I quit my job and became a travel ‘micro influencer.’ Now I make money leading tours and see the world for free.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Rhiannon Wood , a 26-year-old travel micro influencer who runs a social media business and leads group tours around the world. It has been edited for length and clarity.

After graduating from the University of Birmingham in the UK in 2022, I knew I wanted to travel before settling into my journalism career. I took odd jobs around the world to scratch the itch, but I didn’t quite get back to the life I originally envisioned.

Instead, traveling around the world — and finding a way to monetize it online — became my full-time job. I never thought that hosting group tours in Greece, Peru, and…