I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the state of blogging and particularly just how much it’s changed just in the couple years I’ve been blogging seriously.  Blogging is in itself an interesting topic with many and it’s still a very misunderstood art form, one that is recognized by so many but still so many that don’t have either an interest in it or an understanding of it.

Blogging has given me so much over the years but it’s also been harsh at times and made me question lots of things.  Today and tomorrow I thought we’d touch on some of the best and worst things about this forum we subscribe to.  It’s important for us as bloggers and readers to recognize the pros and cons of this industry, to keep an open mind and most importantly, to remember we’ll all just human on the other end of the screen.

So today, to start, here are my top 5 favorite things about blogging!

The friends I’ve made and the relationships I’ve formed through blogging completely top the list of why I keep going, why I love blogging and why it’s incredibly rewarding.  I’ve found people around the world that feel the same way I do on many things, incredible people that are chasing dreams and following their hearts.  It’s the times I’ve met up many of my favorite bloggers (such as Lauren, Belinda, Betsy, Nicole and Melissa) in person that show me what an incredible community the blog world is and how many amazing people there are out there.

I’ve always loved writing and began when I was a child writing stories.  As I grew up, I tapped into a few other writing facets such as poetry and thought for a while about writing a book.  This blog has completely fulfilled me in the sense that I get to sit down every day and write about whatever I want. I love the art of writing and of sharing words to let others in on what I’m thinking or to explain how I feel in certain destinations in the world.  Writing is a huge part of why I love blogging and I think it always will be.

I can’t tell you how many doors have been opened to me through blogging.  Particularly travel blogging has so many amazing opportunities from the occasional free hotel stay to reviewing amazing travel products.  The companies I’ve worked with and the products I’ve had the pleasure of trying out are truly one of my favorite things about this blog.  Not that it’s without work, between reviews, planning posts for the exchange of services and all the work that goes into overseeing everything and promoting on social media, it’s definitely not always easy.  But at the end of the day, it’s a pretty great part of blogging.

I’d be lying if I said that the small amount of income I make from this blog didn’t add to the pros of blogging.  Now to be frankly honest, I really don’t make that much and it’s no where near a steady income stream or a main income source.  For me, this blog for now and the foreseeable future is a side project, a “third job” if you will, after my full time design job and my side design business.  But $30 or so coming in here and there is definitely a nice perk!

This blog for me is a lot of work and takes a tremendous amount of dedication and perseverance but it’s also incredibly fulfilling for me.  I love sitting down and making graphics and writing out posts, coming up with future post ideas and everything else that goes into it.  But perhaps the most fulfilling thing about blogging is when you get that positive email from a follower that makes you realize all this is worth it, regardless of some of the negatives that are associated with this industry (more on that to come tomorrow).  I’ll always enjoy this space overall because if I know that I’m speaking to just one person out there that values what I’m saying, it’s worth it.