Is There Room For Another Travel Blog?
We’re moving to Canada!
For those of you who have missed my spamming of Twitter with this most amazing news, that is exactly what my little family is doing.
After spending 3 months in Huntsville, Ontario for our (working) honeymoon in 2009, we said to ourselves, that if we ever get the opportunity too move to Canada – we would. So with my business/income being solely from my online ventures, and Isabelle (our daughter) being old enough to fly (she just celebrated her first birthday!), we have decided that now is as good a time as any to take the leap.
We Have One Way Tickets & A Lot Of Goals!
A couple of weeks ago we booked our flights and in late February 2012 we will be flying to Los Angeles and then 5 days later we take the final leg of our journey to Toronto.
With no return tickets, we are going with the plan of ‘at least 12 months’ and if we love it, we will stay longer.
We are going to be living in the Muskoka region (which is said to get EXTREMELY cold), which just so happened to be listed as National Geographics’ No 1 Best Summer Trip Location of 2011, but have a whole list full of trips and things we want to do which we like to call our ‘Canada List’ (Kinda like a bucket list).
With grand plans of seeing everything that the Northern Hemisphere has to offer, considering how long away we will be staying and the fact that I just love a good reason to start a new blog – I came up with the grand idea that now would be the perfect time to start a travel blog!
Why We Would Want To Start A Travel Blog…
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To Keep Family & Friends Updated
This was our first point and something that we consider really important. While we will have skype to chat with family, we can’t constantly keep everyone up to date with what we are doing in a detailed way (Facebook will be suffice for most people). So whether we do a fully fledged blog or not – we are definitely going to have one just for family and friends.
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To Keep A Journal Of Our Time Away
This move is massive for us, and something that we want to remember for the rest of our lives. A blog is the journal of today and having such a detailed look at our time away will be something that we can look back on.
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To Share What We Learn About Long & Short Term Travel
There are plenty of people wanting to travel (both long-term and short-term) who use the internet to search for answers to their questions. Already we personally have had to work through a lot of things ourselves with choosing the right visas, searching the best ways to travel with a young child, and when you add in the mental aspect of moving overseas – I am sure that already we have a lot to give.
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To Give Me A Reason To Take A Heap Of Photos On My New Canon EOS 60D
A more selfish reason, but I love my camera and since I already am starting to take photos of everything, it would be great to have another reasons (and canvas) to display the photos that I take.
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Business Opportunities/Income
While making money from this would be well down on our list of reasons, I will obviously SEO all our content (because that is just what I do), and if we do create this travel blog then we will do it well. I could see the opportunities to review travel related products, attractions and even accommodation.
This is quite a positive list that makes me just want to jump out and start the blog today, but there are a couple of niggling thoughts that are holding me back.
Reasons To Give The Travel Blog Idea The Flick…
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There Are Already A Gabillion Travel Blogs
I know that is a made up figure but travel blogs are the flavour of the month (or year) , and already there are so many that it makes me wonder if there is anything that we could add into a such a noise filled niche.
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Another Blog That Requires My Time
While I have got much better with my time management, I’m not sure if I really want to give up more of my time to working online (another blog). The one note I will make on this point is that my wife Fiona (her Twitter) will do her fair share of posting on the blog, and her sister and fiance (will be husband) will be joining us in Canada for at least 6 months – so we may have two additional writers.
Over To You…
So I have said my piece, albeit a lot longer than I expected, but I want to hear from you.
- Does The Internet Need Another Travel Blog?
- What Would You Like To See From A Travel Blog?
Love to hear your thoughts…
12 Responses
10.11.2011
I think that there can’t be too much of anything. You just have to do it a little better, a little more different or just do what suits you best from your experience.
There will come a lot more travelblogs in the future, that’s something we can’t stop. So, why shouldn’t it be one from you.
If you ever decide to move or go on holiday to Norway – tell me and I’ll be happy to guide you. You know – the country where the polarbears walk around in the streets….(they don’t actually – but, a lot of people seem to think that is a fact)
Thomas Sinfield Reply:
October 17th, 2011 at 5:08 pm
Great points Bjorn! We just need to find our own little niche in the market.
I do love all the stereotypes that people have of different countries and I am looking forward to experiencing what they are really like. If we end up heading no Norway, I will definitely be in touch. :)
10.11.2011
Hi Tom,
Of course there is room for another travel blog. The fact that you have an established audience here who are invested in what you do is a great boost to start with. And if you could tie it in with how you cope with the move and new clime whilst maintaining and growing your business, that would be a nice angle.
Cheers!
Tom
Thomas Sinfield Reply:
October 17th, 2011 at 5:10 pm
I never even thought about using my current audience to help kick start momentum, but it would be something that would be good for case studies on this blog as well (so hopefully a good win-win situation).
And as you mention, blending that all in with how to run (and grow) and online business while living abroad would be something I could write about on both this blog and the travel one.
11.1.2011
I’ve had these same thoughts but the more travel blogs. With higher competition, perhaps more high-quality blogs with great content will appear. I don’t think I’ll ever get bored with them!
Do you have a flickr account? I’d love to check out your photos. I’m travelling with a Fuji x100. Pretty compact and takes a beautiful photo. If had the space (and the money!), I’d be looking at a Canon 5D Mark II — drool worthy!
Thomas Sinfield Reply:
November 10th, 2011 at 8:59 am
Thanks for the comment Simone! I don’t have a flickr account yet – just adding my photos to Facebook at the moment. I think that once we get to Canada then I’ll create one.
Yea, I looked at the 5D as well, but didn’t want to spend the extra money! haha
11.5.2011
Hello from Toronto, Canada, an hour or two south of Huntsville, but a completely different ecozone. Just wanted to let you know:
A) you’re obviously right, Huntsville is beautiful, I have a friend living there right now.
B) you’ve got a new fan north of the border, I just used your template to create my facebook fan page (THANKS, you couldn’t have made it easier!) and love it!
Thomas Sinfield Reply:
November 10th, 2011 at 9:00 am
Hey Adrian! We went to Toronto a couple of times when we were over there last time and love it, but really looking forward to a nice and relaxing community – which I am expecting huntsville and surrounding areas to be.
Glad you could use the Facebook fan page!
11.8.2011
Hey Tom,
Just wanted to drop you a line, and let you know that I followed your first challenge on and off over the last year, and I’m very impressed you accomplished your goal early! I have been tossing around the idea of starting my own challenge, and after seeing that you have started a second, decided to give it a shot.
Feel free to drop by my site anytime! It’s going to be an awesome 35 weeks.
Thomas Sinfield Reply:
November 10th, 2011 at 9:02 am
Hey Jonathan! I was hoping to replicate the success of my first challenge with my second one – but have been a bit lazy! Good luck with your challenge, and I will be sure to drop by from time to time to see how you are going with it!
12.3.2011
This is amazing news and I’m sure you’ll like it. I spent a month in 2003 travelling across Canada from the West to the East and it is an amazing country with some amazing people.
I guess this shows another benefit of working online. Not only can you ‘earn a living from home’ but it doesn’t matter where that home is.
As for the travel blog there certainly is space for it. The fact is you want to do it, and your will be SEOing it anyway so it might also bring in some extra revenue.
Good Luck!
12.7.2011
Welcome to Canada!
I’m from the Toronto area, and I agree with Adrian – Huntsville is beautiful, even if it’s a bit cold sometimes… ;)
There are so many blogs out there on every topic, it seems like there isn’t room for any more blogs (in general), let alone another travel blog. However, I would be interested in reading about your adventures, especially looking at how you manage the move and your business at the same time.
Good luck!