A Year

Friday 10 May 2013

Sverd i Fjell at sunset
Exactly one year ago today, From There To Here went live.  Those of you that have been around for awhile know that I'd been blogging 2 years prior on a little WordPress blog but in anticipation of moving out of Africa and the choice to make this space more of a dedicated hobby, this blog was born.

In 2010, I started blogging as we prepared to embark on this life overseas and like many expat bloggers, I didn't actually expect anyone other than our immediate friends and family to read it.  Every once in awhile, generally after explaining it to non-bloggers or after having been sucked into the black hole of giveaways and followers, I wonder why I do this --- that is, blog.  It's such a weird thing this blogging - writing, photo taking and sharing our life online.  It takes a lot of time and effort and there are times where it feels like more of a chore than anything but I persevere through those difficult patches in hopes that one day in the future when we're settled into an average Canadian home, I'll look back through this space and think, "Wow, I can't believe we did all of that!"

And of course, there's you.  Those who keep coming back, reading, commenting, sending emails and connecting over our common love for travel, books and life abroad.  I don't say it enough but, Thank You.  Thank you for keeping me inspired to write and thank you for the community you've helped to create here.

If you're up to it, I'd love to hear a bit more about you - who are you, where are you, how'd you find your way here &  where would you travel to if you could pack your bags tonight?

{It also seemed fitting that the week of my one year blog anniversary, I hit 100 000 page visits.  That baffles me!}

19 comments:

  1. I can't remember how I found your blog exactly - either from another expat type blogger or maybe even a search. I am also Canadian so maybe that was the connection. I enjoy your blog and reading about your experiences and I hope that's ok :) We moved to Ireland about 7 months ago and I've kept the blog as a way to keep in touch (of sorts) with family and friends and as a diary of where we've been and how far we've come. I love to read about other peoples adventures outside their home country :)
    Thank you for sharing!
    Wendy
    wendy.walton@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. CONGRATS! A year is a hugh accomplishment!!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Isn't it amazing how fast the time goes...keep up the good work on your beautiful blog! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Casey and thank you for reading and commenting :)

      Delete
  4. Hey Jay. I'm Kaileigh and live in Ontario. I don't know how I found your blog, but was drawn in by the fact that you are Canadian. If I could pack my bags today I would either go to Costa Rica, Brazil or Paris. I can't narrow it down any more than that, there are so many places I would go if money wasn't a factor!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Congrats, Jay! I think I found your blog through a guest post on Jenna's blog, A home away from home. I'm a twenty year old law student from Southern Germany, but will move to Bergen to study abroad in August. I was a foreign exchange student in Alberta when I was sixteen and that's probably where my interest for expat things stems from. If I could go anywhere right now, I'd head to New Zealand or South East Asia. I hope to make the latter happen next year, but it will probably be a while until I make to NZ! :)

    Good luck for the future, I hope you'll keep on blogging!
    xx
    Melanie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I will keep my fingers crossed that SE Asia comes to fruition in the near future. I've had a few friends who've travelled to NZ and speak very highly of it but it certainly is pretty far to get to from Europe!

      Thank you for reading & often commenting! I appreciate it!

      Delete
  6. A year! Wow! Congrats :) xx

    ReplyDelete
  7. Congratulations, Jay! I don't remember how I found your blog, but I do remember it was just before you moved to Norway. I live in SE Michigan (not far from Windsor, Ontario) and I've traveled quite a bit and love all the places I've been, but if I could anywhere this minute, I'd go to Ireland.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Congratulations, Jay! I don't remember how I found your blog, but I do remember it was just before you moved to Norway. I live in SE Michigan (not far from Windsor, Ontario) and I've traveled quite a bit and love all the places I've been, but if I could anywhere this minute, I'd go to Ireland.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi Jay! I am Jenn and I live in Maryland. I have been reading your blog for so long that I really don't remember how I stumbled upon it! If I could go anywhere tonight it would be either The Galapagos Islands, London or Bali, Indonesia :) Congrats on your accomplishment and I am excited to keep reading :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Yay! Happy blog anniversary!! This amazing blog world never ceases to amaze me and I am so glad to have connected with you this year!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Congrats on your Blog Anniversary! I wish I knew about your blog sooner or back when I was blogging for the past for years only having my family read it. Glad to know about the blogger community this year. x

    Bonnie Rose | A Compass Rose

    ReplyDelete
  12. Congratulations on your blog anniversary! That is the best feeling. I'm Kaitlyn, 21, a Canadian student wrapping up a year studying abroad in France. I am about to head to the UK for a month of travelling, which is pretty much my dream trip. But more than anything, my heart is aching to go home to Ontario... boring, I know. And I believe I found you from La Mia Vita or Across the Pond... have been following for a while now though, so my memory's fuzzy :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Congrats on the 1 year blogiversary!
    I'm Erica, of Kizzling Around Travel Blog and the Girly Side of Travel. Currently based in New York, but I'd jet off too... Nicaragua or the UK hmmm maybe South Africa. Clearly being decisive is not a strength of mine. I don't remember how I found you, but I'm constantly reading expat/travel blogs so somewhere in that part of the internet :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Erika! Nice to 'meet' you!

      I tend to be quite indecisive myself - I know the feeling ;-)

      Delete
  14. really?! a year?! for some reason i feel like we've been blog friends way longer than that!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Wow, congratulations on your one year blogiversary! I initial came across your blog after I found out I'd being spending two months in Norway for work and wanted to get a peek into Norwegian expat life. Of course, even though my time in Norway is already over and I've already returned to Germany, I still love reading your blog!

    P.S. I'm in desperate need of a real sun and sand vacation, and am craving a trip to Tenerife in the Canary Islands :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad you've stuck around Mandi!

      I know that craving for sun and thankfully, just returned from a trip to Greece a little more bronzed and feeling fantastic!

      Delete

I love comments! Thanks for taking the time to leave one!

These days, I'm replying to comments directly in the comment feed. Check back!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
by mlekoshi