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Blogger on Board by David LaHuta






Q & A
Describe your blog in one sentence: Adventures of a twenty-something snowboard instructor and her low budget travel adventures around Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the U.S.

Why did you decide to start a travel blog? I usually wander around the earth with my digital camera attached to my hand and a pen placed behind my ear; I love to document my experiences in pictures and words. It all started with a simple journal, which morphed into a photo album and then scrapbook as I began collecting ticket stubs and brochures and other goodies like that. It has now evolved into an online blog, which is wonderful because I can document my personal experiences more creatively, and I can easily share it with friends around the world.

I have chosen the road less traveled over the past few years, and my blog is the main way I stay connected.

What's the best way to start a travel blog? Any tips for beginners? Never leave home without your camera, a small pad of paper, and a pen--whenever you feel inspired, use it! With a few notes and a few snaps, you'll be able to capture the moment the way it really was. Some of the most interesting moments happen when they are least expected...come prepared.

The most important thing about blogging is to set aside some time to do it. We all have busy, interesting lives, and the temptation to "do it later" may often arise. But, in order to have a good blog, it is necessary to blog in a timely manner. When something exciting happens that you want to blog about, stay up past your bedtime and wake up early the next morning to make time to blog your idea.

What travel blog site do you use? Blogspot? Travellerspoint? VirtualTourist? Somthing else? Or do you have your own website? What are the pros and cons of using your specific format? I use Blogspot because it's free and easy to use. They have a variety of templates to choose from, an easy-to-use blogging interface, and an automatic archiving feature. I like being able to include pictures with my writing, and I'm able to customize the layout to look the way I want. The downside is that you must upload every picture one by one, so it's a real pain in the butt when you have a lot of photos to include. The upside is that every photo uploaded will automatically be added to your photo album on Picasa.

Do you pay to keep your blog online? Please describe some of the financial expenses of maintaining a travel blog and give tips on keeping costs down. A huge benefit to blogging is that costs are relatively low. I don't pay anyone to host my blog, rather I use a free service called Blogger. I am also able to track the numbers and locations of my visitors for free using SiteMeter. Aside from the the hundreds of hours purchased for computer use at various Internet cafes around the world, I haven't incurred any direct expenses in having an online blog.

Have you encountered any technical issues while blogging on the road? If so, please describe them and offer solutions for novice bloggers. Downloading your digital pictures onto a CD may work for some, but for me, I take way more pictures and videos than could ever fit onto a handful of CD's. I use my iPod like an external harddrive when I want to download my memory card. You can buy a connector to hook your camera's USB cable directly into the iPod cord, and then download all your photos without a computer. This can totally save you when you're feeling snap-happy and don't have any extra memory cards, or when you're far from a computer with a CD burner.

Where do you blog from? Internet cafes? Home? Do you search for Wi-Fi hotspots? What's the best way for novice bloggers to locate an Internet connection on the road? Finding a modern computer with a decent Internet signal can be a mission in itself. It's frustrating when you arrive to your affordable establishment and it's the same old story: the computers are outdated, the Internet connection is spotty, and the keyboard is all mixed up--why is the Z key where the Y key goes and where is that darn "@" ? But, that's the price you pay to travel light and worry-free (I prefer to leave my laptop safe at home, so I don't have to worry about leaving my valuables in a sketchy hostel dormitory, or rather, carry heavy electronics in my day pack).

I try to do an initial draft of my blog on paper (travel time on busses and planes are great to get started) and identify a few key photos on my camera before logging on. Then, I try to find an internet cafe with a decent signal. In my experience, what you pay for is what you get--cheaper options equal slower, more ancient equipment. Try to book hostels that have a communal computer and Internet in the building, and read up about recommended Internet cafes in your guidebook. Or, try a public library or tourist information center, they often have a few computers available, and best yet, it's usually free!

Is it important to read other travel blogs? If so, please explain. Traveling can be an exhilarating and fulfilling experience, but unfortunately, we don't always have the time or money to do it all. Travel blogs are the next best thing. We can live vicariously through a travel blog, hear first hand scores and mishaps, and visit places we may have never dreamed of, all from the comfort of our own home. If you want to travel without traveling, check out a travel blog.

Some forms of mass media can make a destination seem so mysterious, so enchanting, and so unobtainable. Travel blogs are different. They can really bring an experience home. Without a word count, a page allowance, or advertisers to please, travel bloggers have the freedom to tell the whole story; the way it really was. When I read someone else's travel blog, I often feel that it's a real place, a place even I can go to. Travel blogs are like diaries for the public.

Describe some of the challenges of maintaining a travel blog. How do you overcome them? Time is a big factor. It's hard to find time WHILE traveling to sit down and blog about your experiences. Time spent inside a computer room is often time not spent out in the real world. It can be hard to find balance, but it's absolutely necessary to do so. If you don't make time to blog, you will miss the moment, the initial feelings, the insights, the real story. If you wait until you get home, you will likely become busy with a number of other things and not blog at all.

What's one great piece of advice you'd give to someone considering starting a travel blog? Writers write. If you want to start a blog, then do it!
Don't worry whether it's "good." We all get better at the things we put our time and our energy into. So, set some time aside and start!

Tell me about your schedule. Do you blog the same time every day or every week? Do you specifically put time aside to blog? I imagine you must also have a full-time job -- how do you make time to blog? It doesn't matter when you blog, as long as you do it. For me, blogging more event-based than time-based. Everytime something exciting happens, something intriguing, something news worthy, I blog. Sometimes, it's about a trip, or an event, or even a moment. Once I have an idea in mind, I have to make time to do it--which usually means waking up an hour early or staying up late for a couple of days to get it done.

Obviously photos and videos are important components of many travel blogs. Do you find it easy / difficult to upload photos and/or video and do you have any advice for sharing photographs and/or video online? Pictures and video are crucial elements on a blog. You can download some programs to make uploading quick and easy. I like to use Picasa Web Albums Uploader, which allows me to upload an entire folder of pictures at one time, rather than upload files individually on Blogger. You can post a link to your photo album on your blog, or directly embed a slideshow on the page. Google Video Uploader is handy when uploading videos that are larger than 100MB. I prefer google video rather than YouTube because it doesn't burn the "You Tube" logo at the bottom of your video.

How do you drive traffic to your blog? I periodically send e-mails to friends and family to keep in touch, share the news, and preview a few of my recent blog entries. My blog has been a way for me to document my experiences and stay connected with friends around the world. I enjoy sharing insight on the unique places I've been, the things I've done, and the overall lifestyle I've chosen to have during this period of my life--though I don't solicit readers outside of my personal network at this time.