When Routes Change, What Long-Haul Flights Taught Me About Blogging Patience and Persistence

It’s Saturday morning and I’m finally starting to feel a bit more grounded after the long trip from Shanghai back home to Sweden. I flew via Tokyo this time, and while I love that city, the total flight time ended up much longer than I expected. Delays, rerouting, longer airspace paths, it all added up. And somewhere over the icy edge of northern Europe, I found myself staring out the window, thinking about more than just the travel.

We all know why flights from Asia to Europe are longer these days. The war in Ukraine has forced airlines to avoid large parts of airspace that were once routine. It’s a small inconvenience in light of what the people of Ukraine are going through, but it’s a reminder of how much the world has shifted.

As I sat there with hours to go and nothing but the buzz of the cabin to distract me, I realized this trip wasn’t all that different from the journey I’ve taken with my blog. I’ve been blogging for years, and like those flight paths, the way forward hasn’t always been clear. What once felt like a direct route, write something useful, share it, see results, has slowly turned into something far less linear.

But just like that flight, blogging isn’t about giving up when the easy path disappears. It’s about adjusting, finding new ways forward, and keeping your eyes on the destination even when the ride gets bumpy.

Here’s what this long trip helped remind me:

A Longer Route Still Gets You There

Rerouted flights may be slower, but they still arrive. In blogging, that means growth might take longer now than it did years ago. The algorithm might not be your friend this week. Your topic might not be trending. But you’re still in motion, and that matters more than speed.

Progress Doesn’t Always Look Like You Expected

Flying through Tokyo wasn’t my original plan, but it still brought me home. Similarly, maybe you started a blog to build a business, and now it’s turned into a creative outlet, a client magnet, or even a personal journal. That’s okay. Success has more than one shape.

Detours Offer New Views

From my window seat, I saw snow-covered islands and mountain ranges I never would’ve noticed on a more direct route. In blogging, the detours can show you new niches, fresh formats, and unexpected connections you wouldn’t have found otherwise.

Keep Showing Up

No one turns a plane around because the flight is long. And no one should quit their blog just because growth feels slow. If you're still writing, still thinking, still learning, you’re doing the work. You’re in the air.

Perspective Grounds You

This whole journey reminded me how fortunate I am to even be able to write, travel, and publish freely. The world is heavy right now. And knowing that helps put things in perspective when a post flops or traffic dips. We create because we can, and that’s a gift.

As I sit at my desk back in Sweden with a strong cup of coffee, listening to the quiet hum of home, I’m not chasing shortcuts anymore. I’m here for the journey, reroutes and all.

Because whether you're flying over Siberia or rewriting your tenth draft of a blog post, what matters is that you keep going.

And if you’re still on the blogging path, still writing despite the noise, the distractions, the world’s chaos, you’re already ahead.

A final note: I want to acknowledge that I’m fully aware of how different blogging is from war. This post isn’t meant to compare the inconvenience of a longer flight or the creative struggles of a writer to the unimaginable suffering faced by the people of Ukraine and others living in conflict zones around the world. The war is real, painful, and ongoing. My thoughts are with everyone affected.

This piece is simply a reflection on how we, who are lucky enough to live in peace, should not complain when global events force us to adapt or slow down. It’s a reminder that our “problems” are often privileges in disguise. And the least we can do is move through our comfortable lives with awareness, humility, and a bit more patience.