This month marks the five-year anniversary of LLworldtour — my first around the world trip and the start of this blog. It also marks the fact that the last time I worked a full time job was also five years ago. Holy cripes! When I started blogging not only didn’t I even want to have a ‘blog’, I didn’t even like the word blog. Blahhhhg. Who would want that? What is that? It sounds like something you do after a long night of drinking. ‘Oh, man I think I’m gonna blaahhhg.’
- Lisa in Bryce Canyon, Utah
Like so many travelers I know, I just wanted an easy and fun way to keep in touch with friends and family back home. Plus having a blog, gave me some structure, something ‘to-do’ as I traveled. It gave me a home, a nucleus from which I could write and hone stories I would later pitch to publications. It gave me some work which I like. As a professional writer and television producer, I had already spent my career ‘telling visual stories’ and knew that travel, more than anything, would inspire me to write and share my photography with anyone who was interested. Little did I know that this fun and easy project would become hard, at times, all-consuming, and would turn into my full-time work.
My good friend, Traci (hi T), convinced me to start this WordPress blog as the easiest way to keep in touch and a great platform for me. Plus instead of sending out some squirrelly email, I could just have people subscribe who were interested (via Chicago start-up, Feedburner, where Traci worked, which has since been gobbled up by Google).
I had one rule when I left. I never wanted the blog to feel like a job (obviously I have broken this rule now. Always the rule breaker).
And my readers grew fast. Back then, there were fewer of us bloggers out there. I made amazing friends through this blog that I ending up meeting whenever I got to their place in the world (a shout out to all of you good friends I’ve made along the way and met through this very blog).
But, I will admit that five years later, at times, my blog has started to feel like a job. But perhaps that is simply because it has now become my job. I do make a bit of income from it and through it and I am extremely proud and thankful for that. But admittedly, there are times when I am less inspired than I used to be. Perhaps it’s simply because I’m not traveling as much as I was when I was literally living out of a bag for 3 1/2 years. Perhaps it is because sometimes ‘real’ life, and all of its ups and downs, gets in the way or clouds my love for travel.
So what do I do now? About a year ago, I was attending my second TBEX (Travel Bloggers Exchange) in New York City. Picture it, me and hundreds of others just like me, all talking about the same thing for two days. How boring is that? Don’t get me wrong – I love meeting travelers and we always have something in common, but just not en masse (that’s French. I wrote about that too…imagine that?). I know some people loved it, but I did not. I did enjoy catching up with other travel friends. But like I’ve said before, I don’t travel to blog or blog to travel. And I never wanted the two to become the same or even close. Sure I have my own audience, but unlike before when it was mostly armchair travelers and dreamers or other actual travelers, now a good portion of my audience is other travel bloggers. And let’s face it, we all end up writing about the same things one way or another. Maybe I’m a good writer and photographer (hopefully you think so), but with today’s 140-character attention spans…who has even gotten this far in this post?? We all have written about how we could afford to travel and how it’s cheaper than you think, and how it’s all about the journey, or all about the food, or all about the people you meet. Yes, it’s all those things, but, at times, I am even tired of reading about it.
But it was at TBEX that a faint light bulb of an idea starting burning in my brain. Video was exploding all over the internet. There was a panel talking about video on blogs. I thought, wait a minute, I know all this. In fact, I truly am an expert at this. There it was – my two worlds crashing together. BOOOM! Well it was more like a little ‘boom’.
So, one year later I launched LLmedia, a video consulting business and a way for me to bridge my two careers together of TV production and travel writing/photography/blogging. I am now helping other traveler bloggers and small businesses improve their video and simply learn how to make it better. I have the credentials of 15 years in broadcasting (as a director, a producer, a writer, a videographer, and practically any other job in TV production and yes with three Emmy awards), plus I taught a weekly TV Production course at Columbia College Chicago for 6 years. I’m very excited about my new venture and am giving myself perhaps another 5 years to see where it goes.
Anyway, this five-year anniversary milestone reminds me that I do not want to take things for granted. I do not want to be lazy and wasteful and live with my eyes closed. I am so very thankful for the life I have lived so far: what I have seen and done and what I strive to hopefully do. I continue to get to see the world and meet amazing people far and wide….and that is one thing I hope that never stops.
I am thankful for the freedom I have, that I’ve created in my less-cluttered life which enables me to not rush through it and to be able to absorb and feel as much as I can around me. I remember going on hikes in jungles or taking walks in cities and, since time was no factor, I felt like my senses were so much sharper than they’d ever been. I was really ‘seeing’ everything. I was smelling and tasting, hearing foreign languages, and contemplating it all inside my own head. Everything was heightened. It’s a great way to live: eyes wide open. Thanks for continuing to journey with me.
What to expect from LLworldtour in the next year:
- An overdue complete redesign
- 1-2 posts per week max.
