After 5 years of blogging, and just shy of 1300 posts, I still haven’t caught up with everything I want to write about. When I travel for a few months it takes me at least three times that long to post about the journey. And then there’s trying to keep up with what’s going on in the Now.
I’ve practically written the story of my life, or at least the last almost 20 years. Shared more about myself than thought I ever would. Some from my various travels, trials and tribulations, all from my heart and soul.
Dreamed since 1972 when I graduated from High School to travel, write, take photographs and get paid for it. I guess 3 out of 4 isn’t too bad. But I really want to at least help subsidize my life dream. Fortunately I’ve sold a few photos which sparks me to continue increasing my photography skills and promote the good images more. I’ll keep working on that.
Trying new ideas, like the eBook that isn’t finished. Sending postcards from South Africa sparked a lot of you to send me postcards. Sorry I didn’t get postcards sent from Grand Canyon, seems like life just got in the way and now we’re closed. Foto Friday Fun has been a great way to share some photos and stories from my archives.
I’ve gone from not having a clue starting with BlogSpot to learning more about what to do creating with WordPress and still have a long ways to go. But I usually have fun sharing this adventure called life where it takes me.
I started blogging October 7th, 2008 towards the end of my first summer season as a Park Ranger at the North Rim Grand Canyon. At least a part of winter has found me around Yarnell, Arizona since 2005. For a month in 2010 and almost two months early this year I visited South Africa. I plan to return next year from mid-January to early April. Hope you’ll follow along.
SEO still trying to figure out. Keywords that are there but not sure they do any good. Place names in titles seemed to help me get found. Joining in memes early on proved a great way to find other bloggers. Plus I have an awesome group of faithful followers that keep this blog alive. I try to read blogs first, and follow quite a few, then run out of time to write. Not the best disciplined. Thought I might make some money on the blog but can’t bring myself to sidebars full of advertising.
What I wrote last year about the best part of blogging hasn’t changed, getting to know you and meeting some of you in ‘Real’ time, continues to expanded my mind with friendships from around the world. I want to meet you all.
The biggest Thank You goes out to Karen at FabGrandma, my mentor and friend, who got me started blogging. So with five years down I’m working towards more years ahead.
What would you readers like to see more of?
Congrats on 5 years, Gaelyn! Just for kicks I went back and found the first comment I made (at least I think it was) on your old blog. March 26, 2009. Your old truck camper. 🙂 I feel like I know you yet I’ve never met you, but one day we will rectify that!
I know you too and we will meet someday.
Congratulations on your first 5 years of blogging, I passed that milestone in June. Joining a few memes certainly helped us to find other like-minded blogs and be found by other like-minded bloggers. I have greatly valued your friendship over the years and only hope you will come to Australia while I can take you to a few places here without having to rely on a Zimmerframe. Your posts have been an inspiration to many and great armchair travel to even more and your photography has come on in leaps and bounds. You are a constant inspiration to me with your knowledge, zest for life and inimitable courage to DO. You certainly are a girl to live up to!
I am blushing Arija, and thank you. So glad those memes brought us, and many other bloggers, together. I really do want to visit Australia so guess I’ll have to take a winter off from South Africa and shoot for 2015. You have been one of my many blogger mentors.
Congratulations on your bloggerversary! Once you get blogging in your blood it is hard to shake it off. I have now been blogging for more than 7 years! Now that we aren’t coming to the Grand Canyon I can still keep up with you through your blog, and that makes me happy.
I can’t thank you enough for giving me that extra push when I was in doubt of blogging. It is nice to be able to keep up when we are so many miles away. Miss you both. Atta’ boy!
Gaelyn I’m in awe of 5 years. I’ve been blogging daily for 3 years and am not sure I’ll make it to 5. I haven’t graduated from blogger yet and really need to with the advent of the google+ demand that you join OR ELSE. I haven’t learned much of anything about using it over those years and probably would be out on my ear without live writer so word press isn’t a real possibility. I seriously wouldn’t change a thing about your blog. Your pictures are just amazing, breathtaking. And there is probably no other way that I would ever see the fantastic things you show me from South Africa other than through your blog. AND the things only someone who lives at the North Rim sees as well. Congratulations on 5 years!! It’s really an accomplishment. I say that from experience.
Being I started posting every day and now am lucky to get 2-3 posts out a week I am in awe of your awesome daily posts. And I use Live Writer with WordPress so that’s no excuse for you. Thank you for following. I love to share my travels as much as you obviously do.
Congratulations on your five years. You have a unique voice and an interesting life. You have changed over time just like anybody alive and interesting does. I just like reading about your life and viewing your pics. So my desire is for you to just keep following your dreams and telling us about it.
