Thank you to my lovely readers who are following and sharing The Travelling Ladybug posts, commenting and generally providing support. I am really grateful and humbled to have been nominated for the Blogger Recognition Award by both Lexi and Aditya this week. You can check out their blogs here.
As part of the nomination, this blog will highlight my blogging journey, as well as some advice to any new bloggers who want to take that leap and start writing.
My blogging journey
I have had the good fortune of being able to travel from a relatively young age, and because of that I can safely say that I have the travel bug. Another aspect of my reasons for starting this blog is that I have always enjoyed writing, sharing information and generally trying to be helpful to people.
I had been toying with the idea of starting a blog for a good few years. For those who know me, I have many many hobbies and passions, so choosing one thing to start writing about was daunting and I have to admit, slightly intimidating. One of the biggest thoughts going through my head was: would anyone even want to read what I had to say? Should I just keep it as a photographic blog, or include my thoughts too? This year, I decided to go for it after having a collection of handwritten "blog posts" ready to go. I picked my name, bought a domain and off I went.
Some of you may wonder where the blog name originates from. As I firmly believe that the vast majority of people have a travel bug (some just haven't discovered it yet), I wanted to include 'travel bug' in the name. Ladybirds have been significant to me from a very young age, and I have always considered them lucky, so the Travelling Ladybug was born. My biggest hope is that the Travelling Ladybug will continue to fly around and become further enriched by the experiences garnered around the world, and will grow and develop to be more than just an account of my travels but provide inspiration for others when it comes time for them to travel and be enriched.
Advice for new bloggers
1. Perseverance is the key! Do not give up. There are a couple of hurdles that you will have to pass when it comes to starting and then maintaining a blog. The first and most obvious one is to start the blog in the first place. Once you have overcome that hurdle and feel like it will be much easier than that, you have to be honest to yourself: that is just one of many hurdles that will be thrown your way. In a way, starting is the easiest part. You have to keep going, keep writing, keep creating, keep inspiring. Just like anything that is new, there will be times where you will lose interest, or life gets in the way and posting becomes more inconsistent. Although this is a cliche, quality (and consistency) over quantity is the key.
2. Build up your content. One of the best things that you could do before launching your blog is to write many, many blog posts. Every time that you have an idea write it down. You don't need to publish it straight away, but have it ready to go, so that when you are finding that you don't have time to write some new content, your blog can keep going forward with fresh content. Even once your blog is live, keep writing. I find that I have a list of various blog post ideas that helps when I am needing a refresh of inspiration. Though to be honest I sometimes just have to look at my travel pics to be inspired again!
Check out these great blogs
This is a lovely blog and I really like the way that Chelsea writes. I will definitely be following her blog. I don't usually read or follow self-care blogs but her latest blog How to Take Care of You (without feeling selfish) resonated with me and made me stop and think about whether I actually do take care of me too.
This is another great travel blog focusing on luxury travel and lifestyle. Sveva who is in her 20s provides great advice and tips on her travels with some great photos too. Not only that but she is half Italian too!! The blue sea from her post 3 Day Guide to the Island of Mykonos makes me want to hop on the next plane and dive right in.
Someone who is as addicted to travel as I am it seems. His travel site is a great visit with so many inspirational tours which similarly to Chelsea's blog make me want to grab my passport and head straight to the airport. His latest blog How to book your Sahara trip provides great tips for when you are next in Morocco.
Firstly, I really like the logo and how easy this site is to navigate. Lorna seems to have found a wonderful balance between travelling and working for a charitable organisation. I enjoyed her blog on Hostel Myths: Fact or Fiction? and I have to stay I completely agree when thinking of my own memories of staying in a hostel.
Stephanie | Maquillage Confessions
While the blog seems to currently be undergoing a bit of a revamp, this blog is worth mentioning and also nominating. I really love the way that Stephanie writes and the mixture of fashion, beauty, travel and photography makes for a varied read. The accompanying photography really adds to the blog.
This lifestyle blog is full of great, relatable blog posts. Her latest blog How to start saving today and planning ahead gives some great tips that would are very useful - particularly if you want to save for some travelling!!
This travelling duo share their travel adventures in this beautifully laid-out blog. The photographs are really creative and add to the blog. Worth a read, including their latest blog Why you have to visit Mainau Island. I have to say that I did have to Google where that was! It's in Lake Constance, Germany if you wanted to know.
Roxana's blog provides another perspective when it comes to travel and has been on some wonderful trips. With Sicily holding a special place in my heart, I really enjoyed her latest blog on 10 Amazing Places to see in Sicily, besides Palermo and Catania.
Hey I am Lili, is a bilingual lifestyle blog. It is a great mix of various topics: beauty, fashion, health, living, travel and food. Her latest blog Easy Recipe - The Best Blueberry Pie you Need to Make made me want to try this recipe even though I am not the biggest fan of blueberries.
Christoph started his blog a few months ago and writes about lifestyle and business, and how he is growing his online presence through blogging and social media channels.
Congratulations to all the nominees. Here are some guidelines for you to follow to keep the cycle going and nominate the next Blogger.
The Blogger Recognition Award: The Rules
1. Thank the blogger who nominated you and provide a link to their blog.2. Write a post to show your award.3. Give a brief story of how your blog started.4. Give two pieces of advice to new bloggers.5. Select 10-15 other bloggers you want to give this award to.6. Comment on each blog and let them know you have nominated them and provide the link to the post you created.
Thanks for reading!
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