Confessions of a Blogger

Confessions of a bloggerBeing still relatively new to this whole ‘blogging thing’, there’s so much I’m learning from other bloggers every day. Encouraging others to write similar blog posts by ‘tagging’ each other is one of those things. Confessions of a blogger has been going around for a while now. You answer 9 questions that have been provided and then add one of your own that you pass on to the bloggers that you’re tagging. Still with me? I’ve been tagged by so many people now (Gina, Erin, Bonnie, Tina), that I can’t resist the peer pressure anymore…. So here we go.

1. When did you first start blogging and why? 

I started blogging in April this year after I’d moved to London. I’ve always loved writing and photography, so for me a blog is the perfect way to combine these two. Plus I liked the idea of sharing my experiences of living in another country with my friends and family back home.  But what convinced me was a bloggers event (Meet the Blogger) that I attended in my very first week in London. After meeting so many interesting and creative people that weekend, I knew I wanted to give it a try as well.

2. Have you had any past online presence?

Yes, but not as a blogger. I’m not extremely tech savvy, but I’ve been playing around with building my own websites for a couple of years now. Before Urban Pixxels I used my website mostly to share my photos, sometimes combined with a little bit of writing in Dutch.

3. When did you become serious about your blog?

When I discovered that having a blog is so much more than just putting some photos and words online. One of the reasons my London life has been so amazing is because of all the people I’ve met and the great experiences I’ve had because of this blog. But I definitely still have a long way to go and am still not by far as committed as some of the bloggers I know.

4. What was your first blog post?

My first blog post was a review of citizenM in London, the hotel I was staying in while looking for an apartment. I wrote it in February even before I had my website up and running or knew the name of my blog.

5. What have been your biggest challenges blogging?

Definitely combining it with a full time job and finding the time to blog. London is such an exciting city that it’s easy to find topics to write about, but it takes a lot of time to go out and visit places, taking photos, edit them and write your story. I really admire those who can deliver a fixed number of blog posts every single week.

6. What is the most rewarding thing about blogging?

If I have to choose one it is making new friends. Who knew there would be such an active ‘offline’ bloggers community in London? But I also love reading the comments that people from all around the world are leaving on my blog. The idea that someone I’ve never met in a completely different country is enjoying my photos and stories is just amazing.

7. What is the most discouraging thing about blogging?

To be honest I haven’t experienced many discouraging things so far. Although I wish I knew the answer to why some posts that you’re very proud of don’t do that well, whereas others do. Let’s just say it’s a learning experience.

8. What is your lasting inspiration or motivation?

Well, as they say ‘when a man is tired of London, he’s tired of life’ (I assume this applies to women as well). It’s just impossible to get bored in London, with so many things happening all the time. But in general I guess that my inspiration or motivation comes from wanting to explore the world and being able to share that with others. Experiencing new places, new cultures…. and new food. If I can do all that and am able to capture it in some beautiful photos, then I’m a happy person.

9. What is ‘off limits’ when blogging? (Question asked by Erin)

Even though I must admit that I very much enjoy reading some blogs that share personal stories, I don’t want to turn my blog into an online diary. But it’s something that I’m struggling with every single time. How much do you share and how much do you keep to yourself? Do you post pictures of your friends and family or not? It might change over time when I’m a more experienced blogger, but today I try to decide on the basis of what feels good. If it doesn’t then I keep it off limits for now.

And now my question for the people that I’m tagging and anyone who likes to participate in Confessions of a Blogger:

10. What do the people around you (friends, family, colleagues…) think of your blogging adventure?

It’s funny how often I’m explaining to people what a blog actually is. Followed by responses like ‘Oh, I would never have the time to do that‘ or ‘Why would you want to share that with everybody?‘ or ‘Does anyone read it?‘. To be fair, not so long ago I didn’t understand the fun of blogging either. Not all of my friends and family are reading my blog and that’s okay. But at the same time some others are my biggest fans. It’s great to hear that they’re sharing my blog with other people because they think it’s worth reading. When I started this blog, I thought it was so scary to show it to people I know, but being able to share this part of my expat life with them as well only makes this ‘blogging adventure’ better.

So… Dear Jaklien (Passport and Toothbrush), Kasha (Lines of Escape), Sarah (The Wonderblogger) and Emma (Adventures of a London Kiwi), what’s gonna be your confession?

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