I’m a travel junkie
One of the reasons why I decided to create Travel and Blossom is because I’m a travel junkie. I live, breath, and adore airports. They’re like a second home for me. I was 20 years old when I started traveling on my own. I did a study abroad program at my alma mater for a spring semester. It was one of the best semesters of my life. Hands down! I was studying in Rome, Italy at John Cabot University. Over there, I pretty much got all of my Fridays off so it gave me more time to travel. I went to 7 different countries during my time there: England, Spain, Sweden, Germany, Poland, The Netherlands, and France. It was pretty amazing for the most part but the BEST part overall was doing it solo. It wasn’t easy at first but I got used to it the more I traveled. As a travel junkie, it was only a matter of time until I started a blog of my own. I believe every solo traveler needs a blog just like any photographer needs a camera. They go together!
(The picture above is one a stranger took on my last day in Rome! If you’re curious as to where I got my shoulder bag I’ll leave the link here.)
It’s my side hustle
Starting Travel and Blossom was never meant to be a pastime hobby. I want to monetize this blog as a side hustle in order to form another stream of income. In this day and age with coronavirus, now is the best time to start a side hustle. So many people are losing their jobs left and right… so I figured why not start the blog of my dreams now with Bluehost. My plan right now is to start off with affiliate marketing and then work my way up. I’m in the process of applying for Google Adsense and then I’m hoping to use Amazon Associates as well. My goal is to make $1,000 a month blogging and with the right work ethic, I believe it’s feasible. I’m praying for the best right now with where I am. The more I continue to market my blog the more success will truly follow financially.
To document everything
It’s not enough to just travel… everything needs to be documented. Ten years from now, I want to look back at this blog and remember everything I wrote and everywhere I went. I feel like when a traveler doesn’t take the time to document a moment that moment can get lost in our memory. That’s why blogging is so crucial for solo travelers as well as photography and videography. Every moment is captured in time in order to be saved in our personal storage. Travel and Blossom is that place for me. As my unlimited storage space, Travel and Blossom allows me to save as many moments as I please.
To attract media outlets for Travel and Blossom
Being featured on several media outlets would be such a dream come true for me. Because of that, I want to create shareable content on Travel and Blossom that would help me reach that goal. I would love to be featured in Forbes, Yahoo Travel, The New York Times or even The Huffington Post. The results are endless when it comes to blogging. With the right network, I believe my blog will make it big on a huge media outlet someday. To start off small, I’m working on my blog’s Search Engine Optimization so that I can bring the right traffic to my blog. The higher my search ranking, the more likely my blog will catch the eye of an amazing publicist.
More diversity
For the most part, I haven’t seen too many female bloggers that look like me. I want to be a new addition to a small minority group of black women that blog. I’m hoping that by creating Travel and Blossom, more women who look like me will be encouraged to start a travel blog of their own. It’s hard enough being a female solo traveler but to be black is something else completely. Not too many people of African descent tend to travel on their free time. When it comes to traveling, a lot of black people are held back by racism, stereotypes, or any other misconceptions. Therefore, I want Travel and Blossom to be an inspiration for women of color who want to travel and blossom as well.
To build a Travel and Blossom community
To be honest with you all, I would love to meet more people through my blog. With the coronavirus pandemic, it’s been hard to meet people lately. I want to use Travel and Blossom as an opportunity to build a community of my own called the T&B Crew. Everyone’s welcome to join and follow along. This blog is not only for me but it’s also for you all. I want to build a relationship with each and every one of my subscribers. So do feel free to subscribe to my newsletter if you can. The comments section is also another place I check every day where you’re welcome to interact with me personally. Please don’t be shy! Overall, my ultimate dream is to be a part of a community of women who are ready to travel and blossom!
To share my untold travel stories
There are so many stories that I am just waiting to share with the world. Even though, I did some blogging while I was abroad in Italy; there are so many other stories I never got the chance to tell. Like for example, the time I was completely stranded in Sicily, without housing, food or a working phone. Or… how about the time I almost missed my flight. The list goes on and on and it never ends. As a female solo traveler, I was pretty vulnerable to a lot of unfortunate circumstances. I’m hoping that by sharing these untold stories with you you’ll get an authentic feel for what’s really like being a solo traveler. I hope every story makes you laugh, smile, and scream all at once.
To grow in confidence
It wasn’t until recently that I found out that there were certain things in my life that were weakening my confidence. I want this blog to be a symbol of how I am choosing to regain my confidence despite the circumstances around me. I want to be confident in my blog, my writing skills, and in my dreams. Confidence is truly the key to my self development. As I continue to pursue Travel and Blossom, I am praying that my confidence would just continue to grow with it. I am a creative, content creator and now’s the time for the world to know. I hope you choose to follow along as I become the person I was meant to be.
To help others learn from my mistakes when I travel and blossom
When you’re a solo traveler, it’s really easy to make mistakes along the way. Since there’s no one with you to give you feedback or direction, you’re all on your own. I want to use this blog as an opportunity to showcase all of the mistakes I made while traveling by myself. Some of them were pretty silly while others were just plain ridiculous. My goal is that all of you would be able to learn from my mistakes so that they never happen to you in the future.
To be unapologetically myself
When I started Travel and Blossom, I knew it was going to be a place where I could be unapologetically myself. Share on X
When I started Travel and Blossom, I knew it was going to be a place where I could be unapologetically myself. No more holding back… no more people-pleasing… that’s it. On this blog, you’ll get to meet my unique, authentic self, who is a lover of all things flight-related. I hope that by being unapologetically myself, I can encourage all of you to do the same. Life is too short to be someone that you’re not. Embrace who you are with all of your insecurities, flaws, and scars.
