Day Two
The Back Story – Why I Do What I Do
Here it is – Day Two and we are asked to explain what we do – what our niche or market is. This is very difficult for me – I don’t have either niche or market – I just like chatting on a variety of topics and sharing my photos. When I am travelling, there are stories about my travels along with my photographs. I don’t try to sell anything; I don’t promote anything, but tell stories of my life’s experiences.
My First Blog
Way back in 2005, I was invited to travel from Australia to Ireland to do some research about a man who was born there. Friends and family asked me to write about my travels and send them emails detailing my adventure. That sounded quite complicated, so I investigated and found a platform called TypePad. I used that as I travelled to detail my story and interact with my friends and family. I enjoyed doing it, but after returning to Australia, I stopped using it.
Not long after, I discovered other platforms – Blogger and WordPress.
What Do I Do?
I have been on this earth for many years and have had many careers. Starting with office work in the years after I finished school, training as a nurse and working on and off as a registered nurse or using my nursing qualifications to get interesting work as a medical representative. I’ve worked in the entertainment, arts and crafts, and beauty industry.
In 2002 I graduated from Griffith University with a Bachelor of Adult and Vocational Teaching and taught retail, hospitality, and aged care, before teaching English to students from around the world, whose native language was not English.
In 2008 I went to China to teach English at a college, which became a university for the whole year before returning to Australia. In 2009, I spent several months teaching English Teachers in South Korea at another university. I was back in China in 2010, but when I returned to Australia, life changed forever for me.
A week of wedding ceremonies.
Marriage Ends – More Study
My marriage ended – I walked away, never to return. I won’t go into details. I had no money, so went house sitting, to an inner city house, and not able to find employment, and rather traumatised, I went back to study. In 2012, I was in Melbourne for graduation with a Master of Arts, Writing, ready for the next phase of my life.
Me and Writing
Now I had been writing for years – was part of several active writing groups and wrote for magazines, and newsletters. My great interest was life stories. Have done a few – mainly just for families. Around that time I also did workshops on blogging, life stories and obituaries.
But more travel was on my bucket list. I had always wanted to drive around Australia. I had driven to Adelaide to visit my parents and sister. But this time I prepared for something longer. I had a Mitsubishi Lancer, and I thought a tent and an inflatable bed, and some other camping equipment would work. I set off late in 2012, heading south to Adelaide stopping often, taking photos and doing well. I had a house sit in Adelaide – one of the worst experiences of house sitting.
Then when that ended, I set off on and on I drove, across the Nullarbor Plain and on to WA. I stayed with a cousin south of Perth, and friends. On and on I went up north and on to the Northern Territory and then down inland Queensland and eventually arrived in Brisbane. It took 5 plus months. I did it. On my own. Without any major dramas. I was so thrilled.
I do talks sometimes encouraging older women to follow their dreams.
So why do I blog? Just to share stories and photos. To tell the stories of my travels.
To write. Have fun.
The Devils Marbles
I still write for magazines, I still take photos, Covid-19 has clipped my wings, but I plan to travel again soon. I do what I want to do. Write, Travel and Have Fun.
Hopefully my book will be finished soon. Would you want to read it?
#blogboost