- Interviews with ‘different’ kinds of travelers – You may recall my awesome encounter with Dino Don. I plan to bring you more traveler stories…from people that travel for varying reasons and a lot of people that do NOT blog
- More Groovy Travel Tips
- More Photo Essays
- More Video
- More Reviews
- More Travel stories as I continue to explore new places…just for shorter time periods
What else would you like to see? Please let me know in the comments!
…And check out my new sites:
LLmedia
iLoveNewJersey
iLoveChicago
If you enjoy this – please consider ‘liking’ my Facebook Page for more fun stuff!
Happy anniversary! My own is coming up in three days–but it's 'only' my two year anniversary. Which is wild, as like you I only started it to 'keep in touch', and now it's become much more (though fortunately it still doesn't feel like a job!) And you're right–the best part for me has been the friends I've made. Some of them don't even need air quotes anymore.
Happy travels!
Thanks elbodans! So true about the friends. 🙂
Happy Anniversary sis! I read the whole blog. You've got to be a goof not to. Please continue to travel for me and report back regularly. I speak with great authority on your experiences and come dangerously close to passing them off as mine. That's only possible because of your talent…and my desire to stay home. You may have motivated me to write about all of the interesting things I see and do without wandering more that 50 miles from home too often. I'm busy, I'm happy and I've got a sense of accomplishment. I don't have to go to the Andes, the far east or the middle east myself. You did it for me. So it's really all of our anniversaries.
Thank you Kevin. Can you believe you've been reading this thing for that long? You are my most loyal follower. You know the whole story. We need a catch up! Any chance you are in the city in the next few weeks. I've just launched (as I'm sure you read), LLmedia! I'd love to partner in some ways if your clients need help. 🙂
I keep looking for one worthy of you. Was just at the Steppenwolf Garage to see brother Tony's play. Excellent! We should get in touch.
Congrats on your anniversary, Lisa! I think my process was the opposite of yours – I started my blog to just get out there what I was thinking about while I was planning since my friends and family weren't too interested in the details. Then on my first trip people who wanted to travel found it and I gained an audience. I have noticed that 90% of people don't want to read anything more than two paragraphs, what a shame. I'd rather see a meaty story than random posts twice a day.
What was the idea that caused you to create "I love Chicago?"
Megan! Thank you! So true about long posts. Not sure who will read this whole thing! Hopefully many have greater attention spans that I. I always just hope an interesting story and good writing will hook them.
I write so much about Chicago that I just decided I should have a separate page for it. Haven't had any time to devote to it yet…but soooon!
wow, kudos on five years running. it's my aspiration to not have a "full time" job (yet earn lots of money) too. not sure if you're fulfilling that part in the parenthesis, but no matter, you really love what you're doing and you're quite the success. good luck and keep on trucking!
Thanks Mack! Lots of money? No. Making less than i used to pre-world tour. But I'm twice as happy and don't miss the difference one bit. Life is good.
Man, you're old. Fifteen years of professional writing and five years of LLWorldTour? That makes you, like, 20!!! Mazl tov on the milestone, and I hope to continue reading you and staying in touch for another many years to come.
Ha! Ha! I remember when we found out on the roofs of Jerusalem that I could…ahem….be your mom! I think i would have had to have you when i was 16 or something like that. Good thing you are an old soul and I am young at heart! :)So happy to know you.
Congratulations on your anniversary Lisa! It's good to hear you are doing things your own way. I think setting up the video consulting is a great way to fill a need and provide something of real value. Good luck with it!
Thanks Erin! It's so amazing nowadays how easy it is to 'start a business.' I guess that's what I just did!
Congrats on the five year anniversary! I don't know if I have held on to many jobs for 5 years let alone be able to accomplish the blogging for that long! Love your posts hope to see you around for another 5 more.
Thanks Kirk! I'm enjoying working myself so much over the last 5 years! My goal is to keep doing this…forever!
Congratulations, 5 years! We have a long way to go. We look forward to another 5 years of great posts.
Kind regards
Thanks Si!! I can't believe it's been that long. And when I started, I had no idea I'd travel as long as I did and then this would simply become my life! 🙂
I missed your anniversary post. Congrats! I feel the same way about talking about my “blahg.” It kind of makes me cringe! You’re one of the pioneers though, so it’s so much cooler 🙂 I may even enlist your services one day, if I can ever grasp the basic video concepts! (Why do I feel like a baby boomer trying to use technology? It’s so weird.)
Ohmygosh- I’m such an ignoramus! I just realized this was from July- TWO YEARS AGO! haha! Oh well… good post regardless!!
Ha ha! NO worries. I still appreciate your comments and am thrilled old posts still get some love. 🙂
Ha! A pioneer blogger! Maybe I should be the Pioneer Woman?! Already taken! 😉
Let me know if you need any video tips or even just want my Video 101 book! Happy Travels!