog Reachinghot.com.

As a young girl I loved to spend my summers at our family cabin. I used to spend hours and hours reading old travel magazines by the lake. My family always asked me why I keep on reading the old magazines and my answer always was that I’m fascinated by them.

Reachinghot visiting Railay beach in Krabi, Thailand

Railay – one of my favourite places in Thailand!

I loved how I was able to travel far away with the magazines. Every time I learnt something new about the destinations out there. I was able to dive into the deepest oceans and see stunning corals and colorful fish. I could dip my toes into the coralΒ white sands of the Caribbean islands and be amazed by the skyscrapers of New York. I could experience all that from a small wooden porch.

Palm trees

Palm trees and me go well together.

When I was in secondary school I wanted to become a lawyer or an interior designer. Those wishes faded away when I went to high school where I then got the idea of studying psychology since I found it so interesting (and still do). Yet still on those days I would spend my summers reading through travel catalogs about different destinations and hotels, and not to forget all the travel magazines.

It was on my last year of high school when I was quite lost. I didn’t know what I wanted to study after graduationΒ but then everything suddenly cleared out to me. I thought I had been a total weirdo spending my time reading all those travel magazines and catalogs since I never met anyone else who shared a passion for traveling.

Reachinghot travel blogger visiting Railay beach in Thailand

Enjoying my time in Thailand!

Tourism Management. Those two words were the turning point when I found out that I could study tourism in theΒ  University of Applied Sciences in Helsinki. In Finland you have to pass the exams to get to study the subject you want. I was lucky to get in on my first try.

I noticed that travel really is my field of passion. I loved to go to the university when I always had classes that I really thought will help me in the future. On one of the first courses I had in the university I was taught that tourism is the industry of dreams. We don’t sell anything concrete, we sell dreams. We create the wanderlust and help people fulfil their dreams. That sounded so perfect for me.

During my university time I worked abroad twice and both times in Thailand. First time I worked in a diving company in a small paradise island near Phuket called Raya Yai. The second time I was in Khanom in a 5 star hotel. Both times I loved it!

Reachinghot at Raya Yai in Thailand

My office view in Koh Raya Yai island <3

When I got back to Finland I started working at Helsinki Airport as a check-in and gate agent. Half a year later I was a service guide helping passengers in the terminals to get on their flights. I graduated and I continued working at the airport information and parking service.

Then I created my blog Reachinghot.com. Throughout my work in the travel industry I knew I have a lot of knowledge already to share with my readers. I had had this idea of writing a blog already during my university times but I got tired of writing assignments and blogging seemed too much of an effort.

I wanted to write the blog in English instead of just Finnish to be able to reach a wider audience (there are only 5,5 million of us, hehe). I thought I would also be able to improve my language skills by writing in a foreign language.

The start of the blog wasn’t as sweet as I would have hoped since the crazy shifts I had at the airport gave a bit of a bumpy start for this blog. The first year was more or less keeping the blog alive and throwing in some article time to time.

Raya Yai in Thailand

Walkway to work in Koh Raya Yai, Thailand!

I was able to give more time for this blog after I changed to a new workplace from the airport to the back office of a tour operator. At that moment I felt like two of my dreams were fulfilled. Reading travel catalogs wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

I was finally able to give more time for my blog and be more in touch with my followers. And this is where I can thank every one of you for your support! THANK YOU!

I felt like I found like-minded people through my blog channels and my daily work. I wasn’t the weird girl dreaming on the wooden porch anymore, I found that I’m not the only one.

I found my passion and I turned it into a profession. <3

Reachinghot travel blogger in Tallin, Estonia

Having fun in Tallinn Estonia – awesome these fortress walls!

If you want to learn more about me read my article about howΒ a travel blogger can have a fear of flying!

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19 comments

Cindy | escapealifetime December 13, 2017 - 2:25 pm

This article sounds a bit too much like me. Same major, same job, haha! I loved reading this and love the new blog! πŸ™‚

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Cindy's Travel Diaries December 13, 2017 - 7:48 pm

Thank you for sharing this with us !! And here’s to many more adventures !!

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Hanna December 14, 2017 - 5:58 am

Thank you! πŸ™‚ I’m so glad you liked!