Thank you so much Yogi. This is encouraging to read. I’ll keep sharing and hope you will too.
Time really does seem to fly sometimes. Does that mean we are getting older faster? 🙂
I have really enjoyed all your blogs Gaelyn and I am so pleased we joined up in Blogland as well as in reality. Your visits are always a highlight and I look forward to the next one. Keep on Blogging my friend!!
Yeah, wouldn’t it be nice if we could be paid for all we do and write. 🙂
If not for blogging we would never have met in real time, a real loss. There has to be a way to get paid.
Wow! 5 years! Congratulations on your diligence and your success! My blog’s 1st birthday is coming up on October 14 and it’s amazing what I’ve learned in the past year. I absolutely love your photos of the Grand Canyon – we’ve been to the canyon twice and have wonderful memories.
Blogging is a constant learning process for me, and I enjoy most of it. Hope you’ll return to the canyon when I’m here. Of course not right now. Thank you for following.
Congrats! I’m at 4 and 2/3 years but only at 500 posts so I’m a slacker compared to you.
Gorgeous photos in this post! Congrats on 5 years of blogging! I’ll hit 5 years in January, but I’m lagging behind you on the posts with just a bit over 900. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed following your adventures over the years and look forward to the next installment!
Thanks for following along on my adventures through life.
Five years that is quite something, well done. So glad to hear that you intend to carry on blogging, I would so miss your photos of the Grand Canyon and of course your African ones as well. I know what you mean about catching up with holidays. We have had a few this year being retired and I just cannot catch up at all. Apart from that I am so busy at home as well. Maybe it will be easier come winter, but then we are going to be in the UK for the whole of December so…….. Have a good week Diane
My Mom always said she was busier after she retired.
5 years already? Gosh, where did the time go? I enjoy your photos of the Grand Canyon best, since we can get there. I LOVE the one you posted today with the clouds hugging the canyon! Wow!
~~Cheryl Ann~~
Hard to believe it’s been 5 years. Sure hope you get up to the North Rim next summer.
Congratulations! When I hit the five-year mark, I said, ‘wow’. Time does fly. And you’re right about traveling; wanderlust is good for the soul, and that’s an understatement. I leave for Round 4 of India next week….and come hell or high water or both, I will see you when in the US next year.
So excited for your upcoming travels. Can hardly wait until January when I get to return to South Africa. Next year in the US for sure.
Congratulations on your 5 years. I’m approaching my 4th blogaverisity and having posted everyday, although sometimes late, I’m something over 1,400. Many, if not most, of those posts mean nothing to anyone else but they left a ‘crumb trail’ of my life that I can follow.
I believe we bloggers are writing history for future generations.
It would have been great to be able to celebrate with the reopening of the Grand Canyon…
Happy 5th Anniversary!
That would have been perfect!
Congrats on 5 years of blogging. Most bloggers can’t even say they’ve done half of that. You dream is so similar to mine. My Twitter bio says: “I wish I could travel, take photos and blog for a living. At least I travel, take photos and blog while living.” I so would love to get paid to do it as well. At least you’ve gone on to get your own domain and hosting it off BlogSpot, I haven’t even figured that out. I’m very afraid I will loose what I have if I move over from BlogSpot to WordPress.
Thanks Jonker. It really is easy to make the move from Blogspot to WordPress, just push a few buttons and all posts move over.
Once again, congratulations, Gaelyn. I also started in October, 2008, the first. I need to do my anniversary post soon. I used to post oh so regularly, once a day else I’d be distraught. Now going home to SA every 10 weeks for three, and when returning to Tz struggling to get connected again (I’ve spent the last two days since arriving from holiday trying to get Internet up and running again) makes me an erratic blogger. I do post every day here in Tz but would LOVE to visit more blogs and comment on more. *Sigh* However, blogging has made me wonderful friends, like you, whom I’ve met, and Arija whom I’ve not and I wouldn’t swop my cyber life for the world! Your posts are an inspiration, Gaelyn and your photography is stunning. I LOVE the baby zebra suckling. And I love your Friday Foto Fun posts. Big (((Hugs))) Jo xxx
Thank you Jo. So glad we met online and in real time. I want to meet Arija.
I too used to post every day but somehow don’t seem to find the time any more. Maybe now that I’m not working again.
Welcome Home.
Really enjoy your photos with blog narrative. You obviously enjoy life and sharing it. I’m a novice blogger compared to you but enjoy it although I definitely don’t post every day. Someday hope to meet you in person while on a trip in my RV.
Thank you. I do enjoy life and sharing. No blogger is a novice as we write from our hearts. I too hope we get to meet.
I have loved following your journey (in both senses of the word)! I always learn something from your posts and every post is fun to read!
Thanks Sallie.