What do you guys think of Travel and Blossom so far? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment down below and let me know! 🙂
Krista
It’s always interesting to read about why people started their blog! I had similar reasons for starting mine.
Jade
Thanks Krista! I will never regret starting one 🙂
Michelle | Wander Eat Write
All great reasons and couldn’t agree with you more on adding diversity to this space! As an Asian American woman, I couldn’t find many stories of other travelers out there who looked like me or who were doing what I was trying to do (visiting all 7 continents through travel jobs). We need more people of all backgrounds to share their experiences to continue encouraging others that a travel lifestyle is possible! Wishing you all the best of luck on your adventure, I’m rooting for you!
Jade
Thank you Michelle!! I will always be for diversity for every woman of color
Karee
I love this! It inspires me to want to at least write out my reasons for our blog, even if I don’t do a post on it! Thanks for sharing – it’s good to get to know you better. 🙂
Jade
Thanks Karee! I really want to encourage you to do the same for your blog.
Josy A
Good luck with this Jade! You’ve got this and it’s going to be a great side hustle!! 🙂
Jade
Thanks Josy, I’m already learning how to optimize my site for SEO!!
Natasha
These are great, honest reasons for starting and continuing to blog. I agree that diversity is still very lacking in the travel sphere, but I’m glad I found another diverse perspective to follow in the form of your blog and travels!
Jade
Thank you Natasha! I’m so glad I found another black travel blogger 🙂
Hannah
Thanks so much for sharing your reasons for starting Travel & Blossom. These are all such great reasons! I think it’s really important to remember why we started. During such a difficult time for travel, I’ve certainly spent a lot of time recently questioning whether I’m doing the right thing. It’s super important to remember why you started and why you fell in love with it to keep the momentum going, especially when times are hard. Thanks for the important reminder and for sharing your reasons in this post!
Jade
Thank you so much Hannah!!!
cass
Thanks for sharing these and I felt it quite relatable – especially wanting to help others and to build a community! I also feel like it will be a lovely thing to look back on one day, with all our favourite stories and photos in one place that’s easy to navigate!
Jade
Definitely!!
Brittany
These are all fantastic reasons to start a travel blog! Building a community & letting others learn from my mistakes are two big objectives for my blog, too. I’m glad I got to know you better through this post and can’t wait to cheer you on in the future!
Jade
Thank you brittany!!! ❤
Ashlee Fechino
Hi Jade – I loved reading your post. Your transparency is powerful and I hope this post goes viral so everyone can read it! I identify with a lot of what you wrote. Thanks for sharing.
Jade
Thanks Ashlee!!! You’re so kind 🙂
Megan
All GREAT reasons for starting your blog! I love connecting with others as well! I grew quickly to love supporting each other!
Jade
Yess! I really want to build a community here. Starting with my subscriber list 🙂
Sarah - Last Minute Wanders
Thank you for writing this, it really spoke to me on a number of levels <3 I love your writing style and look forward to reading more of your blog!
Jade
Thank you Sarah! I really do appreciate your kind words. I should be uploading more content too! Starting a blog is a lot harder than I thought 🙂
Helen Story
Brilliant introduction to your blog and your perspective. I feel like I’ve sat down and had a coffee with you, your tone is so warm and engaging. Look forward to see where you take T & B
Jade
Thank you Helen!! Your words mean so much. ❤
Emily
I love this ❤️ Your authenticity comes through your writing. It’s so important for the world to hear your story!
Jade
Thanks Emily!! I can’t wait to see where this blog takes me 🙂
Christina
Thanks for sharing your story! I am lucky to have had many opportunities to travel and it has allowed me to grow in confidence, understanding, and knowledge as well!
Jade
❤
Millette
Awesome write-up that not only talked about the need for diversifying travel media, but also the financial and personal development one can gain from starting a blog. I especially resonated with the third point you shared: “to document everything.” You never realize how much you forget on the road until you reread an old blog post about that specific trip. Can’t wait to see your journey unfold!
Jade
Hi Millette, I really appreciate your comment! I feel like it’s so important to document everything when you travel. Every moment is a magical and worth writing!
Digitaldaybook
Love this! Most importantly to be unapologetically yourself! ❤️
Sarah
Love this! Inspires me to want to create a sort of get to know you post on my blog! Feel invested in your story now, will definitely follow along ????
Jade
Thanks Sarah! My goal is to be as authentic as possible with my audience!
Umiko
Those are good reasons to started your travel blog. With the attitude you have, I think you can fly high soon and achieve that $1,000 monthly target. Good luck and keep up the positive attitude that is already in your heart.
Jade
Thanks Umiko! I really appreciate your comment. I will continue to stay motivated as I pursue my goals 🙂
Emma
I love all of these reasons. Especially #10. I think having a blog allows so many people to learn from what you’ve done, be inspired by places you’ve gone and understand that you don’t have to look a certain way or be from a certain place to want to travel and that being curious about the world is a great thing. You’ve covered all of that here and more and I look forward to reading some of your travel stories
Jade
Hi Emma,
Thank you! Starting this blog is the best thing I’ve ever done for myself. I feel like I should’ve started it a long time ago but hey… it’s never too late!
Daphna
I love that you set big goals and definitely feel like I “know” you better now. Rooting for you!
Jade
Thanks Daphna! I really appreciate your support 🙂 I want to be as transparent as I can be with my audience.