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Hanna December 15, 2017 - 5:08 am

Thank you so much Cindy! πŸ™‚

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suru December 13, 2017 - 9:28 pm

If anyone wants to succeed in life the person should have a passion for the work or passion itself should become work. It is so good that your passion has become your profession, Also you seem to have required qualifications (not only a degree but also many languages you learned) is a plus point for your profession!!
My liking is same as that of yours– traveling and so I travel a lot!! Till recently I used to have old travel magazines including city maps.Since it was occupying too much space, discarded it a couple of weeks ago.
My personal opinion is that you need to travel more especially towards Asia and SE Asia to understand the culture that is different than yours and this will be highly useful when writing a blog.
Wishing you all the best.

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Hanna December 15, 2017 - 5:08 am

I’m really glad I have found my passion and that I’m able to work in that area. πŸ™‚ Even though I guess it’s kind of old fashioned to have those concrete magazines, I still love them. The old magazines are also great because that’s how you can see the development in the industry.
True, true! I’m very interested in SE Asia. I’m just lacking a bit of time to travel that far so recently I have focused on the European destinations.
Thank you for your lovely comment! πŸ™‚

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Suru December 15, 2017 - 5:32 am

Yes ,true old magazines can show you the present day developments but occupies space .So all my old magazines were occupying lots of space and very recently discarded them keeping very few.
You need to visit India more than SEAsia..hahaha biased being from India. No other country in the world is as diverse as India, I think, with so many religions, cultures, political parties etc etc.. You will have lots of material to write in your blog!!! of course it’s so far from your country and you need good amount of free time being so vast a country.
Have you been to Poland? It’s interesting.If you have time better to pay a visit .

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Hanna December 18, 2017 - 1:23 pm

True, that India is a very diverse country πŸ™‚ I have never been to Poland -yet. It’s on my list though!

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suru December 18, 2017 - 9:09 pm

So when is your next travel and to which place? If not firmed up., any thoughts?:))

Hanna December 19, 2017 - 5:28 am

I have some thoughts. πŸ™‚ One is to travel far away to relax and the other is a citybreak in Europe. But names of the destinations I will tell a bit later πŸ˜‰

Hanna January 17, 2018 - 4:25 pm

Next one would propably be Dominican Republic πŸ˜‰ So some warmth!

Suru January 17, 2018 - 5:54 pm

So finally you decided the placeβ€” Dominican Republic…! πŸ˜€. What prompted you to chooseβ€” Accommodation, or food or culture etc are all together???
And when is your travel and for how many weeks??
Wherever you go wish you a safe and an enjoyable trip!!πŸ‘

Hanna January 18, 2018 - 6:01 am

I basically wanted to go to a warm country and I was intrigued by the idea of visiting Caribbean area. I have been working with a Finnish tour operator and they offer packages to Dominican Republic so I thought why not 😊 I’ll be going in few weeks but I have only one week there. I will mainly just rest and try to load batteries but of course I wish to see the nearby areas. And thank you, I’m wishing I will have a sunny and lovely trip!

Suru January 18, 2018 - 12:42 pm

Woww… it will be a long flight ( more than 9 hrs flight?) to Caribbean area. Oh.. I think package offer is better to such islands because it contains all needs taken care of. Heard that in Dominican Republic mostly spanish is spoken but English is also spoken in all tourist places and hotels.
Wish you have a safe, sunny (since Finland is sooooo cold now)and an enjoyable trip!,,😁

Hanna January 18, 2018 - 2:11 pm

True, it’s a long flight πŸ™‚ But I hope it will be so worth it! Thank you, I will enjoy! πŸ™‚

Sayom Ghosh December 14, 2017 - 4:28 pm

Awesome Hanna….would loved to write like you one day….you are so passionate about your blogs….keep up this great work….!!!!

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Hanna December 15, 2017 - 5:09 am

Thank you so much! I really appreciate your kind comment. πŸ™‚

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Janey January 21, 2018 - 9:44 am

Aahhh I love this post!! Travel tourism is selling a dream – couldn’t be more true!! Being able to turn your passion into profession is definitely the ultimate goal in life. I am still working on mine… lol

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Hanna January 21, 2018 - 3:40 pm

Thank you so much! πŸ™‚ I’m so glad you liked it! It’s so true and I’m really glad I’ve been able to find my true passion. I hope you will get there too! Hard work will be paid off! πŸ˜‰

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