Travel-writer is one of those professions, like National Geographic photographer or Michelin restaurant-reviewer, that has glamorous connotations. Who wouldn't want to get paid to visit a foreign land and write about it in a glossy magazine?

I've spent the past year-and-a-half building clips so I can quit my full-time job and travel-write full time. What that means is that I work full-time and spend the rest of my time writing. I don't read the newspaper or do the crossword anymore; even my weekends are devoted to writing. There's a fine balance between taking on enough work to allow you to quit your full-time job, and taking on too much work in general -- I'm not sure where that line is yet.

I'm currently working on a project for an unnamed guidebook publisher, and this summer I'll pound the pavement for Lonely Planet. Unfortunately, neither project is taking me far from home -- both are for South Central Alaska, where I live.

But I like to think I've nearly reached my goal, and here are a few things I've learned along the way.

1. It's not that glamorous. So far, I haven't had offers to fly me off to Rio and put me up in a swish hotel. Researching for the unnamed guidebook last weekend took me no further than my blizzard-encircled home town, where most of the lodging and restaurants are closed for the winter. Next weekend I'll venture a bit further down the icy highway, likely driving around in my Subaru hoping someone will have a room available with heat. Places I can't visit, I fact check by phone during the week.

Filed under: Arts and Culture, Business, North America