I can’t believe I’ve already had this blog for nearly a year. It’s felt like such a short time, but here we are!
It’s been an interesting journey so far, and I’ve learned quite a bit more than I probably realize. And there are some changes I definitely want to make and kinks to work out.
So let’s go through my experience after a year!
My Blogging Journey
When I started this blog a year ago, I had just finished college and was preparing to go on my first (proper) international trip.
It was a trip to San Ignacio, Belize, which I’ve already written about extensively. Everything from the field school experience itself to the sites and excursions we went on (like the ATM Cave, Tikal, and Caracol). I even talked a bit about San Ignacio itself a bit!
My first few posts were very… easy, I guess.
I wrote about what language is, and then focused on the immediate experiences of my time in Belize. I wrote one of my first posts about dealing with setbacks while traveling, and how they aren’t always completely negative.
Over time, I started to get a feel for what I wanted out of my blog and, following advice from other bloggers, started to focus in a bit more and commit myself to the process.
Now, I’ve written several full-on language guides, talking about both languages themselves as well as the language demographics of different countries.
I plan to do many more of these, but they take a lot of effort to research, and I can’t do them all the time.
Still, I aim to talk just as much about adventure advice and tell stories about my travel experiences!
It still baffles me that writing a post a week only nets me about 50 posts for a whole year! I missed a couple weeks here and there before finding a schedule that works for me, and now I’ve kept it consistent for quite some time.
Blogging Challenges and How I’ve Managed Them
Some of my biggest challenges in my first year have been (probably) pretty common:
- Learning how to navigate WordPress
- Learning social media outreach (still working on this one!)
- Overcoming small issues with the website functionality
- Formatting
- Branding
- Finding ideas for posts
Some of these have been easier to fix than others. For example, I still haven’t been able to get Google to properly notice my blog posts and put them in search. But I’ve learned to press on in spite of that and find ways to avoid relying on Google for blog traffic!
Overall, I think I understand WordPress well. There’s a lot I can still learn about the things I can place on my posts, but for now I think this is enough.
Social media is still a struggle for me. I’m a lifelong lurker on social media sites and am still getting used to posting updates and actually being active. I think I need to use Instagram to post about my small trips and excursions, not just big ones. I’ve started to make a couple friends in the blogging scene, though, and look forward to making many more!
I reformatted the organization of my blog a few months ago to make it easier to navigate. I also added little things like a search bar and related posts section, just to give all of you readers an easier time reading!
As for branding, I don’t have a lot. I have a (kind of) random logo I’m not too happy with, and my theme is just a free one I found. I want this page to be properly mine, and I can’t do that without my own appearance. I’m working on it, but I need some money before I can change anything.
Expect an updated look soon!
I also have found it difficult at times to find anything to write about. Going into this, I had so many ideas, and I thought they would last me such a long time.
But then, after a couple months, I had nothing left to write. While I am getting better at coming up with ideas, I usually get them in bursts. I’ll get like 3 ideas at once, write them over the next 3 weeks, and then get stuck again.
I’m getting better at it, though, and have had far less problems getting ideas as I go out exploring more!
Blog Viewership
Like anyone doing this sort of thing, I came into blogging with high expectations. Within the first year, I expected to start making some money off of this blog. It’ll let me travel wherever I want once it takes off, and I’ll be so free!
But realistic expectations are important.
In a year, the main thing I’ve accomplished as far as views and visits is some consistency. There aren’t a lot of views, and I have no idea if they’re even from the same people. (Except my mom. Thanks mom!)
If everyone is coming and going every time, then that just means I’m not the right person for them. I’m writing for a certain group of people, and they’ll find me eventually!
I just have to keep going, and the viewership will grow. I’m always amazed when I get like 20 views on a post, only for them to drop off again. They’re like waves on the sea, though, crashing and receding. I just need some to form a tide pool.
Being Optimistic
The worst thing I could do for myself is give up.
I know blogging won’t get me anywhere fast.
But I can’t make a blog where I preach about appreciating the journey and then be disappointed about not reaching the destination quickly.
I have a lot of learning to do, but I’m here to learn! And every lesson I learn will be another step in the right direction.
Conclusion
Thanks for reading! Whether you’re new or not, I appreciate your time!
And if you have been coming back here, why haven’t you subscribed to my newsletter yet? (You can find it in the sidebar or at the bottom of this post.)
Nah, I’m just kidding, you don’t have to subscribe (but I’d really appreciate the vote of support!). I’m glad you’re here regardless. But I’d love to hear from you in the comments, at least!
Anyway, I don’t want this to get too rambly, so I’ll leave it there.
Here’s to another year of the Linguistic Traveler! I hope it’s a good one!
I love each and every post! Thanks for the shout out!
-Mom