November 23, 2015 • 2

18 Months

1961

We’re 18 months old

My little blog is now eighteen months old. Strange really, since I still think of her as my ‘new’ one. If she were a child she’d now be toddling along on her own and babbling incessant nonsense. Ironically.

The most popular post on the blog continues to be (by a long way) Luzon, Philippines: itinerary for a solo trip, proving that, whatever else you try to do, people on the internet just want lists.

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Philippines

From posts within the last six months, the most read is Spending time in Coyoacan, written about the suburb of Mexico city where I was staying at the time. The reason that one is the most popular probably has more to do with my spending time on social media promoting it. I had good internet in Mexico City.

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Coyoacan

The trouble is I hate social media. I hate that everything I write is supposed to be ‘SEO friendly’ and I’m then expected to promote, promote, promote. Chatting on internet forums, leaving links, telling everyone how ‘awesome’ I am is really not how I want to spend my time. And then the posts all become “10 things you must do in xxx”, which is never even ten things really but just 4-5 of the main attractions padded out with stuff like ‘sit in a cafe and watch people go by’ or ‘eat (insert whatever the local food is)’; things most people would be doing anyway.

When I saw the amount of promoting that some of the others at TBEX were doing in order to get their stats up and possibly blag free tours as a result, I knew that wasn’t the way I wanted to go with things. Apparently, you should spend no more than 10% of your time writing and the rest of it on the endless promotion of what you’ve written. Seriously? I don’t think so.

Anyway, the last six months have been an adventure. I got ready to rent out my flat and take myself off to South America, then I was forced to change plans because of problems with my flat, then I went on an 11-week adventure through West coast USA, Mexico and ending up in Florida for TBEX.

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One of my favourite pictures from my trip, Dante’s View (California) at sunset, snapped on my iPhone

Then I came back to London, finally got the flat rented and now I’m off to Argentina.

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2 replies »

  1. Hello Sarah

    Is that you in the photo? I need to know. I am with you. I write my blog because I enjoy it, not because I need to sell it to everyone. Personally, I think that means more, because it is more personal. Your flat will be fine and you will go off on your travels and all will be well my friend. See you Wednesday. Thai vegetable curry now lol, hope that is ok? xx

    Reply

    • Ah I just want to see it up and running before I go to the other side of the world, that’s all. I don’t want to have to make another expensive flight back here.
      No I’m thinking of the blog as more of a portfolio now, trying to show what I can do and I’m more interested in telling stories rather than making lists.
      Allegedly that is me in the photo, with my mum and my Auntie Iris. My father is never in any of them, I’m guessing because he was always taking the pictures. He probably felt that pushing a button on a camera required a superior male brain.
      Thai curry sounds perfect.
      xx

      Reply

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