Starting a travel blog turned out to be a bigger challenge than I thought. From learning the language of SEO and OptinMonster to overcoming fear of failure, and embracing vulnerability. My travel website, I am Lost and Found was a true labor of love.
If you ever wondered how I started a travel blog, I mean, website, you are in the right place.
Thank you, Brené
Thank you, Brené Brown, part-time TED-Talker, full-time mother, and all-time story collector, for introducing me to my vulnerabilities. Nice to meet you, imposter syndrome. Good morning, fear of failure. Please come out from under the rug, we have some things to discuss.
For anyone who hasn’t listened to her 2010 TED Talk, The Power of Vulnerability, please stop reading and download it immediately. I’ll wait.
The Power of Vulnerability is one of the most viewed TED Talks ever, and when you listen, you will understand why. Brené’s messages are clear and told with huge doses of dry humor and self-deprecation. She describes the link between courage and vulnerability in an immensely relatable way, “Having the courage to show up when you can’t control the outcome.”
In the podcast, Brené spoke to me directly, with her masterful storytelling style, darling Texas drawl, and utterly humble manner. She was irresistibly vulnerable. If she could put herself out there like that, I could too.
I had been looking to reinvent myself—to be productive in a way that didn’t involve my kids, my husband, or my dogs. I wanted to create something.
Just don’t call it a blog
A few years ago, my friend Flavia suggested I start a travel blog. She reminded me of the joy I get from sharing my travel experiences. Like recommending a villa under the Tuscan sun, or a family-friendly resort in St Lucia. An off-the-beaten-path restaurant in Buenos Aires, or a hidden beach bar on the Caribbean island of Anegada.
She went on to explain how my combined loves of photography, books, and wine, could have a place on my blog. Start a travel blog? That sounded interesting.
My brain caught fire—I opened my journal and began writing.
On a roll, I brainstormed names, content ideas, and imaginative, yet useful, menu links. I dreamed of media trips, and bylines in Travel+Leisure magazine.
I refused to call it a travel ‘blog’, which rhymes with ‘blob’, and is totally unappealing, unrefined, and dull. “It’s a travel website!”, I declared, (and will continue to call it that, even though we all know it’s a blob, ummm, blog).
Then, like every project I had ever started—I stalled, got intimidated, and overwhelmed. What seemed like a great idea a few days ago, now felt daunting and unattainable. I was deflated and put my journal away. I did laundry.
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WordPress, Bluehost, and other learning curves
I can’t recall exactly when or why I reopened my journal. Or, what reignited the creative spark. But it was back if faint, and I seized it. So, I googled, ‘starting blogs websites blogs’.
I overcame three gigantic hurdles: WordPress, Go Daddy, and BlueHost. I spent countless hours writing, and sifting through thousands of photos on my desktop. Next, I learned a new language that included words like search engine optimization, backlinks, plug-ins, and Yoast.
When my WordPress theme glitched, I cried to tech support. I labored over the content, revising and editing, all the while wondering if my parents would be my only readers.
March 16, 2015, I am Lost and Found went ‘live’. I had officially put myself out there.
Yikes.
Born to create
I have always created things. Clues of the traveler I would become showed up in the form of handmade passports, baggage tags, and boarding pass-filled scrapbooks. My infatuation with all things British developed early on. In high school, I made more scrapbooks—devoted to boyfriends which I would obsess over like, well, a teenage girl.
In my early 20s, I started to earn a living from being creative. Cue my parents’ collective sigh of relief. Initially, I worked as a graphic designer for a strong-minded, bad-ass boss in her all-female firm. She was the first in a long line of smart and powerful women that would shape me, and my 20-year career, in New York City.
Eventually, I went from creating corporate identities, direct mail packaging, print advertising, and TV commercials, to overseeing creative teams. I was always in awe of creative talent, and to this day still get giddy over a well-designed logo, or matchbook.
Creative Parenting
In my mid-30s, I became a parent and channeled my creativity in other ways. I baked elaborate cakes for my kids’ birthdays, scouring Pinterest for ideas (aka copying) and matching the icing to my favorite Pantone® color.
