No this isn’t urgent, but I certainly can use your help in the form of advice.
Lately I’ve been very conflicted about this site. As you may notice, I haven’t written in a while. Let me preface my plea by saying I live in a beautiful region where some cities and towns depend on visitors and tourism. I have written about places to visit here in Niagara, but I am conflicted about doing so. Let me tell you why.
For one, I don’t particularly like writing about all the travel blog intricacies of places I’ve visited. I love travelling and writing about it, however I prefer to write about it from an experiential standpoint – the broader sense of what it feels like, rather than where I ate, stayed and how I got there.
Second and more importantly, my travels abroad and even around Niagara have highlighted in my mind, the excessiveness of tourism. Though I am a staunch believer in travel expanding the mind, I have seen the damage that excessive tourism can cause, and don’t wish to be a part of enabling such excess. I love the Niagara Region and don’t want to do it any disservice.
People often contact me via the blog or Instagram to ask about places, wineries, restaurants they should visit. And I get no sense that most of them actually care much for the area itself. It’s simply about the best places to get some pictures for social media and to have fun, rather than to actually experience the beauty, history and awe of the area. Even during the pandemic the area was overrun with non-residents on all the trails and parks, and the debris and mess they leave behind is unconscionable. We won’t even talk about parking.
Third, I simply want to write about the things that catch my fancy, sometimes just stories, because I believe stories matter. My stories, others’ stories, we are all stories.
I love the history of Niagara and other places. I enjoy writing about things that bring me joy and sharing knowledge on my experiences of the places and people I find special, that most often I’ve simply stumbled upon. And of course simply to write. It is hard however to bring all those genres together on this one site without making it superbly confusing.
So what should I do?
- Forget this site and begin fresh elsewhere?
- Rework this site and change the name and domain? (no, I don’t like the name anymore. It sounds much too young for my age.)
- Ditch blogging completely, because I have a stack of books to read and a life to live? (insert smile here – we know that’s not going to happen, though it’s been considered)
- Any other options?
Feel free to share your honest thoughts, offer constructive criticism and feedback. I’d love to hear.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and comment!
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I believe you can change the name of your blog at any time. Perhaps you could pull a “Prince” and ad a “Formerly Known As Girl In Niagara” for a transition period and then drop it. Most of the people I read, including myself, write what they want to talk about at that moment. I open their posts with no expectations that it must be about a specific theme. I am continually surprised, moved and stimulated. Write what is authentic to you. That is what people want.
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Thank you so much for your input and my apologies on the delayed reply, but now I have time for a proper reply.
I do like your idea of maintaining this blog and simply changing the name with a “Prince”. I’ve received a few thoughts and ideas and this gives me plenty to think about, though the thought of writing what is authentic to me is what brings the most joy. It’s also about an evolution of self and the evolution of our interests.
Thank you so very much for weighing in with your feedback. Much appreciated!
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This is a tough question, because you don’t want to lose readers (like me), but then, if you do start fresh with a new blog, you know we’ll follow you there. You’ll just have to post here a few times, alerting readers of the change.
There’s probably a financial side to the question as well. If you start a new blog, would you want to keep this one available, as an archive at minimum, and maybe a place you add to occasionally? If so, are you willing to pay the hosting costs of two blogs? Or maybe you keep this blog active for a specific period of time, maybe a year, then let it go (after transferring any posts you really like over to the new blog).
As for your blogging name, if you’re feeling you’ve outgrown it, then definitely create a new one! I admit, when I first saw the name, I worried you would be a twenty-something writer and my experience with bloggers that much younger than me is that we have little in common so I rarely follow them.
I completely understand and applaud your reasons for wanting to change direction.
Twist my arm for an answer to your question, and I’d have to go with starting fresh with a new name and a new blog. That just seems more fun to me.
Good luck with whatever you decide!
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You Rebecca are always insightful and I do appreciate your feedback. You’re right, a fresh start is always exciting. And I love your idea of transferring the content I love and letting the rest go. It’s funny, but some of the posts I’ve written that I love the most are the ones that get the most hits. Thanks to Google.
And yes, that is what I think about, that the name sets the tone for a twenty something blog. Which isn’t me at all, even if I simply just feel 22. 😆. Thanks so much for taking the time to reply and share your honest feedback. 💕
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My vote is write what you want. Unless you’re monetized and depend on that income financially, your blog should be primarily about your creative output, and how it makes YOU feel.
That’s just my 2 cents.
If you see a trend come on by your readers, like multiple similar questions, maybe consider a feature (for me it’s the semi-regular Tarot Tuesdays). Or divert from the travel periodically and begin a new branch to inject fresh content but keep the main blog content intact.
Honestly, if you have a loyal following, it might be nice to keep them…
I’ve done this, change the blog without starting fresh, although I have also started fresh but a long time ago. On my current blog I’ve diverted away from family and parenting but still touch on those topics occasionally… It’s still the same blog as before, but it’s evolved in content output. 🙂
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I guess that’s exactly the point, an evolution. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts. I very much appreciate the clarity you provided. You’ve made some good points. 🙏
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Well, you probably know my views on this. We both love the beauty that surrounds us and enjoy writing our stories. When I first discovered yours, I thought you were all about promoting wine and thought you had a novel and interesting way to do it. I guess it’s about writing for yourself and what makes you happy. A new blog? You probably don’t need to do that to change direction, but it’s really up to you. Good luck!
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Thank you Jo! I very much appreciate your thoughts. Your right though, perhaps it’s more a change in direction that’s needed as opposed to a new blog. However a fresh start always feels good too. My conundrum continues. Though in the big picture it’s matters not at all. Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts.
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🤗💕
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What you just wrote really resonates with me. Some of the places we discovered, I felt reluctant to share for the same reasons you had mentioned. I don’t have much in term of advice, but I do keep the location of some places a bit vague for this reason. For me it’s more about inspiring people to explore on their own and not necessarily go where I went. At the same time, I do love to share special places with those who read my blog on a regular basis.
As to your blog’s name…girl suits you just fine, but if you find something that you like better go for it. It’s your blog! If you do start a new one though, let me know so that I can follow you!
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You’ve absolutely reiterated my thoughts. I haven’t shared many of the little places I’ve found too, for the very same reason. I very much appreciate your thoughts and will definitely let you know if I move. Thank you!
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