One year ago, I published my first post. It was short and sweet, like me. I am living proof that you don’t need to know much about blogging to blog. You just need an idea, an inkling to share it, and the ability to find the publish button on your screen. Now that doesn’t mean there isn’t much to learn along the way. Because there is. I find myself gaping at my laptop in confusion at least once a week-on a good week. On the bad weeks, I want to hit the delete blog button. Luckily, I can’t find that button. So Kids Go West lives on; powered by copious amounts of caffeine, lots of love and support, and just a few delusions of grandeur.
In honor of the big birthday, I’m wearing a tiara all day long, and I’m giving you a behind-the-scenes look at my plan for global domination the blog this year.
- I have a domain name, but I’m not ready to use it. The whole wordpress.com part of my web address is cramping my style. It’s long, and it’s not as professional. I’ve had my domain name all registered for a year now, but I’m not ready to go all website-y. So I may at least map (I think that’s what it’s called) the domain name to my existing blog and just keep the template the way it is for now…
- This is a labor of love. Which is why I’m in no hurry to go all pro yet. I don’t have the time or resources to compete with the big guns, so I’m going sit back and let the posts flow. Wait, that sounded a bit too hippie-dippy. I’m going to let the blog follow it’s own path. Still sounds too hippie-dippy. I’m going to write about what I love, love what I write, and wait for the fame and fortune to roll in. Take that Donald Trump.
- I will share my writing with the world (but not so much). One thing that I’ve been surprised by, as a newcomer, is how much writing bloggers are asked to give away for free, or for very little compensation. My writing is a valuable resource and I don’t take it lightly. I will write to gain experience, to promote something I believe in, or to gain a foothold in the travel blogging community. Or just because I like you. But I won’t let the bigger fish get their hands on free content from me-for their monetary gain-without giving me my fair dues. All that ranting aside, I do plan on writing more guest posts for my blogging friends this year. Let me know if you’d like a guest post from me, just be very, very patient with me. I’ll get it to you, it just may take a while.
- There’s so much to learn. Part of the reason I started to blog, was that I needed a new challenge in my life. I’ve been at my current profession for many years, and I was ready to expand my horizons. I’m learning how to be a more effective writer, a better photographer, and how to market myself as a writer. I didn’t become an expert in my profession in one year, so I don’t expect that will happen as a professional writer either. I’m willing to learn, but still have a long way to go.
- Meeting the bloggers behind the comments. Last June, I met Lorraine from Keeps Me Smiling and it was tres cool to interact with a fellow blogger in sentences longer than 140 characters. I need to find the time to do that more. So I’m all signed up for TBEX ’10 conference in New York and hope to make an appearance during (what I lovingly call) the East Coast Insanity Tour that I’m planning for next summer. I hope to meet more of the masterminds behind the blogs I’ve been reading this year. So if you’d like to set up a coffee date sometime, give me a holla. Except for weirdo stalkers, there will be no coffee dates for you.
I’m blowing out the candle on my cake, and getting ready for another year. I’m also going to open presents, so send me lots of shiny, wrapped boxes. Thanks again for stopping by.
Happy Blog Birthday! It’s only been a year?
I’m glad you called out number three. As you said, blogging is a labor, whether of love or money (and hopefully both), it has tremendous value. I like the value yours adds.
Happy Blogging Birthday!!!
Your blog is a great source of information and inspiration for me and I’m glad to have found you among thousand of blogs floating in this vast digital world.
I’m looking forward to meeting you in NYC too.
Meg and Amy, you brightened up my morning, when I logged in and saw your comments.
Amy looking forward to NY.
Meg, I really do enjoy sharing my writing, but not with people who don’t interact with me, my blog, and are just looking for some free work from me.
Maybe it’s because I’m a mom, and every minute I sit at my computer typing, is a minute less I have to take care of my son.
I really hope to go to TBEX as well. It seems like so much fun! I, like you, am having a hard time going towards a real website. My goal is to do it in 2010. Eek. I am nervous and not entirely sure how to do it (I am not all that tech savvy) but I look forward to jumping in.
In 2010 I am hoping to have more guest posts and I would LOVE to have you! Congrats on your bloggy birthday. You are doing an awesome job!
Happy Blogging Birthday! I’m looking forward to meeting you at TBEX. NYC will be a blast.
Happy Blogging Birthday, Carolina! It has been so fantastic interacting with you and meeting some of the same milestones at the same time. As a fellow educator (hate that phrase!
, I appreciate your take on travel with your son. My family tries to do the same thing. I hope that we are able to meet someday…NYC is still up in the air for me so we will see!
Congrats to you & thanks for sharing your plans for the future with us! I’m just getting started with this blogging thing myself, so it’s always nice to read what keeps others going strong over the long haul. I always enjoy what you have to share & look forward to another great year of posts!
Thanks again ladies for all the encouragement. So I just followed through with #1 on my list and I’m now officially kidsgowest.com, although the old address will work too. That wasn’t hard at all. I’m empowered to tackle a whole site redesign….nah.
Happy bloggy birthday! Reaching that one-year milestone feels like a real accomplishment, doesn’t it?
The domain name thing was something I thought about before I started my blog because the one person I knew at the time that had a blog said not having the simple domain name from the start was one of her biggest regrets. So I registered my domain and we figured out the whole URL mapping thing from day one (I’m on TypePad, and the ease of doing that at the time with TP was one of the reasons I went with it…I’d like to get out of the standard template at one point, but there were other things I need to learn and accomplish first, so that’s down the list a ways).
Your third point is an important one, too. It’s one of the reasons I’ve stayed pretty indie and committed to a slow, but steady growth. It is particularly aggravating when for-profit sites try to get your free content so they can benefit from it. I wrote for local newspapers for a dozen years, and it’s discouraging to see how many conventional print outlets also want free content…and how many of my writer friends can no longer feed themselves in the profession.
Have fun at TBEX. It was great meeting some of the faces behind the blogs at last year’s TBEX. I have to pass this year on NYC, but I’m hoping to make more in the future.
yay! east coast tour better include boston!! ; ) happy one year birthday KGW, and here’s to another year of happy, good, challenging writing!
Simone, of course the tour includes Boston, D-man wants to go all the way up to Maine (starting in Washington D.C.) but I don’t know if we’ll get up that far. Will email you details for sure.
Dominique, I like your indie-approach. It sounds so much cooler, I’m just going to say my site is indie, which is funny in a kid/mommy site anyway.
Hi Carolina,
Happy blogiversary. I always enjoy reading your blog. It’s fun to dream about trips to Hawaii or revisit my days as a Northern Californian. Hopefully when I venture North in 2009 we can connect in Santa Cruz.
Would love to write more but a five year old is tearing apart my office!!!
I’m toasting to you, and wishing you many more days of hippie-dippie postings and photographs on subjects that you love. Lovely post Carolina! Thanks also for the kind mention.
Congratulations in passing a great milestone. I love your writing. We are not so far, please let me know if you’d ever consider coming east (just a bit) to Davis/Sacto. for some kidlit fun. It is always nice to connect a face with a webspace. (website didn’t rhyme so much. oh well.)