If anyone says that blogging is easy, don’t believe them. I’ve certainty placed a lot of pressure on myself to post regularly and it really helped with getting me to write and edit even when I just felt like watching Netflix. I’ve gone through times when my brain was like a desert to other times when I had so many posts being drafted I didn’t know what I was writing about anymore. It’s hard coming up with ideas sometimes and I think at one point I was trying to write for the crowd and restricting myself when I shouldn’t have. I’m still trying to break this mould.
I want to thank all of you for reading. It’s so daunting to decide to share parts of my life and thoughts with an audience. I know we shouldn’t fear the judgement of others, only of ourselves, but it’s hard to shake off. Especially as someone who dislikes conflict and confrontation, I’ve spent much of my life holding my tongue and not saying much. I’ve come across such kind, supportive and inspiring bloggers and readers here from across the world. Thank you for taking the time to read, comment and like.
I’ve really enjoyed reading everyone’s writings on life, adventures and general interests, I’m even embarassed to admit how much time I actually spend on here reading and looking for new blogs to read. It’s nice to find a place with more thoughtfulness, ruminating, crafting and be swept away to all parts of the world. It really tickles the dreamer and traveller within me. Sometimes I think why I can’t be friends with all you lovely people in real life but I guess there’s just not enough hours in the day for that.
I, like many others I would think, am hoping for a more ‘normal’ 2021. Whatever that’s going to look like. At least we’ll be able to write about it.
Stay safe and see you all next year!
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Lingo in Transit 
Yes..Blogging soothes my mind,,hoping we can get back to travelling soon..
Fingers crossed.
You have a great blog and I always try to read it. You sound exactly like me and how I was in the beginning ..posting for other people. Now I just like to write and if I get likes and comments then that’s a bonus. I’ve been doing a lot of the challenges if I haven’t got anything to say. This year has been hard with no travelling
Happy new year to you
Thank you so much Alison for your kind words! I think it’s the pressure from seeing other people’s blog and it gives us a scaffold for what a blog is but it’s bad for us creatively! Good on you for keeping up with blogging this year despite no travelling. Hoping there’s more travel instore for you next year.
Yes I hope so ..probably just in Australia though
I would like to get back to the UK by October for my dad’s 90th
Hope we can travel by then!
I concur exactly with everything you said here! Blogging is a creative, enthralling activity, and the community is warm and embracing. Sometimes though we can get into a writing funk or we spend far too much time at the keyboard.
It is all about balance.
May 2021 bring your joy and balance.
Thank you Amanda for being part of this warm community and your well wishes! Likewise, I hope 2021 brings you happiness and calm (and more beach tai chi).
Beach Tai Chi or Qi gong! Yay for that.
Blogging isn’t easy, but it’s not impossible; I believe if you have lots of things to say and the dedication/bravery to put them out there, it can be such a enriching experience. Not just to your followers, but also you. Having blogged for almost seven years on different sites, I can say that it comes with highs and lows, but it’s about growing up and seeing the changes in yourself that make it all the more fascinating. I’ve found blogging throughout these years really insightful, and it’s exciting to see just how much we continue to change in the years down the line!
Interesting! More food for thought about what a blog is/can be. Good on you for still writing after 7 years!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us 🙂 And never feel like you have to write for us – just write what you enjoy and we will too! Let’s hope 2021 is better and hope you had a lovely Christmas!
I shall get better at writing what I want this year! How weird to say this year already.
Blogging isn’t easy at all, but it’s rewarding. It’s taught me a lot about how much I judge my own writing and why I shouldn’t. I’m sometimes surprised by posts that are popular… often the ones I thought twice about publishing as I thought they were a bit rubbish. I love the connections we bloggers make. That lovely web of posts and comments and interactions. I don’t know what we’ll be blogging about as 2021 unfolds, but isn’t it a comforting thought that we’ll be walking it together as a blogging community.
Interesting! I’ve drafted many and then deleted because I didn’t think it was worth posting. I’m sure we’ll come up with things to write about! Happy New Year to you.
I agree with you, blogging is not easy. I’ve been blogging for eight years now and the hardest part about blogging is finding the encouragement and enthusiasm to continue doing it. The good thing about blogging is that it helps you discover more about yourself and as a writer. My blogs posts have changed over time, from being very scholarly and formal to being more personal and interactive. In the eight years I’ve been blogging I’ve seen great blogs that started great and then the bloggers stopped writing. I hope you continue blogging in 2021 and in the future. Have a Blessed New Year 2021!
8 years is an amazing dedication! It’s nice to have a little place on the internet that is yours. I hope you keep on blogging too about your life journey and identity. I think alot of people resonate with that in this international world (myself included). Thank you for your well wishes! Happy New Year.
You have given voice to many of my own anxieties and joys about blogging. I am not great with discipline and working towards some regularity in posting has kept me focused. And like you, I am so affirmed and delighted with our BlogFriends and love being part of this community.
And of course, I love all the vicarious travelling, eating, cooking, etc …. so I can completely understand why you would spend time in this space, particularly in this crazy year.
Wishing for you a 2021 that is safe, reflective & filled with joy & discovery.
It’s so nice that so many other bloggers share these feelings too!
Thank you for your well wishes. May 2021 bring you another year of adventures and happiness.
I started Blogging just before we moved in De. It was a sudden, yet thoughful move to share, and expose myself in the internet.Though I shared most personal experiences from my Expat life, I do feel vulnerable sometimes, and yes, the pressure is also real. I had times where I couldn´t even write a single post in months… I had those days which I neglect and certainly no time at all to respond and read all what my fellow Bloggers have written.
the good thing is— I decided not to feel guilty, afterall, writing should be an outlet, a way to gas out inspiration .
keep on writing, never stop, even if takes time to do it.
I look forward to reading more of what you´re written..Here´s to new beginnings..Happy New Year to you.
I think it’s great to have started blogging and perhaps it was a good way to process all the emotions and newness around you. I’m finding it much the same now as an outlet. Thank you for your kind words of encouragement. Happy New Year to you too and to more writing this year!
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Great post, and I completely agree with you! Blogging is not easy, and putting a post out there can feel scary and daunting, but it also comes with its load of great things like a great community! I also love that it makes me feel more creative as well! Congrats on 1 year of blogging 😊
So glad other people feel the same way. Thank you!
Happy 2021! I hope this year is better for you, not just in blogging, but in general. But I do agree that it takes a lot to blog, too. One would think it is just a casual thing you do on your free time, but that is really not the case. Haha!
Thank you for your well wishes for this year. I hope this year is better for you both too. Exactly and let’s not forget having to take pictures!
I find your blog funny, in a good way, because it’s honest. Thanks for your insight. I hope you blog more for your own happiness and enjoyment; and less pressured by what other bloggers would say. I’m not a professional blogger. I consider myself just a happy scribbler, not blogger.:-) For those readers who are judgmental, let me share my post:
https://posh-kubo.com/2021/01/08/crab-mentality-nature/
Thank you so much! I don’t know if I would call myself a professional blogger either. Thanks for sharing your post!
Blogging _can_ be easy. If you don’t care about your audience, that is. Once you start to wonder how you can improve the experience for your readers, then it becomes hard. Well, another year is coming soon since you posted this, and I wonder what your one-year update will be. Hope you had a ‘normal’ 2021!
Time is flying Stuart! I didn’t even think about another review coming up until you mentioned it. Still always working on the writing what I want thing.