Thrilling information! I’m celebrating my 20-year running a blog anniversary this month. My story goes again a great distance, beginning half a decade earlier than the A Girl in London weblog existed. I by no means imagined I’d sometime be one of many first skilled journey bloggers, and I actually didn’t anticipate the journey my journey can be. Talking of which, you’ll wish to hear the main points…
20-12 months Running a blog Anniversary
I began my first weblog in my faculty dorm room in Windfall, Rhode Island in 2002. Two of my suitemates had blogs, as did a few our different pals on campus.
We had been all about to go off for winter break earlier than dispersing internationally to check overseas. I used to be heading to Prague, and my classmates had been going to Hong Kong, Vietnam, London and different far-flung locations.
My First Weblog
Figuring out we wouldn’t see each other till the next August, my suitemates prompt I begin a weblog so we may keep up a correspondence for the eight months we had been aside. One in every of them sat down and walked me by means of the method of setting it up.
Identical to that I had a weblog. And with out realizing the long-term implications of it, I grew to become a blogger.
I stored the weblog for a 12 months and a half. I wrote about my time learning overseas within the Czech Republic, my relationship drama with my boyfriend, and my summer time internship on the US Embassy in Paris (the place I managed to persuade a number of of my fellow interns to start out blogs as effectively).
After I obtained again to campus in August, I wrote about my research, my relationship drama with my boyfriend, and my job provide from an funding financial institution.
As commencement approached, I made a decision to cease working the weblog. I used to be going to be an grownup, in any case, and grownup life is boring.
Who desires to examine what it’s wish to work at Goldman Sachs? (Looking back, lots of people. However I in all probability would have been fired for running a blog about it).
My Second Weblog
Two years later, I left the financial institution to work as a macroeconomic analyst at a hedge fund in San Francisco. Whereas there, I missed having a inventive outlet a lot that I made a decision to start out one other weblog.
I used to be involved in regards to the lack of girls within the hedge fund world, so I created a weblog to handle it. It was about demystifying the customarily opaque world of this nook of the monetary companies sector.
I wrote a handful of posts about what hedge funds had been earlier than I obtained so bored of writing about investing that it began feeling like work. I deserted it.
A Girl in London
A couple of months later I stop my job to maneuver to London (with no job and no plan). The day after I left the monetary sector, I created one other weblog. This one was referred to as A Girl in London, and it was going to be about my expat life within the UK.
As with my first weblog, I noticed it as a option to keep up a correspondence with household and pals again dwelling. Skilled running a blog didn’t actually exist again then, and I by no means imagined my new one can be something however a pastime.
Within the two months main as much as my transfer, I wrote about my visa course of, pleasure in regards to the prospect dwelling abroad, and close-to-home adventures across the Bay Space.
After I obtained to London, I coated subjects like flat searching, getting arrange as an expat, and my early explorations of town. I had sufficient sense to not write about my relationship drama with my boyfriend.
Then I began touring. One of many causes I moved to London was that I’d had a tremendous time touring to totally different European nations each weekend after I was on the continent in faculty, and I wished to do it once more. I did.
Again then flights had been cheaper than water, and my pals and I traveled throughout Europe for the price of a modest meal. I as soon as flew to Portugal for £1.
I went additional afield, too. Cartagena and Senegal had been two of many long-haul locations I traveled to. Australia and New Zealand didn’t even appear too distant.
I wrote about all my journeys on my weblog, and I quickly realized that regardless of being referred to as A Girl in London, it was really about international journey. However London was my old flame, and I by no means thought to vary the identify.
Going Full-Time
A pair years after I launched A Girl in London, the weblog had attracted a major following. Running a blog was turning into one thing you may monetize, too.
I made it my New 12 months’s decision to stop my job in 2010 and begin working the weblog full-time as a enterprise. It was terrifying and thrilling on the identical time.
I needed to wait till January eighth at hand in my discover since my boss obtained caught abroad resulting from heavy snow. However I made my decision occur and I’ve by no means seemed again.
Right this moment the A Girl in London weblog is acknowledged as one of many high journey blogs within the UK. I’m happy with the exhausting work I’ve put in and the enterprise I’ve constructed.
There have been huge ups and downs through the years (don’t get me began on how troublesome it was to make a dwelling from a journey weblog in 2020), however it’s been an journey I’ll all the time treasure. It nonetheless is. I can’t wait to see what the long run holds for it.
Running a blog Right this moment
This 12 months I launched into a brand new running a blog journey and a brand new chapter in life. I began splitting my time between London and California, and I launched a second weblog referred to as California Wayfaring. You may learn the story right here.
It’s been extra work than I ever imagined I may deal with (all of the hours I’ve spent at my desk have landed me in bodily remedy), however it’s been extremely rewarding. I can’t wait to see how this new weblog’s story unfolds.
Thank You
As I have a good time this 20-year running a blog anniversary, I’m grateful to my faculty pals who inspired me to start out running a blog manner again in 2002, my followers and subscribers for supporting me alongside the best way, and also you for studying this proper now. Thanks!
The journey continues to be in progress, and I can’t wait to see what the long run brings. I hope you’ll come together with me for the running a blog adventures which can be but to come back.
Discover my weblog useful? Purchase me a espresso!
New right here? Be part of 1000’s of others and subscribe to the A Girl in London weblog through electronic mail.
Pin it!
