All In: My Dream of Making Travel My Job

Today is a special day. After almost five years in Cameroon, I’ve left my job in international cooperation behind! Why? I want to turn my passion into a career: traveling and writing about it. Have I lost my mind? Yes, probably. Because with this decision I’m setting off on a very different, risky kind of journey: the one into self-employment. So how did this idea come about, where do I stand right now, and where is this journey headed?

How the idea was born

The blog has been around since 2015. Since 2022 I’ve been living in Cameroon, and through countless trips, and as part of a Cameroonian family, I’ve been lucky enough to learn a lot about the country and its people. The idea of turning my experiences into a job didn’t come to me right away, though. It was on my trip to Lebanon three years ago, when my buddy Jonas and I spent every evening over dinner dreaming up SEO keywords, blog posts and social media content. We came up with a concrete plan: Wohinnoch? was going to become the go-to resource for anyone traveling to Cameroon.

A year and many Cameroon posts later, we realized the plan was working. Suddenly it wasn’t just family and friends reading along, but curious travelers looking for information. Your feedback, your questions and the impressions you shared were a huge motivation to keep going. The blog’s high point so far was a radio appearance on the German station 1LIVE, after Lonely Planet named Cameroon the number one country to visit in 2025.

But once the initial euphoria wore off, two problems became clear. First: Cameroon is a niche, and only a few people travel here. Second: my full-time job left me hardly any time to write posts, edit photos or cut videos. It dawned on me: if I wanted to seize the chance to turn my hobby into a job, I’d have to go all in. And voilà, here I am.

Where does the blog stand?

At the beginning. Saying that feels strange after more than 10 years of blogging. But until now, the blog has been purely a hobby. It has never earned me a cent, and it was never supposed to. Traveling, photography and writing are simply my passions. I’d do it for myself anyway. And if my information helps people, whether because they have a better trip or because a local guide gets one more paying tourist, that makes me all the happier.

Where *Wohinnoch?* began: Australia 2015 with my friend Lucas

But even if I had been after income, the returns would have been slim, because the traffic simply isn’t high enough yet. 2026 will be the first year in which more than 10,000 people visit the blog. That’s 27 readers a day. And most of the clicks don’t go to Cameroon, but to Georgia and Greece – countries I know much less about, not to say almost nothing. It shows pretty clearly that niche expertise isn’t what generates clicks. Better-known destinations do, along with covering the right topics at the right time. So the self-employment project means I have to think in new directions! What are they?

My vision for Wohinnoch?

Wohinnoch? is meant to become a place where travel addicts get unique, first-hand information. From countries that don’t know mass tourism, yet have so much to offer. Wherever guidebooks, blogs and AI agents fail with dangerous half-truths, Wohinnoch? should fill that gap with honest, authentic information.

If I want to pursue this project long-term and with full energy, I have no choice: the blog and my work have to pay for themselves. In other words, I need to make money with it. In business terms, that means turning information into products and services. How unromantic!

I’ll start by building on my current focus on Cameroon. The main project is a 100-page Cameroon guide, which I want to put on my new digital shop very soon. Lots of other ideas are buzzing around in my head, like video consultations to help tourists and expats prepare for their trip, or even organizing my own group tours.

By moto or by donkey, doesn’t matter: always on the move!

But: Cameroon is and will remain a niche. To reach more people, I want to offer my content not only in German, but in English too, potentially French. I’ll also explore new countries to broaden my scope. For now, I’d like to do without ads. How far they’ll become necessary over time is hard to say. One thing is certain, though: the blog will always stay authentic.

What now?

Now it begins! I’ve decided to leave my job in international cooperation. I’m moving to Germany for family reasons, and I’ll be working hard from a mix of my desk at home and extended trips to Cameroon and other countries.

I’ve already used my first days for a trip to Cameroon’s Far North. I also recently climbed Mount Cameroon once again, so there’s plenty to tell! Every Sunday you’ll get new travel stories, trip-planning posts, status updates and more. On top of that, the Cameroon guide and the new online shop are launching this month.

*I also said goodbye to my running group in Yaoundé!*

From now on, I’m giving myself one year to put all my time into this project. Then I’ll look back and decide: is it working, or isn’t it? If yes, I’ll have turned my favorite hobby into my job. If not, I’ll be one experience richer and go back to a regular job.

I’m happy about everyone who wants to join me on this journey, ideally by subscribing so you get notified about new posts.

And of course, I warmly invite you to share your ideas with me: Which projects do you like best? Which not so much? And have you ever made a similar decision in your own life? What did you learn from it?

Who’s writing?

I’m André. I lived in Cameroon for five years and I’m your go-to person for travel in Cameroon. On Wohinnoch? I explore the world with you, write about my experiences and share travel tips. If you don’t want these to be my last words to you, subscribe to my blog and follow me on Instagram.