Joslin pitched us this insightful guest post and we’re thrilled to host it on our blog. If you would like to guest post for us, send a pitch to blogs@20sb.net! More info can be found here.
When I moved away to Anchorage and married my husband I started a blog as a way to keep my family and friends updated on my life. I quickly learned that I didn’t have a lot to say. There were only so many posts I could write about my daily routine. Work, couch, eat, sleep. Reading over my first dozen or so posts was a wake-up call. I’m boring. (I have since edited/deleted said posts.) Either I needed to get out and do things worth blogging about or I needed to find something interesting in my boring life.
My first instinct was to get out and do things. But the freezing temperatures and snow in Alaska was too intense to brave. Instead I learned how to appreciate my life. I put a spotlight on the things I took for granted. I took pictures of a lunar eclipse and wrote about the hilarity of standing on my icy balcony in my pajamas trying to find the moon. I posted about a trip through the carwash…actually, I get excited about carwashes so I probably posted every time we went through one. Anytime I tried something new, big or small, it went into a blog post. Most of my posts weren’t long since I didn’t have a lot of time or energy for it back then. But not every blog post needed to be a huge production since everyday life usually isn’t a huge production. Nowadays I have more time to dedicate to my blog so I try to put in a little more meat and potatoes.
My blog has also forced me to carry some sort of camera on me at all times. There are always new and interesting things happening that should be documented; if not for my blog, then for my personal memories. Reading text gets a little monotonous and tedious so I like to add in picture illustrations as often as possible. I try my best to avoid using stock photos or internet images, just my preference for my blog. When my husband and I moved to Italy, I started posting a lot of amazing pictures. I like a good caption so I also started making sure to note what I was photographing and did research before posting. I don’t go too in depth, just enough to give my readers enough information to appreciate what they’re seeing. If they’re intrigued they can always look into it more or add it to their travel wish list.
Finally, blogging has allowed me to network with people all over the world. I love reading other blogs and hearing from fellow bloggers. I have new people to sympathize, celebrate, laugh, and cry with. I read different points of view and get inspiration daily; it’s a whole new education of sorts. I’m constantly expanding my reading list and meeting new people. My little world is always growing and I have blogging to thank for that. Hope to see you out there!
About the Author: My name is Joslin. My blog was started a week before my wedding and is about my life as Mrs. Williams. I’m Hawaiian born, Oregon grown, and Washington schooled. Find Joslin: 20sb | blog
