Two years ago this month, I decided to buy my name, online that is. While I had a Blogger blog long before, buying my domain name and starting this travel site proved to be much more official, much more real. I was opening up myself and my travels to whoever was willing to listen.
Luckily, enough of you decided to listen to this redhead. My motto from a young age was, “I’m not the oldest, but I’m the loudest.” I guess I have taken a bit of that motto and used it here. I might not be the biggest of travel blogs, the most popular or unpopular, but I share travel. In the end, after two years of doing so, I wouldn’t want it any other way.
It seems almost weekly I get emails asking how to start what I started here. These emails usually take me the longest to reply to, not because I am all-important but due to the fact that they are the most flattering of emails to receive. I want to give them the proper time. I haven’t been to the moon and back. I don’t know SEO, as I probably should. I have good traffic days and horrible traffic days. I have articles that bomb and articles that boom. The fact that someone wants my advice about anything is gratifying.
The only advice I can give to those starting something similar to what I have here is to make it about travel and experience. I really don’t care how someone goes about traveling. I care if they try to go. I care about the emotions of travel. Anyone can pen those to paper or to the computer screen.
The problem with most things in life, especially travel, is that there is generally a hesitation to do so. We worry we don’t have enough money to make it work. The airfare keeps going up and up. And despite traveling for my job, I still reach those moments when I am forced to bite the bullet, to travel or to not travel.
When I haven’t traveled in awhile, I tend to get cranky. A depression comes over me that my routine is truly becoming routine. As I rang in New Year’s Eve with the flu, I decided it was time to stop making excuses about not traveling. I decided it was time to do something drastic, runny nose and all. And so I did what any respectable traveler ultimately does. They lose all practicality and book a ticket out of town. They push aside the many reasons not to go and find just one reason to click purchase.
I leave January 28th for Munich, Germany. While I will only be gone two weeks, I plan on heading east to explore (hopefully) Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary and possibly Romania and the Czech Republic. While I know that sounds like quite the itinerary for two weeks, I will work out the planning in the next few weeks. I haven’t sorted everything out and in the end, I think that is what travel and blogging should be.
I don’t know all there is to know about either area, but I am doing both the way that works for me. Travel is personal after all. We find connections in experiences so different from one to the next. They merely fit together from one style to another because we go. So Happy Blog Birthday to me! Thank you all for reading, promoting and commenting on this site. Here’s to more travels, experiences and stories from this redheaded temperament.
Have you been to central/eastern Europe? Do you have any suggestions for me on what to see and do?
Hello. Happy birthday for your blog!
I’m a reader of your blog from Romania and as I read you want to include my country in your itinerary i decided to write you. I hope you will come to see it. I can give you some advices (I live in Transilvania the most visited region of Romania).
You have a lot to see here a nice itinerary could be: Cluj-Napoca+Salt mine (Turda)+ Sibiu (europe cultural city 2010 ) with a huge open air museum (ASTRA) + Brasov (little nice city in the mountains) + Bran (Dracula castel) all you can see in 3-4 days.
But the most beautiful region of Romania (iconic, less turistic, more Romanian) is Maramures. For the beautifull little villages, the wood artcraft, nice monastary, the happy cimitery etccc
Congrats on the anniversary. I look forward to tagging along on the adventure through Europe:)
Happy Blog Birthday! I know that feeling of booking a ticket because you need to get away. So exciting. Have you been to Munich? It is one of my favorite European cities. Your trip sounds wonderful. So many great places to explore. If you decide to go to the Czech Rep., let me know and I can give you some tips.
Happy Blog-o-versary! Your two weeks in Europe sound delightful (slightly jealous btw).
Suggestions:
Croatia – Go! Gorgeous and the people are just lovely. A killer circuit is Dubrovnik -> Kortula -> Hvar -> Split. Home stays (sobes) are really common in the south & give a little extra insight into local life.
Slovenia – Lake Bled is unreal. The Soce Mountains (and Soce Pass) are stunning and are filled with history from the World Wars. Lots of adventure sports in the mountains too.
Hungary – Buda Castle, thermal baths, people watching along the Danube Promenade.
Czech – Prague is magic.
that trip sound awesome Suzy! Prague is on my short list to see ( hopefully at the end of this year, or the beginning of 2013) so I can’t wait to read about your travels to this area.
happy blog birthday!
I have NOT been to Eastern Europe – yet. It’s going to be the focus of my travels this July, though, so I’ll be really interested to read about your time there!
Congrats Suzy and I hope you have a great time on your trip! I’ve enjoyed reading your blog over these last couple of years.
Happy blog birthday! Can totally relate to that need to just book a ticket–have you been to Munich before? One of my favorite cities in the world, although it might be a bit cold when you go 🙂
That really is an ambitious itinerary for two weeks!! But I’ve did something similar a couple years back and it can be done! I went to Budapest, Vienna, Prague, Bratislava, and Krakow for two weeks. I’ve also been to Croatia, but that was on a separate week-long trip for sailing. Lovely part of the world!
Ooo, these are some exciting plans! I can only speak for Germany – I love that the countryside is littered with castles and old fortresses, and the food is delicious! Enjoy your time there 😀
Happy blog birthday!
I know that feeling too, whe you realise you’ve been doing the same thing every day for months and you just want to jump on a train and see something new. Looking forward to hearing about your time in Germany!
Woohoo! Happy blog bday! I love how you say travel is personal and how we find connections in experiences so different from one to the next. You have explained the thoughts in my head so eloquently. I think, like you, I need to get outta town. I’m making myself crazy with our business projects, which are not coming together in the time frame I was planning, so I think I need to just let it all go and take off for the weekend. I didn’t realize why I was getting so cranky. 😉
Love the cake, and I DEFINITELY also get cranky when I don’t travel! So right now………………the itch is coming on. Must. Go. Somewhere!
Happy Birthday! Love the last photo 😉
If you have never been to Prague, I would definitely include it on your itinerary. Budapest is also fantastic.
Happy Birthday!
First time commenter long time reader.
Have a fabulous trip! Hooray for spontaneous travel and happy bloggy birthday!
That’s awesome that you will see all those countries in 2 weeks. I’ve been thinking of doing spontaneous travel soon as well. Enjoy your time and hope you have lots of fun!