9 things I learned in my 1st year of blogging

1 year ago, on 17th of May, 2015 “born” my travel blog. Honestly, I didn’t plan to become a travel blogger. In the beginning, I just wanted to have a virtual space to share my experience, tips about Indonesian cultural Darmasiswa scholarship that I got. I thought this information can be useful for the next year students.

But later, I saw that during my trips in Indonesia I found out things that I didn’t know before visiting some of the places. I thought that this practical information can be useful for other travelers as well. So, little by little I started to make notes from my trips which turned into the posts (unfortunately not all stories are told yet :)).

Later on, I felt in love with Indonesia and after my scholarship finished I decided to start my life here – become a full time travel writer/blogger. Truly to say, I’m not naive person, but this time I thought that to be a travel blogger will be so easy – I will just travel, write and get income. I was wrong! Nothing was (is) so easy how I expected it will be. But the main good thing – even if I didn’t reach my aim yet, this 1 year of blogging gave me good lessons to learn.

9 things I learned in my first year of blogging

1. Blogging is a tone of work

I read that some of the people write a post within couple of hours. Maybe they have a gift to write? For me to write 1 post takes at least 2 days: writing draft, couple times of editing, selecting and preparing photos, adding post to the blog and etc. Later, after 2 days of preparation, more than half of the day takes to “spread” it in social media and other sources. But each moment spent on single post give me a pleasure to remember all discoveries during my trips.

2. It’s freedom to do experiments

It’s not possible to find out what is working what is not without trying and making experiments. Travel blog is my own, so I can do things without asking permission of any people. I try different posts structures, different ways of present information and analyzing what readers likes more. I’m not scared to make mistakes and I’m trying to learn how to make better posts in a future. When I was working in the company, each mistake cost not only more work for me but sometimes influence my colleagues work as well. Now I’m free to stumble and learn from mistakes without involving others.

3. It’s an opportunity to learn new things

I never wrote any article or post for anyone before. I started my first post in this blog from 0 knowledge about it. Only now, little by little I start to understand what does it mean a “good post” and I’m learning to write such ones.

I’m learning how to make my content interesting, trying to understand how people behave while reading posts, what they find the most interesting, why they like to share my content and etc. It’s like learning people’s behavior psychology which I find very interesting.

Before I was just ordinary social media user. Now I know much more about it. I read many articles, was searching for answers to understand how different social media is working, how to engage people with my content, what is more important in social media and etc. I found it so challenging but at the same time really thrilling.

Because of blogging I even learned some programming codes. Now I’m able to fix some problems in website design, adding new tools, codes and etc. I never thought that I will understand such things.

4. Need to move out from comfort zone

I’m the type of people who can’t sell things which people don’t need. I believed that if anyone needs something they will find it by themselves. But blogging taught me that “promoting yourself” is one of the most important things in successful blogging. I need to be proactive if I want to be known (especially among thousands of other travel bloggers). I need to engage people to meet with me, suggest ideas. I need to convince possible clients, partners that I can be useful for them even if they didn’t think about it yet. It’s not easy to leave comfort zone – but it’s really worth it.

Blogiversary — A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there

5. Blogging is not a game

To have a blog and wishing to make a living from it, means to think about blog like about business. Make a strategy, understand markets and target groups, planning budged, participate in networking events, make evaluation and etc. It’s non-stop process and full time job.

6. Need to understand what you pay for

I used to pay for services expecting that I don’t need to know anything about them. I pay because somebody will know more than me. But I learned that whatever service I buy, I need to know about it at least a little bit. Not all the people who do business and sell services will do it in a fair way and right price. Just to avoid overpaying for anything – better to understand what you are buying, how long it takes, what the result can be expected.

7. Nothing will be perfect

No matter how hard I will try to make my blog perfect – I always will find something to correct, to add, thinking how to make it better. But I understood that blogging isn’t meant to be perfect – it’s a journey of making mistakes, learning and growth. If I would wait to make perfect blog design, perfect posts, probably even after this 1 year it wouldn’t be published yet.

Blogging — It’s ok not to be perfect and not make perfect things

8. Don’t have expectations to get backing

Many people don’t understand what does it mean to be a blogger. Especially when it’s presented like a full time job. I can’t expect that people from my surrounding will know as much as I know now about blogging, how works social media, what is important for each blogger, what means to be “a good blogger” and many other things. Because of that I don’t have to expect that people from my surrounding will be the most engaged readers.

9. It’s never ending personal growth

I became more curious about things which I write. I want to give for my reader’s correct information and it’s a big responsibility. Before publishing any post, I check other sources, speak with people and etc. just to prove that things, I’m writing about is correct.

I learned to pay attention in things I’m writing about and how I do it. Sometimes things which looks usual for me, for others can sound like offence. I’m learning to use filters in each of my sentence.

I realized that having a blog and trying to reach aims I need to become really patient: in learning, getting answers, answering questions, growing my blog reader’s community, getting income.

Having a blog, it’s growing a strength not to give up when something doesn’t go like I want. And each time finding a strength to try harder, search, see new opportunities and thinking positive.

Blogging taught me to be more flexible. If something goes wrong – try something else and new but not stuck on the same things.

Travel blogger — Every experience makes you grow

In conclusion – I had a year of awesomeness, but I believe that the best is yet to come!

Have you tried blogging? What kind of lessons you learned? Do you think it’s worth to be a blogger?

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Uluwatu beach in Bali – where magic happen

Sometimes on my mind I have exact places which I want to visit. Sometimes just let myself to get lost and stop somewhere on the way. Most of the time, the second choice gives me more surprises. Small trip to Uluwatu beach wasn’t exception.