At 15 and 17, my kids are probably aging out of my homemade cakes. Yet, I’ll keep baking until they demand I put down my spatula or get married—whichever comes first.
In my late 40s, I discovered coloring—jumping into the adult coloring book craze with wild abandon. (Not to be confused with any other adult craze, mind you). Coloring allows my brain to be in use, and checked out, at the same time.
My kaleidoscopic spectrum of fine-tipped markers fills the gaps between fine black lines and satisfies my need to organize. It’s something I can control, on days when I feel completely untethered. In short, it keeps me sane.
If at first, you don’t succeed
I can’t count how many ideas I have had over the years that have fizzled out. Some dissipated within a week, while others died a slow death. My initial excitement was inevitably replaced by fear and inertia.
For example, I used to craft personalized shadow boxes from vintage printer’s type drawers, as gifts to nieces, nephews, or friends. The theme varied depending on the child’s interests, from a love of baseball or ballet to an obsession with dogs, or dinosaurs.
I would painstakingly cut little squares of handmade and vintage papers to fit each little cubby. I miss seeing it come together like a puzzle, with colors, and patterns forming something much larger. It was back-breaking work, sitting for hours on the floor with my Exact-O knife and straightedge.
I don’t know why I stopped. One day I put my tools and pretty papers away. I was done. Yet, another hobby that no longer piqued my interest.
Semi-Empty Nest Syndrome
Years ago, when we moved from Tokyo to DC, my kids were still young enough to need me. Cooking well-balanced dinners, and making sure we had enough fruit in the house to counteract the size of our junk food drawer, was a priority. Laundry was constant, as the kids were messy, and participated in sports that stained clothes in ways I never could eliminate.
There wasn’t much time for creativity. I was too busy with the day-to-day; soccer car pools, school parents’ nights, and dentist appointments. I was happy. Ish. As happy as any once productive-outside-the-home woman could be. I was content. Until I wasn’t.
As I neared 50, my kids’ needs didn’t take up as much daily bandwidth. Sure, I needed to go food shopping, get dinner on the table, and do laundry. But I had more time. The school day tacked on sports and games, and they often didn’t arrive home until well past 6pm. Suddenly, my days felt long.
The semi-empty nest syndrome I was feeling was not new, it was just new to me. I gave serious thought to what was going to fulfill me. A new search for meaning. What next? I felt lost.
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Sparking, starting a website
So I did what any newly-found rudderless person would do. Absolutely nothing. I pretended that it didn’t matter to me, that I was perfectly ok with it. I was fine.
It was just around then that we booked a last-minute trip to the Caribbean for New Year. We are not last-minute people, yet somehow always get caught off-guard when it comes to the festive season. You’d think it didn’t happen each year at exactly the same time. I’m as baffled as you are.
We scored what may have been the last villa in Turks and Caicos. With a pool and beachfront location, we were grateful we found it. There was more cloud coverage than one would want, and Daniel caught a parasite. But it was the year of the east coast polar vortex, and we were on the beach. No complaints.
On New Year’s Day, I sat on the beach and rediscovered my desire to start a travel website.
Starting a Blog. What’s in a name?
I spent hours thinking of a name, filling pages in my journal with hundreds of clichéd ideas. I googled any viable contenders. Taken.
Lost and Found popped up like a cartoon thought bubble. It felt good—ethereal, not too specific, open-minded, aspirational. I got excited for the first time—until I googled it. Taken.
Go Daddy suggested I buy the domain name lostandfound.com for $5,000. Thank you, but no, Go Daddy, I’ll pass. As per usual when I’m annoyed or discouraged, I complain to my husband. Daniel’s immediate response was, “Call it, I am Lost and Found”.
I was thrilled, then annoyed again. Why hadn’t I thought of that? I’m the creative one. But, I loved it. It was even better than Lost and Found. It is a statement about me, my travels, my travel stories. It’s who I am, or more accurately, who I wanted to be.
I googled it. Then, I bought it.
