I can’t believe it, guys. It’s been one whole year since I started this little space of mine!
Really, to most people, that may not sound like any sort of accomplishment but, for those of you who are fellow bloggers, I know you definitely recognize this achievement! It’s even more insane for me that I made it this far because it’s quite rare that I stick with something that long; well, something that someone isn’t forcing me to do.
For my Blogversary, I’ll be giving a little insight into how I got started on my journey and I also asked my lovely batch of followers to send me some questions so I’ll be answering those and then… a GIVEAWAY!
Let’s Start From the Beginning…
Before I started blogging, I had recently received my Master’s Degree and was traveling around Europe with my husband. I’d head back home to Indiana intermittently, bartend a few nights a week to add a little cushion to that bank account then head back to Germany again. After 2-3 months of travels and an empty bank account, I’d return home to Indiana and start the process over. For 3 years I lived that routine, seemingly unsure of where I was really going in life but half not caring because I was doing the only thing I really wanted to be doing: traveling. One hot summer day in July, I started placing all of my printed pictures into a photo album for my hubs and I to have some memories. It was at that exact moment when I realized that I had all of these random stories to go along with each and a million and a half tips to share about those places too.
Hellooo Blogging!
At that time, I didn’t really use any means of social media except for Facebook. Well, I did sometimes tweet and use the gram but I was completely unaware of the extent to what social media could offer young entrepreneurs. I wasn’t following big name Instagrammers (I actually never knew this existed) and I knew absolutely NOTHING about blogging. While scanning Pinterest one day for tips on an upcoming trip I came upon a girl’s website and it hit me: her entire website is just like an online journal of all her travels. Why can’t I do that?
And So it Began…
I just started writing. And, at first, I wasn’t predominantly focused on travel. I would find myself getting irked or upset about what other people were posting on Facebook and, since I’m not one for confrontation (even if I am hiding behind a screen), I decided to bite my tongue & shed those opinions on my blog instead. While I did enjoy writing about controversial topics and giving my insight, I found myself continually drifting back to one niche: travel.
The Rebranding
Around Christmas in 2017, a mere 5.5 months into my blogging journey, I won a theme in a giveaway through another blogger. After discussing with her my options, she informed me that going self-hosted was the best thing I could do for my blog if I really was serious about it. So, I picked a company (ultimately going with BlueHost) and started the process. I will never, ever rebrand or go through a migration to self-hosted ever again; it was one of the most frustrating things I’ve endured and, for about a week, I felt like I had lost all of my hard work. After some major kinks and issues, I finally got it working and began making my space into what I was envisioning. I’m not kidding when I say it has taken me ONE FULL YEAR to finally get my blog to my happy place and to figure out where I wanted this to go.
Q & A
Sam G. asked me: “Is there a place you would not visit again?”
There are only a couple of places I’ve went to multiple times and those would be Amsterdam and Paris. We lived so close to them while we were in Germany that it was easy to pop over for a quick weekend away. The only reason I would say that I wouldn’t visit any of the other places I’ve been is because this world is SO BIG and it has so much to offer. With limited expenses and vacation days for my hubs, we pick and choose our major trips nowadays– short flight to Rome for $50 definitely doesn’t exist in California. The only reason I wouldn’t revisit a place is because I want to experience new places. Now, if that question is asked from the perspective as in I didn’t like a place, I really couldn’t tell you that I’ve been anywhere I haven’t absolutely adored because they are all so unique. Every time we’ve been to Paris it’s been a different trip and same with Amsterdam. We stay in different places, do different things, so it’s not like we’re reliving the same experience. I am racking my brain here but I really don’t think that there is anywhere I’ve been that I wouldn’t visit again!
Megan over at MegansMosaic asked: “What is your favorite/least favorite thing about blogging?”
I have too many favorites about blogging but I’ll try my best to narrow it down. I love blogging because it gets me off my butt and out into the world, pushing me out of my element. Yes, I’m an avid explorer regardless but since I blog about it now I find myself diving deeper into those experiences, looking for more and more hidden gems so I can share them with all of you! My other fav part of blogging is the connections I’ve made with people around the world. I never really had that close knit group of friends and blogging has brought so many new amazing people into my life. I have people who I talk to almost on a daily basis (even if it’s through Instagram comments or Twitter threads) but nonetheless, I have friends from California to Australia (the long way) and everywhere in between.
My least favorite part about blogging is the competition aspect to be this amazing influencer. More and more it seems as if this “influencer” word is taking over “blogger” and posting photos on instagram or creating videos like I’m some sort of videographer (I mean really, I’d go work for a movie biz if I could do this) is taking over the element of writing and storytelling. Sure, pictures tell a thousand words and beautiful pictures can make or break your blog, but I treasure the real experiences and stories behind those pictures more than the picture itself.