I got suggestion to go to Uluwatu beach after the daytime. I thought it’s a bit too long way just to stay there for couple of hours (from my place, near Sanur, it’s ~1 hour one way). I suggested just to go on that direction and stop somewhere where we will find a sign “pantai” (in Indonesian language it means “beach”), just to enjoy the sunset (in that area it’s really beautiful ones).

Somehow all beaches on the way we missed (Green Bowl, Balangan, Dreamland, Bingin, Padang-Padang) and still arrived to Uluwatu beach.

First of all, this beach name a bit confusing. In internet you can find 3 different names: Blue point beach, Suluban or Uluwatu beach. After some research I understood why it’s called differently. “Suluban” is the original name and people just gave extra name “Blue point” because of the water color when you look to it from the top of the cliffs. “Uluwatu” beach is different one, straight under the famous temple Uluwatu (Pura Luhur Uluwatu). You can find this beach just on the left side through cave when you are heading to Suluban beach (no signs – just try to find the entry in the cave or follow others).

If you will go straight – it’s Suluban beach. If you will turn left (where is the rock) will be Uluwatu beach

Second, it’s not proper beach where you have plenty of space for bathing or other activities. It doesn’t have soft sand (mostly covered by stones and small pieces of corals). As well going for swimming in the Indian ocean you will need pass many rocks in the water.

Uluwatu beach surrounded by cliffs, stones

Third, this place called one of the best places for experienced surfers, so you should understand that the waves are high and strong. Also the best time to enjoy swimming is in the morning and daytime. It becomes like a natural swimming pool forms between the beach and reef. Later the water comes up and hide all rocks under the water, so you can harm yourself while swimming in strong waves.

Uluwatu beach sunset — Black dots in the ocean – surfers waiting for the “right” wave

In any case this place is really worth to visit, like it’s something different from usual beach views of South part of Bali. And you don’t need to be a surfer to enjoy this place. There are many local eating places “warungs” where you can just take a drink, relax and have the romantic sunset view. If you are lucky, you can see turtles swimming in the turquoise water as well. Probably one of the most known places to have really good time is “Single Fin bar”. It’s a bar situated on one the edge of the limestone cliff overlooking Uluwatu beach and Indian Ocean. As well they have live music every Sunday.

But what is so magical about Uluwatu beach?

Beside an unusual beach view, high cliffs, beautiful sunsets, some people say, that cave through which you need to pass to Uluwatu beach is magical. Why/how magical this cave I don’t know but I have my own interesting story to tell.

Usually sunsets comes ~5.30-6 pm in South part of Bali. While enjoying time in Uluwatu beach I saw that many people start to leave the beach even before 5 pm. I thought that probably they want to see other places or do something else. After we decided to go out as well, we turned to direction that we came in and where a bit surprised. We didn’t find the cave exit through which we pass inside. We looked around maybe we missed it. But no. We were a bit confused how come it happen, where is the exit. But suddenly in front of us came black local dog that we saw before playing in the beach. He just looked at as, went couple steps forward, again looked at as, like calling “fallow me”. First time I remember one scene from documentary movie (I forgot the name) when guy told – “if you don’t know which direction to choose, follow the animals that you will meet on your way”. So, I said – “yeah this dog going home and know where is exit”. So I started just talk with dog saying “go doggy go home” and he started to walk straight and we followed after him. Our exit wasn’t too far but it was covered already by tide, that’s why we didn’t see it. The waves each moment became higher and stronger, so we needed to wait to pass it and not to get totally wet. I think if we would wait a bit longer, we would need to swim through the exit. And it’s not the easiest way, like there are many big rocks. When we were passing inside we needed even to lean.

So how not to call it magic? When the dog appears from nowhere and waiting for us to show the way?

Before entering the beach there are no signs informing about timing when people need to return and not stuck there. Suluban beach is more open, so you can easily see and know how to get out. Even there are people who are standing on the cliffs and starts to whistle for swimmers and those who are in the beach that it’s time to go from there, like it’s becomes danger to stay. But in Uluwatu, nobody informs you.

If you are not sure if worth to go to Uluwatu beach, you can read some other travelers review about it and here are some more nice pictures of this place which probably will convince you to come here.

Tips for visiting Uluwatu beach:

Location: Jalan Pantai Suluban, Pecatu, Jimbaran
There is no entrance fee but for motorbike parking you will need to pay 3 000 Rp, for a car 5 000 Rp.
It’s a beautiful place for pre-wedding, wedding pictures and other photo sessions but if you want to make them on “special place” you need to pay extra “fee”.
You can find there not only eating places but as well some souvenirs shops, showers. But after 5 pm almost everything is closed. Even only 1 toilet was open.
I think, if you are not a surfer to spend there whole day you won’t have much things to do. But you can visit my mentioned beaches above during the daytime and stay in Uluwatu beach for a sunset. Or after staying in Uluwatu beach in daytime and go to Uluwatu temple (it’s only 10 min. drive from the beach), to see the sunset there and enjoy the Kecak dance performance. As well you can stay for a longer time in Bukit Peninsula (here are some good deals for hotels in Agoda, Booking or TripAdvisor) and discover really nice places, not only my mentioned beaches and enjoy other activities.

Would you like to visit Uluwatu beach? If you have been in Bali, which beach you recommend to see?

Useful? Great! :) You might also like these:

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Memories of 2015 in 15 travel photos from Asia

It’s only passed couple days after New Year celebration but 2015 is already the past. Looking back to my 2015 I can honestly say “it was crazy, adventurous, inspiring year”. I’m happy to watch all my travel photos from Asia and remember all routes, met people, stories that I had.

It’s quite hard to select only 15 photos from all trips in 2015 (I was traveling in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Norway). Like not possible all memories put to such small amount of photos but I took this personal challenge and selected :). Here they are (according to the sequence where I traveled from the beginning of 2015)!