Happy 6th Birthday to This Blog!

I can’t believe it’s been 6 years since I started this blog! I haven’t written a blogiversary post since 2018, so I definitely didn’t want to miss this milestone this year.

2019 marked four years having this blog, but I had a lot of life changes going on and didn’t feel up to writing for most of that year. Then we all know what happened in 2020 when this blog turned five. I didn’t feel very inspired to write an update in the midst of a global pandemic that halted travel world-wide (and led me to cancelling a year of full-time travel that I quit my job to do).

Despite all those challenges, I still managed to have amazing adventures in 2019 and 2020, many of which I’ve already written about here. I’m so grateful to everyone who takes the time to read any of my posts, so THANK YOU! It really means so much to me–I appreciate it more than you could ever know.

That being said, I started this website as a creative outlet for myself, and I’m happy to say that’s how I still feel to this day, six years later. This blog isn’t monetized, it’s not my job, I don’t make any money off it. I’ve kept up with it purely because it brings me joy to share my travels and write about my experiences around the world.

It took me six years to earn my doctorate in pharmacy, now the same amount of time I’ve run this blog, which is kind of crazy to think about. There are many “influencers” I follow who started after me and have managed to make content creation their full-time job and source of income (and probably make more than I do as a pharmacist). I just want to point that out because it’s not easy to do and it’s not guaranteed. There’s a ton of work and hustle that goes into it– not everyone can make money just from starting a blog or an Instagram. I’d say it’s actually harder to do than earn a degree haha.

Recently I’ve been thinking a lot about creativity and side hustles and how popular being an influencer has become. Of course it seems like the dream to make money online doing something you love, but there’s another side to that. I think being creative can be enough. Not everything we do as humans has to be monetized. I love traveling and having this blog, but if I had to rely on it to make money, would it bring me as much joy? I think the answer for me personally would be no.

For starters, I wouldn’t have been able to take a break from writing in 2019 and 2020 when I wasn’t feeling up to it. I wouldn’t be able to go exactly where I want in the world, if I had to chase a specific story for a collaboration. I wouldn’t be able to “go offline” and relax on any of my trips because I’d be thinking about how I could make money wherever I happened to be. I would constantly be worrying about how many followers I have and how to get more. I’m not saying I would never monetize this blog, but it’s not the reason I started it and it’s not the reason I keep going with it.

We’re allowed to have things we love and do for fun just for the sake of enjoyment. I don’t want people to forget that. Not all hobbies have to turn into a side hustle. Not all hours of the day have to be spent in the pursuit of making money. You get to live and exist and binge Netflix for hours on end if that’s what you need to do to look after your mental health and be your happiest.

With more and more of our lives going online, the comparison game is real. But you’re enough just the way you are. Working a 9-5 and taking trips when you can is enough. Being creative for the sake of being creative is enough. That’s my little rant for the day 🙂 and I hope it’s a good reminder for someone out there.

I always like to share goals for the upcoming year when I write these blogiversary posts. It’s great to look back on later down the line to see if I accomplished what I was hoping. But if I don’t, that’s ok too!

1. I would love to get an article or two published and be able to call myself a travel writer with real clips. I have some ideas in the pipeline, so we’ll see how that goes!
2. I would love to start a travel-themed YouTube channel. Let me know if you would watch! This is something I definitely want to make happen and is already in the works.
3. Not sure if this will work out for 2022, but I would love to attend some sort of travel conference. Attend workshops, learn new skills, network with like-minded creators!

I can’t wait for what’s ahead… my current work schedule has opened up a lot of possibilities for travel that I will definitely be taking advantage of! I hope you’ll continue to follow along and maybe even be inspired to take a trip of your own!

Happy 6th Birthday to this blog and thank you so much for reading 🙂

Here are a few photos from my 2021 travels so far… next up… GREECE!!!

Words:

…but magic

doesn’t work like that

magic doesn’t happen

cause i’ve figured out how to

pack more work in a day

magic moves

by the laws of nature

and nature has its own clock

magic happens

when we play

when we escape

daydream and imagine

that’s where everything

with the power to fulfill us

is waiting on its knees for us

–productivity anxiety by Rupi Kaur

Some other posts you might like:

A Chicago Staycation for When You Want to Treat Yo’Self

16 Beautiful Things from 16 Countries