Meet the travel blogger who made six figures writing about her vacations

Courtesy of Christy WoodrowChristy Woodrow, the blogger behind Ordinary Traveller. Here she is feeding Flamingos in Aruba.

Some people spend their day at a desk dreaming of travelling abroad, but not Christy Woodrow.

The 36-year-old started her blog Ordinary Traveller back in 2011 after a six-week vacation to Southeast Asia with her boyfriend. Fast forward to 2016, and Woodrow made six figures last year off of her travel blog.

“The bigger travel blogs are people who quit their jobs and became nomads — you don’t have to do that,” Woodrow tells INSIDER.

At first, she blogged part-time and kept an office job as a financial advisor for businesses. But about three years later, Woodrow was able to quit her job and focus on Ordinary Traveller full-time.

Though she lives with her boyfriend in San Diego, she travels the world, visiting everywhere from Australia to Nepal.

Keep reading to see what it’s like to make a living travelling the world.

Christy Woodrow -- relaxing here in Cabo, Mexico -- is the full-time blogger behind Ordinary Traveller.

Courtesy of Christy Woodrow/Ordinary Traveler

She tells INSIDER she made over six figures last year from blogging about travelling to places like the Cook Islands, pictured here.

Courtesy of Christy Woodrow/Ordinary Traveler

She makes money through photo sales, sponsored posts, and paid projects with tourism boards, as well as her freelance writing. Here she is camping in California ...

Courtesy of Christy Woodrow/Ordinary Traveler

... And kayaking off of Vancouver Island. While travelling the world for your job may sound fun, it took Woodrow a while to get used to the lack of stability.

Courtesy of Christy Woodrow/Ordinary Traveler

'When I was six months into pursuing my blog full-time, I was kind of a basket case,' she recalls to INSIDER. 'I've learned that there will be months when I'm not going to make a lot of money and then sometimes I'll make a ton of money.'

Courtesy of Christy Woodrow/Ordinary Traveler

Woodrow visiting the Gothenburg Archipelago in Sweden.

Since then, she says she's learned to let go and focus on her passion.

Courtesy of Christy Woodrow/Ordinary Traveler

Woodrow looks out over Palm Beach in Aruba.

Though the money she earns comes in waves, it has forced her to learn to budget for the off-season.

Courtesy of Christy Woodrow/Ordinary Traveler

A scenic shot in Norway.

Woodrow says if aspiring bloggers want to make this kind of money, they need to be passionate.

Courtesy of Christy Woodrow/Ordinary Traveler

Here's Woodrow posing on the frozen Lake Jasper in Jasper National Park in the Canadian Rockies.

'A lot of the travel bloggers that are making pretty good money with their blogs went into it as a passion,' she says. 'It's important to go into it with that mindset.'

Courtesy of Christy Woodrow/Ordinary Traveler

Another shot in the Cook Islands.

You also need to realise you'll be working -- a lot.

Courtesy of Christy Woodrow/Ordinary Traveler

Woodrow frolicking in a fountain in San Diego, where she lives with her boyfriend.

'The first few years I worked 80-hour weeks, and now I try to set certain hours where I work because it can be really consuming,' she says. (It can't all be relaxing in the water, like she is here off the coast of Pinel Island in Saint Martin.)

Courtesy of Christy Woodrow/Ordinary Traveler

But while balancing her job and free time can be a challenge, Woodrow says her amazing experiences make it worthwhile, whether it's camping in California or a solo trip to Cabo, Mexico (below).

Courtesy of Christy Woodrow/Ordinary Traveler

'My best memories usually have to do with wildlife,' she tells us. 'I went snorkelling with humpback whales in Newfoundland, (which was) a really cool experience because there are only a few places in the world where you can do that.'

Courtesy of Christy Woodrow/Ordinary Traveler

This giant turtle in Maui was a highlight.

She also loves puffins. 'I first saw them on an Island in Scotland,' she says. 'I saw them again in Newfoundland where one of them flew over to us.'

Courtesy of Christy Woodrow/Ordinary Traveler

Woodrow says it's best to go into a trip without expectations.

Courtesy of Christy Woodrow/Ordinary Traveler

A sunrise in Mauritius.

'Go into it with an open mind,' Woodrow advises. 'Whatever happens -- delays or fights with your partner -- it won't always be awesome and perfect. Just take the experience as it comes.'

Courtesy of Christy Woodrow/Ordinary Traveler

A self-portrait of Woodrow in Aruba.

You can see more of Christy Woodrow's travel tips and follow her adventures on her blog, Facebook, and Instagram.

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