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| Biltmore Estate: Asheville, NC (May 2016) |
Focusing has been difficult the past few months, so I'm taking an alternative approach to A-Z this year: looking back at past travel, editing or re-editing images from travels before, and responding to travel-related questions. Hope you are able to join me on this journey to my past!
For day A, I found this beautiful sunset shot of the mountains in Asheville, NC. It was taken during a road trip from Savannah, GA and Charleston, SC westward during a Memorial Day weekend holiday. We made it to the Biltmore Estates (where our hotel was) just in time to see the sunset.
Other places I considered for this post: Atlanta (GA), Avalon (CA), and Alcatraz Island (CA)
1. Why did you start a travel blog?
Several reasons. The first of which is that it can be hard to find information when you are researching a destination. I wanted my blog to be a source someone could use when researching.
Second, I felt like my blog needed a niche. I haven't done a great job of focusing in the past few months, but it is not for a lack of ideas! Just lacking the time and focus to turn those ideas into actual posts. 😳
2. When did you start your travel blog?
I started blogging in high school when a girl friend introduced me to LiveJournal. (Anyone else remember that?) Since then, I've tried various other niches, but the one that stuck for me was travel. I never get tired of editing travel images or talking about my experiences while traveling. (Does anyone?)
While I have loved traveling and the act of traveling since I was a child (planning out my Disney vacation at the age of 10!), it was the act of traveling to Europe in 2014 that really pushed me into blogging about travel. If you have ever felt that your dreams are beyond your reach, that you will never or could never actually reach them even if you wanted them with all of your heart, and if you have ever dealt with all of the complications that come with actually reaching your dreams, you will understand how and why this blog came to be.
When my husband and I decided to go to Europe for the first time (to a friend's wedding), we really couldn't afford to go, but we ultimately decided that life is too short to not spend time with the ones you love.
Of course, money was only one factor to the equation. We also were in need of a new vehicle. And our rental property was sold, so we had to make decisions about where we were living.
And with going to Europe, there was the added stress of learning a language and spending time with people we didn't know incredibly well. How do you live up to their expectations?
I cried a lot as we planned that trip. And then I cried when it was all over.
This is something we don't really talk about as travel bloggers. Travel is fun; it's exciting. You learn so much about yourself, but you also learn a lot about the world.
But we don't talk about
• Language and how stressful not knowing the language of the country you are visiting is. Or how very difficult it is to learn the language.
• Food and how things you are used to or comfortable with may not be available to you.
• How cultures are different from place to place. Even if you speak the same language, you won't necessarily see eye-to-eye. And body language! If I give a thumbs up in Egypt, how will they respond?
• Exchange rate. You always need to be on your toes and aware of what you are spending and what you have.
So you are thinking about all of these things when traveling (and more!) trying to navigate it all while still trying to find a way to enjoy the place you are visiting.
I guess, then, it makes sense why I cry at the end of every trip. Travel is incredibly stressful and absolutely exhausting.
That's why I blog about travel. Because I want it to be easier for you than it is for me. Because knowing where you are going, knowing what to expect will help you avoid some of the many pitfalls you could find yourself in.
3. What kind of traveler are you?
I'm the kind of traveler that has to have a plan from the get-go (and I love planning!), but once I am where I'm going, I let it all go. Things happen, like traffic. You can't always do everything that you want to do while traveling. So I think the best way to travel and the best way to get the most accomplished during a trip, is to have a set plan but to plan for deviation from your plan.
So, tell me, what is your plan for April A-Z? Are you participating?
If not, talk to me about travel. What kind of traveler are you? Do you find travel blogs helpful? Do you think travel is exhausting and stressful or invigorating?
