19 lessons from ten years being a blogger

Hey {NAME}, Can you believe it's been 10 years? Ten years ago, I started this blog. Back in January 2008, I'd just returned from my trip around the world. I was broke and got a temp job at a hospital. My job was to sit there, answer phones, open the mail, and just generally not break anything while the full-time assistant was on maternity leave. Within a few days, I said to myself, “This is not for me.” Being back in a cubicle felt like I had come back to exactly where I started. It was as if the 18 months I spent on the road hadn't happened. Life had remained frozen so I could return to the exact spot I left. But travel had changed me and I no longer fit into that old life. I wanted to be “out there” — that mythical place that was anywhere but home. Sitting in that cubicle, I wondered, “What could I do to keep traveling?” “Travel writer” seemed like a good idea. And so I started a blog to showcase my work, get freelance writing gigs, maybe write some guidebooks, and hopefully make a living from all this. I imagined myself a cross between Bill Bryson and Indiana Jones. In April 2008, after a couple months trying to figure out HTML, uploading photos, and this whole Internet thing, I went live with my website, Nomadic Matt. So, [on today’s ten-year anniversary](), I want to share some of the business/blogging lessons I learned (often the hard way) in the past decade. As Mary Schmich said in that famous column-turned-song "Everyone's Free to Wear Sunscreen", “Advice is a form of nostalgia; dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts, and recycling it for more than it’s worth.” I hope you enjoy this form of nostalgia. Community Updates - COMMUNITY: Looking for some travel inspiration? Check out our latest community interview with Sissi Korhonen, an intrepid solo female traveler who recently spent [two years cycling around South America](). - NEW UPDATED GUIDES! We've updated 5 of our guides: [Paris](=), [Stockholm](), [Amsterdam](), [New York City](, and Kristin's solo female travel guide, [Conquering Mountains: How to Solo Travel the World Fearlessly](. We added maps and language sections to our guides and tons of new tips to Kristin's book. If you're going to any of these cities, grab a guide so you can plan your trip, learn how to save money, get off the tourist travel, and find your way around easier! - TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHERS: I'm looking for a fantastic landscape photo to feature on my Instagram. I share photos every Friday from travelers like you, so [submit your photo here]( for a chance to be featured! - WORK AND TRAVEL: Attention anyone wanting to teach English overseas, we've just done a major overhaul of our book [How to Teach English Overseas](). This version has all new interviews from 22 teachers who've taught all over the world, a Q&A with a global recruiter, new photos, and extended sections. This book will help you navigate the job market better so you get a job quicker! Latest from the Blog [19 Things I Learned From 10 Years Blogging]() Ten years ago, I published my very first blog post. It's been a crazy journey and, since anniversaries are a great time to reflect, I wrote a post containing everything I've learned about the business of travel blogging (and a bit about life) in these last 10 years. [Flying High in New Zealand's Fiordland]( Fiordland is one of the most unbelievably beautiful places to immerse yourself in New Zealand's incredible nature. It was a place I missed on my first visit but made sure not to skip this time. Here's an amazing story about a seaplane ride, a pilot, and a really weird Airbnb host! [How I Built This (Or What I Learned from Being a Scammy Marketer)](=) = I want to tell the tale of how I became an accidental travel writer and how I built this blog after getting into scammy websites and building sites on things like training your dog and growing corn (seriously). This Week's Money Saving Deals - [Get 10% off Intrepid Travel tours to Europe through this link]() (Exclusive worldwide reader discount!) - DON'T FORGET: [Purchase travel insurance to protect your trip](=)! (I always get it. You never know what could happen, especially these days! Better to be safe than sorry!) As always, if you have any questions or need advice, tips, or guidance, send me an e-mail! I'm here to help. Sincerely, Nomadic Matt P.S. - If you're traveling soon, consider booking through the links in this e-mail or [on the blog's resources page](=). All the best companies are listed, using the links doesn't cost you any extra, and it helps keep the site free, fun, and community supported! If you have any questions, please e-mail me. [Unsubscribe]( | 407 W University Ave, Georgetown, Texas 78626