I have blogged weekly for the last few weeks, but I stopped updating and uploading my pictures on my photoblog for several months. I still love photography and still thinking that I should take my photography hobby more seriously. But at the moment, I am so engrossed with my blog (not necessarily blogging) and I have been thinking of the good and the bad of taking my photography into the next level. In January I introduced New Photo Website. The truth is as soon as I made the announcement, I neglected it. As a matter of fact my blogging on this site was also slowing down. Yes, I didn’t make any promises or any new year resolution on my online activities that is for both photography and blogging.
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Dark looking theme
This year will be my final year of working and living as an expat, which means I will be busy packing up my Middle East life and start a different life. My husband and I will officially retire from ‘work’ and embark on a new life to be full-time travelers for the next couple of years. Not expatriating anymore but traveling. Having said that, our life style will be different, from a 9 to 5 lifestyle (or rather 7 to 4) and we shall become nomads; our PO Box address will become an email address and 2 bedroom apartment living becomes 2 backpackers. I know that I will have a busy year ahead; sorting, segregating our personal effects, which one should we ship to the next destination in our life and which one to take with us as our day-to-day clothes, etc.
What about my online life? With no day job, I wish I could focus on my online life, which means that might be busier and more active by then, both on my blog and my photography. But then I realized that all my blogs are difficult to navigate, they don’t connect to each other, even inside this blog I find it hard to browse around. I started of as an expat blogger, with posts about life as an expat in the Middle East, and turned in to a travel blog. Well I guess I have myself to blame for the evolution of my blog content. The thing is how to navigate around and to connect everything inside it; should I curate it in such a way so that my old and new audience will easily see what is this blog about? or should I leave it as it is or maybe revamp the look of my blog, as I guess no body is really interested about what I wrote 7 years ago. It is all now obsolete… Or should I move to another address and start a fresh and forget about this blog? But having said that, who’s looking at my blog beyond the latest post anyway, which makes my last statement valid, I should start a new blog, with new name and new ideas? But I don’t think I can do this, as my genre of thinking will always be the same.
Another intriguing question that pops up in my mind, every now and then is who did I blog for in the first place??? Do I blog for my loved ones who (might) want to know of my adventures? or do I blog for myself, as my journal…? I wrote about this some time ago here. I also knew that I am not a great writer, hence the limited followers considering years of blogging.
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I think for now, I will just have to revamp the look of my blog, less clutter, more minimalist look (I hope); I will also curate the content to be ensync with the latest topic, about traveling expats and finding my way ‘home’, where ever home is…. However, the latter might take time and before I finish curating it, I might change my mind again on how I want my blog to look as I am never really happy with how my blog looks, or even I might change the name of my blog, the domain or even the platform….
Nins' Travelog 
Me! You’re blogging for me 🙂 If I were you I would continue using the blog(s) you already have… The blog name fits any kind of travel stories so why give up the followers you already have or why eliminate previous posts? You could change the look to herald the new chapter in your life and combine all previous posts and name them ‘my previous life’ or something like that. It’s not because it happened earlier that it’s no longer interesting to someone who’s still living as an expat in the Middle East… Or at least that is my humble opinion! If you decide to change domains and blogs, keep me posted, I would love to read about your soon nomad lives! Greetings from Belgium, Tine
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Hi Tine,
You made my day; at least there is somebody out there who read my blog, and I thank you for that. Your idea for combining the old posts and the new one is a great idea, however I still try to figure out how should I do that without making it complicated and people has to go into several layers of the blog. And certainly I will keep my floower posted to whatever happen to my soon to be new life.
I can’t thank you enough for stopping by today. Please visit again soon!
Nina
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My pleasure 🙂 Good luck!
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Nin, You blog for yourself and for your readers in the first place. Then come people who look for information about the places you visited and made pictures of. Your niche is clear, you are a travel photoblogger. I have been reading this blog from 2009. I would change the blog if I were you. All you have to do is improve the usability and menu for your readers so that they are able to navigate easily.
Above all, thinking of your plan to travel after you retire, all you need is to post content regularly. Readers will find what they look for. I wish you good luck with all the preparations.
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Sorry, silly typo I would not change the blog if I were you.
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Thanks Lorraine, your comment very encouraging. I think I still need to think several times before I make the decision. As of for now, I am in the thinking mode. This is why I need input from people alike, as I have no body to discuss this matter with.
Thank you for sharing your opinion, I really need that.
Nina.
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You’re welcome. If you need any advise, I am here. This is what I do for a living, online communication 😉 With little efforts you can improve your blog & increase the traffic.
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Hi, I just found your blog and it looks fine to me, I’ll drop by again soon.
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It’s in a better condition now, you should see it before…
Anyway, thanks for dropping by, and visit again soon… 🙂
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I think our blogs evolve as we do. I’ve changed the name of mine once and reorganized it several times. I’ve also changed themes and may be about to do so again. As for older blogs, people are always checking in on something I’ve written in the past. You can also go through and update blogs. Jazz up what you have if you need to, but stick with your blog. That’s my two cents worth, Nina. –Curt
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Thanks Curt, I thought it was only me who can not decide what name and which theme best for a blog. That is why, this time I only Jazzed up my blog with out changing the name or even changing the theme. This time I only change how one should navigate around the blog. The only think is it takes time to do that.
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One thing I am trying to do more of, which several people I follow do very well, is link back to relevant blogs that I have written. That takes people somewhere they might want to go without having to struggle through the menu. –Curt
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Yes, I try to do that as well, but only lately, and not with the older posts. Thanks for the advice Curt.
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Thank you for dropping by! Good luck with your upcoming travel life. Hopefully you will continue to share your wonderful travel photos with the world (and us), but if not, I look forward to browsing through the ones you have already posted!
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No- not easy to navigate but I loved your photos on the Home page. So many more exciting ones to come 🙂 Good luck with the planning/organising Nina, and many thanks for following my blog.
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Hi Nina, I’m new to the blogging world and your site–your beautiful pictures have kept me clicking around and will bring me back -Ginette
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Yay, it doesn’t matter if there anyone visit or appreciate your blog. What is important whether you still love blogging? If you love it, just do. I know that your lives about to change… But, things that will never change is that you always traveling, it’s your destiny. the expat thing it’s only as part of your travels story. So keep this brand ninstravelog, it will always log all your travels. And the theme of your blog, it’s okey, ones they love the content, they’ll keep comeback
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It’s great to stumble upon your blog! I think it is nice! I have been blogging since 2003, but I have not done any blogging for sometime from 2011 to now. My offline life has kept me busy! keep on blogging if you know you love it!
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Hi Lulu, thank you for dropping by, and yes, most of the time real world take precedent in our life. But it also nice to have something online….
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Yeep!! I have met many good friends from blogging, and I have met them for real life and kept on being in contact up to now.
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Lucky you, I haven’t manage to do so, maybe because I am too modest in my blogging job.
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Ya maybe,I have no idea.
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I like your current blog layout, the previous one was also nice actually 🙂
And as always, your pictures are stunning!
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You have asked a ot of questions and have been given a lot of answers.
I think you know the answers, it is just a matter of stilling your mind.
Enjoy your travels and share them this honest sharing is what life is all about.
The honesty and joy you share will come back to you as a reflection in clear still water. _/\_
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