Taking a break from my RexyEdventures globetrotting after a fabulous last night out in New Zealand, I want to explain to you my first post about the difficulties of travel blogging.
So imagine you’re a blogger. You’ve been blogging for nearly a year now. 350 posts. Wow, I should feel proud. I do. I do feel proud of myself for having stuck this long. Plenty a time I’ve bought a very nice notebook, perhaps with a moleskin cover, in order to pen my thoughts into a diary. With fierce determination I’ll pen a rolling first entry perhaps taking up gazillions of pages introducing myself and my innermost thoughts that day. I’ve always had this fantasy that this notebook will survive me and will be picked up by a long lost descendant who will be wowed by having such a handsome (I’ve stuck a pic of myself in it), witty, adventurous and intelligent ancestor who will cry himself to sleep for living up to my standards. He shouldn’t need to worry. A few entries later that is dwindling in size, I probably died after a week. I didn’t. I just gave up. This pissed me off plenty. As I stare at my notebooks on the shelf, full of taunting empty pages, I should be proud that I managed to make this blog last and also should continue to post articles of my RexyEdventures.
But sometimes, blogging is hard.
As I’ve posted an article that I feel massively proud of such as my trip to the Northlands of New Zealand, my scary bungee jump off the Nevis and perhaps even my informative guide to visas and making sure you have your passport ready, sometimes I’m left with the empty disappointment that no one has even bothered to acknowledge it. With such a frenzy of social network promotion through twitter, facebook and stumbleupon, no one says anything. How crushed do I feel. I mean, the original purpose was to inform my family and friends what I’m up to during my 2012 travels and I have done that with my dear Mum. She’ll sent me an email there and then talking about what I’ve been doing and perhaps scold me off over Skype about why did I throw myself out of a plane and seriously, what possessed my mind to go cuddling tigers. That’s okay. That’s what Mums do. Sometimes, I’ll bemoan at her why she doesn’t leave a comment after my post. That’s what gives me a reward for my hard work of blogging. ‘But people will see what I wrote!’ she’ll respond. Okay, okay, I suppose I’ll let her off.
But what about my other family? Do they know what I’ve been up to? I mean, I gave them all my blog website addresses and no written comments have come out of it. It was a huge shock to see my brother post on his facebook wall a link to a post of mine about my skydive recently. Maybe they had been reading it but didn’t say anything. And my friends. I have 500+ friends on facebook to which I’ve been linking the post to on my wall and most of the time…nada. When I’ll be chatting to them online or texting them, they’ll ask what I’ve been up to and where I’ve been. I’ll narrow my eyes and say, ‘didn’t you see on my blog?’ ‘Oh I’ve been so busy, I haven’t had time to check out your blog since ages ago.’ I understand you’re busy and that you have your own life to follow but even just to leave a comment on my latest blog post and say ‘Looks amazing, but haven’t seen the others yet. I’ll give them a read when I get chance.’ Great! I’ll be really happy. But to my friends who are reading my blog on a regular basis, which one are you? You know what I’ve done and I don’t want to repeat myself to you if you already know. Say Hello and give some feedback. I won’t bite you…hard. I want to tell you what I’ve been up to because I value you as a friend.
I look at my stats and wonder, who ARE these people that are checking out my site? Say hello! Please don’t just ‘like’ the post and run away. I’m not an evil monster who will rip you to shreds and eat them if you leave a comment. I value feedback. Even if it’s just to scarily say, ‘I think I’m falling in love with you’ will certainly give me a happy. Give me an argument about where I’ve been, give me a debate, give me worship, give me nastiness, I don’t care. I want to KNOW WHO YOU ARE!
So there you have it. Blogging is Hard. But make it easier for me. Say hello.
Hello.
Even Lionel Ritchie had me at Hello.
Great post, we also often wonder who is reading our blog, not that it is as established as yours! I found your blog really helpful for planning some of our trip and am looking forward to your next edventures 🙂
Hello!!! Read your blog!! Haha! I’m proud of you for plucking your courage to do something round the world. i didn’t want bother you too much which is why i have not put any comments in your blogs!! That is my excuse!! 😉 Xx
I often feel like this about my blog and it can get very frustrating. But then there are days when my posts get lots of love which makes me ridiculously happy. You have to just keep plugging away – as long as you are enjoying what you’re doing, other people will enjoy reading it!
Keep up the good work 🙂
Hello & cheers from Canada!
Message received 5/5. I understand how you feel! I initially started my blog to keep friends and family informed during my year in South Korea.
According to the stats i was talking to myself lol but that’s fine. It was my diary and I wrote some of my adventures.
Now a year later i made so much progress & have interacted a lot with like-minded individuals in the blogosphere!
It takes time and a lot of patience but it’s all worth it!
Be proud of what you’ve accomplished and grateful for what you live 😉
You’re experiencing what most people never will and that is PRICELESS!
Keep going & happy travels 😉
P.S: About moms, they worry no matter what! Mine still cries everytime I travel ;( Im just adventurous can’t help it!