Sam from SOSTravel asked me 2 questions:
#1: “What made you start blogging?” I wanted to have some sort of personal diary of my husband and I’s travels since it was all during our first couple years of marriage. We talked about how in 50 years our memories will be shot and we want to remember all of these amazing experiences we’ve had!
#2: “How supportive have you found people?” For me personally, this question depends on the platform. Instagram for me has been a nightmare. I feel like more people are focused on just gaining this sort of famed status that they forget the true value behind being a blogger & sharing your story to help or inspire people. Twitter is absolutely filled to the brim with articles, pictures, stories, and best of all ENGAGEMENT. I’ve met some amazing people through that platform (like you, Sam!) and I have never felt as supported in anything as I do on Twitter. Other than that, I don’t really have too much blog support but I also wonder if that stems from people being obsessed with Youtube now. Support from others, as in people in my real life who know me, is pretty much nonexistent because not many people know about my blog.
Adam (@ChanceToTravel) is the spouse behind Sam at SOSTravel. He asked: “If you could change one thing on social media, on any platform, what would it be?”
This question kind of stumped me! I guess if I could change anything it’d be Instagram and its algorithm that’s in favor of those with a million followers. While it really is quite amazing that these people have grown into what they are today, Instagram definitely favors them and phases out posts from the rest of us. Give us small fries a chance, eh?
Meghan over at Pearl0fTheSea asked: “If you could only use one social media platform which would it be?”
Twitter! It has the best/most supportive community!
Megs from Respirare asked: “What inspired you to start your blog?”
I actually had no idea what a blog was when I began a year ago, I just wanted a place to vent about life & to store my memories from traveling but I wouldn’t say I was inspired at that time. That first day I just started typing away and tweaking little things on my website trying to make it look pretty (Thanks Myspace 2005). The inspiration started in after I began following people on Twitter and saw how they were using their content to inspire others to get out and see this amazing world we live in.
The OilyTravelers asked: “What would you do if money were no object?”
This is an easy one and most of you could probably guess… TRAVEL! More specifically, I would rent a massive yacht with a captain and a crew and spend my days hopping around where ever I wanted to go until I was ready to plant my feet on the ground. I’d then get on a jet and fly to where ever I wanted to go next. In the middle of my trips, I’d come back to my home base of a simple house that’s on some sort of coastline overlooking the ocean, complete with my vineyard of Riesling grapes and a private beach. I would probably never leave that spot again.
Melina at MelinaElisa asked me: “What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your year of blogging?”
I’d have to say that the biggest lesson I’ve learned is that nothing happens overnight and you have to have patience. I’m the type of person who obsesses over something that I know I need to be doing and then I end up stressing myself out and sometimes overreacting and just quitting (probably why I haven’t stuck with many things in my life). I never had as much patience as I do now and I attribute that to blogging. You can’t expect to start generating amazing content from the get-go; you have to learn yourself and what you like just as much as your followers when you first begin. Taking the blogging game day by day and not looking too far ahead will only teach you to resent it (hence why I took a month hiatus this spring). Always make blogging fun and, if it’s starting to seem more like a chore, take a step back to find your love for it again.
Giveaway!
I wanted to give back to you all as big thank you for all the support and love you’ve shown me this past year! So, to celebrate that and my 1 Year Blogversary I’m giving away 2 items:
- Mini Scratch-Off World Map with the dimensions of 16.7″ x 11.8″
- Travel bangle bracelet
Giveaway Details:
How to Enter:
Simply use the widget below to login with an email & follow the prompts after login.
Giveaway Rules:
Follow @thebreakofdawns on Twitter
Follow @thebreakofdawns on Instagram
Giveaway Details:
The giveaway winner will be chosen randomly through Rafflecopter. It is open Internationally!
Giveaway closes at midnight on August 10, 2018.
Thank you SO much once again to all of you who have made me feel so a part of this community. I’m forever grateful for this amazing year I’ve had and I can’t wait to see what my 2nd year has in store!
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Congratulations on 1 year blog anniversary! I loved this post, especially what you’ve learnt from blogging. I could relate to almost everything. I find myself changing my blog or Instagram theme all the time haha but it’s a learning process. So excited to see what’s next for you 🙂
Amita, THANK YOU! I’m so happy you enjoyed it. It was actually much easier to write than I thought it would be because those lessons learned just kept flowing, mostly ones I’ve never thought of before. I can’t wait to see what the next year will bring, here’s to more growth & awesome experiences!