Evolving the Blog
To say that this has been a long time coming would be a lie. Honestly, when I started blogging about our Fort Wayne house and life as a young mother ten years ago, I just wanted a place to write and express ideas and hoped that someone would read my blog.
When I started Accepting the Unexpected Journey, I had much the same goal. I was fully dedicated to my teaching career and couldn’t see myself doing anything else.
But when life throws you curveballs, plans and goals and even paths change. I still love teaching. I still plan to do it as long as I have a love for the classroom and working with students. But I also want to write and create and make it worth the time that I spend away from my family doing so.
Future Dreams
Jeff and I have joked for years about traveling part-time in our travel trailer when the kids move out of the house. Now, we are still eight years away from both kids being off in college and we are not even close to ready to make that kind of commitment to adventure, but we also know that for us to do that in the far off someday, we need to have a plan for how we are going to support ourselves into retirement. Travel writing is one of the ways that I am hoping to make this dream come true.
I also want to write books, taking my years of workshopping and turning those blog and podcast pieces into larger works that can be enjoyed and consumed by an even larger audience. Moving to Substack and the possibility of being paid for some of my personal work seemed to be a good next step to help me work towards that goal.
The Social Media Dilemma
I love social media, I really do. I get to keep in touch with friends from high school and college, I can keep tabs on family members spread across the country, and I’ve developed amazing friendships with people who I have never met in person.
But getting my creative work past algorithms is so hard, and I do not have time to invest in hours of interaction online to boost my numbers and get the attention of strangers.
Substack gives me a platform, allows me to build a community, and has a built-in email/newsletter option that allows me to bypass the algorithms and get my creative work straight into your mailbox.
Finding My Worth
Some days I write great stuff. Somedays my writing is pretty mediocre. But I do believe that what I have to say and share is worth something. I’m choosing to take a gigantic leap of faith and believe in my worth as a writer and a person and I’m putting a value on that. It’s a pretty big step for this Enneagram 1w9 and I’m choosing to be proud of myself for doing it.
What Does My Subscription Get Me?
That’s the real question, right?
The free subscription will give you immediate access to the newsletter, new pieces from Accepting the Unexpected, all Mission: Wanderlust podcast episodes, and the website. As soon as the pieces are published, they will be sent to your email inbox, just make sure you check spam to get it past filters.
For now, paid subscriptions will get you access to blog posts focused on travel. I will write new pieces that reflect on our travels and look at the bigger influence of travel while also including travel tips and ideas that we have gained from experience. You can also expect some additional pieces and tips related to camping and traveling with an RV.
I am so thankful to those of you who have been with me on this journey for years and those new followers who have decided to take the leap with me. Know that no matter your level of financial support, I am thankful for you being here.
Please continue to share my work with those who you think would benefit or enjoy my page and follow me on social media so that more people can enjoy the journey and find their wander. This is a way that you can support me without offering a single penny, and that free advertising goes a long way.
Until next time, happy adventuring,
Sarah