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10 years ago, I hit PUBLISH and my life changed. Today I am celebrating my 10th year blog anniversary, i.e. blogiversary and I am feeling a bit emotional. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the world, I am not able to celebrate this special milestone with an overseas trip. Instead, I decided to virtually connect and reflect on what it means to have dreams and values which they continue to shape my path.
I cannot believe how much I have learned in the last 10 years (and I know everyone says that but it is soooo true). I started this journey with such limited knowledge and only a dream. I set goals for myself that I thought were lofting and have met a few. If I told you all the late nights and hard work that goes into writing this blog, then I think you would agree that it is time to pop the cork on the chilling champagne in the fridge. It has been a W I L D 10 years. Think back nine years. In other words, cast your mind back to the faraway year of 2010. Where were you and what were you doing?
When I started That’s Life Capture It! blog in July 2010, I never expected it would be anything more than a hobby (that’s all most blogs were back then). Had you told me back in 2010 that I’d still be chugging along, spewing out posts about the places that capture my attention, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. A lot has changed since those early years, from my own personal experiences to the general landscape (less bloggers, the rise of Instagram and social media overall). Quite candidly, it’s sometimes been more than enough to want to throw in the towel, especially as I still have a full-time career and a half-completed academic course study. But now, with more than 250 posts, thousands of visitors from around the world and countless memorable experiences, I’ve never been more excited and committed to the possibilities that lay ahead. I’m so happy to get to do something I love and call it my passion, and I’m proud of it I’ve built along the way. My greatest learning has been the importance of accepting myself. Of being proud of what I put out there, of the message I send and of the type of blog I am creating. If you have been along for the whole time you know the blog has taken many turns…some better than others but all with the true intention of creating content that is authentic and organic. Comparing myself to my fellow travel blogging peers has been a struggle; I am human. But what I have learned is that we are all on our own journey. And while our paths may cross, and often times do, we all have different goals, different passions and different dreams. Each one of us is pursuing happiness. I feel nothing but inspiration and motivation. And so I use that inspiration and motivation to drive me forward. In a saturated “market” of blogging, it is important to stay in my lane; to be true to myself and remain authentic and real. I know that my learning is not done. Almost everyday I learn something new about this journey. Today is the big day! I am celebrating my 8-year blogiversary. When I look back at my older posts I love seeing how much my blog has changed and grown. It’s so great being able to share my thoughts, experiences, ideas and travels with all of you. Life is a carnival that is full of fun and joy, ups and downs, shocks and surprises, meetings and partings.
So is blogging. Eight years is a long time in the blogosphere, and I’m glad to still be around. This is a really special milestone because eight years ago this week, I decided to try something new and enter into this world that I essentially knew nothing about. I didn’t have a lot of expectations when I started blogging. I also didn’t tell a lot of people I had become a blogger. I remember when I decided to create a photography blog, is that blogging was a way to find my own self. It would force me to get out, to explore, to learn and make new discoveries. And maybe, just maybe along the way, I’d eventually inspire other people to do the same thing in their lives. I’m grateful to you for visiting this blog, reading my posts, sharing your views, supporting me, which makes all the difference to me. Whether this is the first time you have stopped by or you have been here since the beginning, I want to say thank you. July is a happy month for me. A lucky month as 7 years ago I launched my blog. 7 years. Wow. That’s indeed a long time. And many things changed – from the way I take photos while traveling to the way the blogs look today (trendy magazine-like themes, focus on photos etc) to the way I promote my blog and get my articles shared for the relevant audiences to find them. In time, this blog became a treasure for me. It’s a place where I share my travels, discoveries, curiosities and I often find myself remembering some wonderful moments, precious places visited, and, more importantly, wonderful people I met in my travels or online, through the social media networks I use. I also realised that it’s about making the best out of it and doing what I like. Over the past years I’ve not only learned what I like doing most, but I’ve also learned what I don’t like. I’ve learned not to look at what others doing and just follow your own trail instead. What may be successful for one person will not be a guaranteed success for someone else. I can’t end an article on the 7 years blog anniversary without thanking each and every visitor. This blog is written for you – hoping that each article is interesting, useful, relevant, fun or helpful for your travels or in life. I just want to say thank you so much for allowing me to share my life with you and that I am so grateful you are on this journey with me.
