Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Ghanbarpour
Amanda, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have always loved to travel. My parents had me on a flight overseas before I was one year old and many of my childhood memories involved taking trips with my family. I lived in Germany from ages 3-7 and that early experience of living in another country shaped me in a lot of ways. By the time I reached college, I knew I wanted to study something related to my love for travel and learning about other languages and cultures. I decided to pursue a degree in linguistics with an additional major in German. My degree program led to an opportunity to study abroad in Germany and, following graduation, to then spend a year in Austria teaching English.
When I returned to the U.S., I ended up in a corporate role doing software sales for the German-speaking market before transitioning to corporate communications. Over the years, my day job became less international and travel-focused, but I still had the “bug” in me. So I decided to create a travel blog on the side where I could still write about my passion and help other travelers plan the best trips, near and far.
I started the blog in 2018 but didn’t know what I was doing at the time. In a lot of ways, my blog was more of a travel diary. In 2022, I stumbled across a program called “Scale Your Travel Blog” (SYTB) that focused on how to write effective blog posts and monetize your website — all without relying on social media, something that was very intriguing to me. It felt like I had wasted so many hours trying to grow on Instagram and always ending up disappointed. It turns out, you can run a successful travel blog without social media, and I’ve loved being able to focus on what I enjoy most: traveling and writing. Since then, I’ve been able to grow my blog into a significant source of side income and I’m excited to see it continue to progress in the coming years.
Note: I started my blog shortly before moving from Michigan (where I grew up) to New England, where I spent five and a half years before moving to St. Louis. Much of my content is focused on New England and other destinations I’ve traveled, but I’m excited to add lots of St. Louis/Midwest-related posts to my site going forward!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
You know the phrase, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” I think it’s easy to fall into the trap of comparison and imposter syndrome, wondering why my blog isn’t growing as fast as others, or feeling frustrated about not having as much time to invest in it as other bloggers do, since I already have a full-time job and a young child to take care of. But I’ve learned that progress comes through consistency, and even just taking 15 minutes a day is better than doing nothing at all. My journey may be longer than it is for others, but I’m still finding success in the baby steps.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m in corporate communications full-time and do my travel blogging as a side business. The common thread I’ve always had in my work is relationship-building and sharing stories. I love learning about the world around me and highlighting things that can help other people understand topics better, too. I don’t have any “extraordinary” skills – I think success in life comes from curiosity and working hard. I’m always learning something new, which is one of life’s greatest joys.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Books: Essentialism by Greg McKeown. This book helped me find freedom in choosing what’s most essential to me in life. None of us have time to do everything, and life is full of trade-offs. You have to decide where you want to spend your time and put your focus there. I also loved the book Wintering by Katherine May. I appreciate the way she talks about life’s “winter seasons” and the importance of rest and retreat – we aren’t meant to do it all, all the time.
Podcast: Everything Happens with Kate Bowler. She and her guests don’t beat around the bush about life’s trials, but they share how they’ve still found success and meaning in life. I love Kate’s saying: “Life is so beautiful. Life is so hard.” Life will always be full of challenges but you can still find gratitude and hope in the midst of it, too.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.myvintagemap.com
- Instagram: @myvintagemap
