How it all began: Starting my WordPress Blog with Bluehost

BY ONEIKA RAYMOND

Starting my blog was the best thing that ever happened to me.  Here’s some insight into setting up my WordPress blog on Bluehost.

Whenever people ask me about my path to travel blogging, I tell them that it first started with three things: a passion for travel, a desire to tell stories, and a deep need to connect with others online. I started my first blog in 2005.  It was unimaginatively named Oneika does France”, and was a rather simple site that I had set up with the sole intention of keeping friends and family updated about my year of living and working in France.

My very first blog!

 

But then, after a while, I realized that I actually really enjoyed the craft of storytelling.  I loved recounting my experiences and adding pictures to illustrate my adventures. Words and photos kept my memories fresh and alive.  And keeping an online diary of sorts kept me accountable to the writing process. So as I continued to travel over the years, through Europe and Asia, Africa, South America, and even Australia, I continued to write, to produce.  The entries became longer and better structured, with deeper, more resonant content. And you know what? As my commitment to my blog grew, so did my audience. However, blogging was still just a hobby, and I still had a day job– teaching.

Travelling in Uzbekistan last year

Getting serious about blogging with Bluehost and making “Oneika the Traveller” a business

Most good things in our lives come when we take a leap of faith.  I never would have attained my current level of success had I not decided to leave my teaching job to pursue blogging and travel content creation full-time. But even before taking that massive leap of faith, I was making steps to transition from hobby blogging to entrepreneurship.  The turning point came when I turned to Bluehost to power my blog in 2013.

At Bluehost’s pop up event in NYC last month

Bluehost is one of the largest web hosting companies around and powers over 2 million domains worldwide! It was then that I legitimized what had only, up to that point, been merely a fun thing to do on evenings and weekends.  I credit the switch to Bluehost, as well as a site redesign as the key ingredients that allowed my website and my business to reach new heights! This is because making the leap to Bluehost encouraged me to start thinking about my blog in a more serious and professional light. As I began to upgrade my blog design and structure, it also felt really good to know that Bluehost could provide tech support 24/7.

 

Now I’m a national television travel correspondent! But it all started with my blog.

It’s so funny– when I pushed publish on my first ever blog post in 2005 I had no idea that this idle pastime would become a passion or a profitable business. I had no clue it would lead to exploring over 100 countries, winning awards for my online musings, or being booked to speak on stages around the world about my travel and travel writing. And in my wildest dreams I never envisioned it would lead to millions of pageviews or a career in television and travel journalism.  I am so grateful for the abundance blogging has brought into my life!

Winner winner chicken dinner! Posing with my award for travel blogging– what a huge honour!

Do you have a blog or ever thought about starting one? What’s stopping you?

This post sponsored by Bluehost but opinions expressed throughout are all mine!

 

SHARING IS CARING

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