7 years gone by. Now entering the eighth year of this blog. More to come ! Today is the sixth year blog anniversary of That's Life, Capture Life photography blog! Every day I am surprised and amazed at all the wonderful people and opportunities that this blog has brought into my life. Time has flown by during these six years of blogging. Journaling my weeks, learning different writing techniques, expanding my love for photography and travelling around the world. Blogging sometimes feels as though i am swaying like grass on a breeze. The ups, the downs, the being knocked sideways. But, I always believe that if i am steadfast and true to myself, my words will remain and the world seen through my eyes will give comfort and happiness to more people than I would ever know. So, at this point I will celebrate my blog anniversary with a simple thank you to all that have stopped by, those who read regularly, the people who leave comments (here, on social media, through email, and in person), and the people in my life who both inspire me to keep writing and tolerate the commitment that I continue to make to my writing. You're wonderful ! I look forward to seeing what’s to come and continuing to share it with you for at least six more years. Thank you so much for continued support and encouragement.
When I first created my travel photography blog in July 2010, never in my wildest dreams could I imagine that five years later I would be celebrating my blog anniversary while still busy travelling around the world. Obviously, I owe it all to those of you who continue to visit the blog and read my posts everyday and also those of who follow me on social media. I still can’t believe all the wonderful things that have come about and all the amazing people I’ve been privileged to meet and even befriend in the last five years. It’s not always been easy but it’s certainly been a rewarding and interesting five years. I think some people have a vision that everything just falls in my lap. On some occasions, it actually does but the majority of the time, I go out and make things happen. Having a blog means that I can’t be shy about reaching out to people or going places on my own. It means having a curiosity to learn more and do more so I can share it with you. It means not being afraid to travel to a foreign country. But more than anything, I hope that whatever I do inspires you to do something, whether it’s to attend an exhibition, travel, or just be a better person. The idea behind my blog is to encourage, equip and inspire people around the world to live their best life and so it'll just continues and hopefully tomorrow, I will have another post written for you as we all try to make the world a better and happy place together.
I am forever grateful for the continued support and encouragement from all of my wonderful readers and friends. Thanks so much again for a fantastic five years! I hope I can continue on for at least another five years. If you’ve been a regular for a while, what’s been your favourite post from the past five years? A lot can happen in a year. Sure, you can plan for some things. But, others unfold in a remarkable way. Four years ago, I decided to embark on this journey. It’s been one with ups and downs and life lessons I never realized I’d learn.
We have to celebrate each and every small goal that we accomplish. So, I celebrate today. This blog is four years old. I celebrate consistency and discipline. I celebrate following my goals. I celebrate you for being on this journey with me. I celebrate the dream I have in my heart. I’ve learned to give myself permission to celebrate growth. Both the substantial and trivial. Four years ago, I was flip-flopping about the type of photography blog i wanted to create. I realised over the years i created blog posts with places I really like for no specific reason. I just try to explain the activities and try to make you live there through my words. For now the words I have to say, and that I really mean them, again, THANK YOU! Someday I’ll be there wouldn’t have reached what it is now without you, so please continue supporting, reading, commenting, emailing, whatever it is you do to stay in touch with me, keep doing it! I love it! I thought this is also a good place to say that you can follow me on Facebook, twitter, Flickr and Instagram through those links. This month marks my 3rd year photography blog anniversary. It seems like forever ago since i wrote my first post and yet also just like yesterday. I am still amazed daily though at all the wonderful things that have come about because of my passion. I've also been able to go on some amazing trips and meet some wonderful people along the way. I hope i can continue on for at least another three years. Thank you again for all your support and encouragement. This photography blog represents a turning point in my life. It represents a change in my attitude, my perception, my conscious decision to change the direction of my life and walk a new path. I never thought i would go so far or have such a long journey (as a blogger). It all stems from a very simple intention - just my love of photography as well as travelling and it has brought me so far to today.