In case I forgot to say it, Daniel, thank you.
If you build it
I dug into my library of travel experiences, zeroed in on trips, chose photos, and started to build a website. I wanted I am Lost and Found to be a cross-section of luxury and adventure travel. Anecdotal, first-person, and more than anything else, inspirational. As long as I can, I will stay on that path.
My family has had the opportunity to live abroad and to expose our kids to different cultures. I’ve visited 48 countries on six continents. For all of that, I am grateful. It is from these adventures and travels that I create content.
I know that circumstances can change. To paraphrase the ancient adage, that is the only constant thing. Should that happen, I plan to find other ways to stay relevant. I can evolve, and my writing can, too.
At a villa in Mexico a few years back, a friend suggested I might need to rename my site ‘I am Lost and Broke,’ as many of my adventures lean towards the splurge side of travel. Perhaps one day, James, but not quite yet.
Travel Goals
I am often asked what my goal is for I am Lost and Found. For a while, I had no answer. I touted platitudes; ‘It’s a passion project!’, and, ‘I’m just doing it for fun!’. While there is truth in both of those statements, I knew deep down that I wanted it to be successful and that I had to define what that success would look like.
I realize my goal is exactly where I started—to inspire others to travel. Would I like to make money inspiring travel? Yes. Would I like more exposure, more followers, and more subscribers? Yes, yes, yes. Do I want to be sent on media trips to fabulous hotels and get a byline in Travel+Leisure magazine? Yes!
Overcoming vulnerability
Starting a travel website has given me a different sense of purpose, as well as an outlet for creativity. Some of my favorite posts are the ones with a more personal narrative. Like, ‘Traveling Around The Room’, written on the cusp of the pandemic. Or, ‘The Best Of Stowe: 10 of Life’s Littlest Luxuries’, my home away from home.
‘Botswana is the Magic Kingdom’ was my very first post. Since then, my style and voice have changed (hopefully for the better), yet it might be the post that I am most proud of—the one that put my vulnerabilities out there for anyone to see.
Brené Brown once said, “Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change.” Keep talking, Brené, I’m listening.
60, and counting
This is my 60th post. Sixty posts in six years. I still get anxious when I press ‘Publish’ on WordPress, and never more so than when I pressed it today. But, it doesn’t rule me. I started this website with the support of friends, family, and my always-available tech guru, Grant. It was, and is, a constant labor of love.
Just don’t call it a blog.
Click Here for My Wish List Destination Hot Sheet. It’s Free.
I LOVE THIS! Thank you for sharing your story, and for being vulnerable, Jamie! I love all your posts but am always intrigued to learn about the off-the-beaten path adventures. Can’t WAIT to hear about Antarctica!
Thanks, Amy, for the comment. I can’t wait for Antarctica either. Hoping for a few thousand good penguin shots! : )
Love this Jamie! Thank you for sharing your journey with this website. I am inspired! And so great bumping into you today – this is Nancy from the neighborhood!
Hi Nancy! Thank you for reading. Always here for inspiration! Hope to see you around the neighborhood again soon. -Jamie
Well said and I loved remembering the story along with you!
Thank you Gretchen, for being such a loyal reader from day one! -Jamie
This is one of my favorites! I’ve been lucky to have a birds eye view of how amazing you are. Fun to read this and take a stroll through the last 50 years. Cheers to 60 posts! Can’t wait to read the next 60.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
This is SUPER-DUPER awesome. Thank you. I loved the photos!!!
Thank you, Laura! So thoughtful of you to comment. -Jamie
This article is a treasure trove for anyone embarking on their journey into travel blogging! It’s packed with practical advice and insightful tips to help turn wanderlust into captivating content. Whether you’re a seasoned traveller or just getting started, this guide is a roadmap to success in the captivating world of travel blogging. Kudos to the author for sharing such valuable insights! 🌍✈️📝
Informative and encouraging guide on starting a travel blog! I Am Lost and Found provides valuable tips and insights for aspiring travel bloggers. Thanks for empowering readers to share their travel experiences and adventures with the world!