The best is yet to come. Wow! I can hardly believe that another year has gone by since my first photo blog post. It's been two years since I created my photography blog in July 2010. I am so blessed to have everyone who follows my photography blog and supports me along the way. I really appreciate it very much. Without you that would not happen! Blogging is a lot more work than you first think, but very rewarding. It has opened so many doors for me. I write because i love to. And I love making things special and celebrating each and every day. This is a blog that will share my story and my life to inspire others to pursue their goals and show what we can do. My blog is a lot more travel focused and i have written (either in English / Chinese or both languages) so much on my travel trips so far and the quest to travel. This is a big thing for me. I love to travel, near or far, city-break or few months. I have an unquenchable desire to visit new places. I have travelled quite widely considering my age and the fact that my blog has embedded into my day-to-day life that it feels so much more than just a little project. I have come to realise, past a quarter life is a confusing time. You have the freedom, the means to do anything you want. But you don’t always necessarily know exactly what this is. You follow a path, but it’s an age when paths and opportunities are still crossing in front of you all the time and you don’t know which direction is best to lead and for how long. This is why I find it a confusing time. I want to know which is the best path to take. But as yet, I have to test and analyse them. I will fully divulge these details in the future, as of now these different paths are just something weaving in and out of my life. I sometimes wish I would be content to just bumble along and not strive for more. However, I am not, I repeat now, this kind of person. Therefore this photography blog was born, as I felt I needed a process for me to vent if I need to. However it quickly proved to just be a great hobby / passion, which allowed me some free mind time to dissolve these confused feelings instead. Rambling on about being confused doesn’t really help the process sometimes. Whereas a great hobby, where you discover you have a sounding board growing for future use and a writing process that gives you a time to reflect and have some ‘down-time’ is so useful in a world that is continually busy sometimes. Also, within this 2nd-year blog anniversary post, I have alluded to being at a point in my life where a number of opportunities / life dreams seem to be presenting themselves or be there to be explored. With this in mind, please be forewarned that I think my photography blog will definitely start to be used as a sounding board more and more often for advice and comments. I hope, if you’re reading this you enjoy stopping by my photography blog and please keep doing so. I would like to offer my heartfelt thank you to all of you who read, leave comments and follow this blog in one way or another. I am honored that you take time out of your busy day to stop by. I am finally feeling calmed down enough to get inspired again, just to give some headups, i'll be heading to Cambodia next month August for a documentary photo shoot (hope i can make it back to Singapore safely, stay tune)! 很感谢一直在我的摄影博客陪伴我的朋友, 感谢因为旅行而结下的那些友谊. 以另外一种身份, 重新发现世界, 重新认识自己. 我想, 这就是旅行的意义.
Hooray!! Welcome to my 1st Blogoversary celebration in July!! I can hardly believe how fast time flies, its been a year that i've had this photographic blog. So much has happened in the past 12 months. Some of my photos were selected for exhibit in some photography competitions and i managed to hold my first solo photographic exhibition in my country, Singapore. My name has been published. Whew! What a year. I'm not sure what this next year will bring me to in the photography world but i know it will be hard to top the first one. Honestly, I feel really blessed to have had so much fun in this photographic blog. This past year has been so awesome and i would like to thank all of you reading my humble photographic blog. The whole photographic blogging experience would have not been the same without you, so thank you so much!! I look forward to blogging more of my photos in this next year :-) Thanks for making this first year so wonderful and more fun than i could have imagined !! :-)
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