why-i-like-blogging

Blogging is like becoming an expat, you get to meet folks from all around the world, but you don’t have to go anywhere! It’s brilliant. Of course, just like traveling, you meet some great and not-so-great folks on the road. Sometimes the connection last only the strength of the holiday and other times something more long lasting is built.

The older I get, the more I realize how much EVERYTHING has to do with RELATIONSHIPS. How we communicate, what we choose to say or hold back and everything else between the sheets, learning to foster healthy and happy relationships with people is where sanity lies and society lives.

Now that I’ve been blogging consistently for about 5 years, I can’t imagine not blogging. It’s in a sexy marriage with my passion for reading and writing and my new love for taking lots of pictures where ever I go and making my friends wait while I photograph their meals.

So here’s my list, my ode to blogging and why I think blogging is the cat’s meow, dog’s bark, cow’s moo, duck’s quack, lion’s roar, elephant’s trumpet, donkey’s heehaw (okay, we get it) and, well, alright then.

I had no idea! [A couple of my former students from Chiang Mai, 2013]
I had no idea! [A couple of my former students from Chiang Mai, 2013]
1. Blogging creates conversations. I remember when I started to write about my experiences as an Asian American in Thailand and my high school friend Chieni wrote to me about how she had had the same feelings of discrimination as a Taiwanese American in Taiwan. I was genuinely surprised because Chieni speaks Chinese and as far as I could tell had gone back and forth from the States with more frequency which in my mind added up to a smoother transition and no problems with acceptance.

It was an interesting insight that I don’t think would have happened otherwise. I mean, sure, it could have happened over green tea and cookies, but we haven’t lived in the same town since high school and this topic opened other imaginary doors with other AA friends and even enlightened (you’re welcome) non-AA friends, too.

Also, the good girls at She is Fierce and The Lady Errant started a feminist link up which got me thinking about whether or not I am a feminist! Am I a feminist? It is simply not something that I have thought about even though I went to college and all that good stuff. I find reading their perspectives and those who have participated to be far more meaningful than what Hollywood A-listers have to say on the matter. (I know, celebrities are people, too, but they get enough attention.)

Color papers at Central Plaza, Chiang Rai, 2014
[Color papers at Central Plaza, Chiang Rai, 2014]
2. Blogging a good way to test new ideas out. After I wrote my book, the missing teacher and failed to get it picked up by a literary agent, I decided that I would blog it. And as it turned out, I was encouraged by private emails that I have received over the years. Yes, there were comments and I’ve had nasty ones, too, because of the controversial nature of the subject matter, but I was emboldened by the support and the response. So, I returned to my original idea of “this matters” and slogged through the editing process and am self-publishing. Yay!

Hey, little sprout!
Hey, little sprout!

3. You are always learning. I suppose this one is a bit groan-worthy as constantly keeping up with technology and tools can bring you to tears and lots of beers. I’ve had my fair share of Groundhog Day moments in the world of “why won’t this work” hell, and googling “_____” problem with open-in-a-new-tab reckless anger and futile hope. In fact, I think I’ve had my allotted fill of technical snafus, so thank you, computer gods, I’m good, I’m good.

Oh, right. Yeah, learning, always growing and such, great stuff, love it…

4. I’m in control. Now, I know this one seems diametrically opposed to the previous one, but let’s face it, we bloggers don’t have deadlines (unless we give them to ourselves), restrictions and other rules that prevent us from getting our work out there. In fact, if we wanted to, we could hit publish with nothing, but a quick life update or a picture of a cat in a sweater.

sweater-cat
You’re welcome. [Chiang Mai, 2014]
I like that I have my own aesthetics to please and my own agenda (whatever that is) in my blogging world that I call Life, the Universe and Lani. Control gives me freedom to spin around themes and ideas and directions that everyday work usually doesn’t allow. I like having my own space to play. And I think this is important. People need an outlet, a creative one, a physical one and a mental one, as well.

Me have big camera.
Me have big camera. Camera take BIG pictures.

5. Because it’s fun. Blogging is obviously a beloved hobby by many, otherwise we wouldn’t have the crazy statistics on blogging that we do.

But for me, I enjoy blogging, which is why I continue to do it despite its ups and downs. I’m inspired by your posts and I like learning about new places, peoples and points of view. I also truly believe that the extraordinary can be found in the ordinary and through everyday voices. I think this is why I chose to follow bloggers who are interested in having a conversation. I liken it to reality, you know, the world away from laptops and smart phones.

If I’m talking to you and you don’t talk back then eventually I have to find someone who is interested in what I have to say, too. I’m a big girl, so I get it, you might not find a connection with me or my voice, but like I said in the beginning, everything is about relationships and how we treat one another. I think blogging can force us to be better people. Of course, it can go the other way, it can always go the other way, but hopefully we make the right choice because I think the rewards are in this direction.

Why do you blog?

32 replies on “✍🏼 Why I like blogging”

  1. I needed this post today as I am entering the stage of “why bother when it feels like I am talking to the void” (that goes for blogging and writing in general). But it really is about communication and connection and everything else. I have to remember that.

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    1. Oh, good, I’m glad it was timely for you. And yes, I know, I was thinking when am I going to post about what I can’t stand about blogging? Because I started to immediately think about all those annoying, lonely moments, too.

      Sending you some blogging love!

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    2. I feel the same at times! Luckily now I’ve realized that I really enjoy writing my thoughts out, even if it feels like they go unnoticed. It helps me organize all the jumbled thoughts in my mind. I feel like it’s also going to help me become more well spoken, which is a great trait to have for real life, in-person communications as well as communication over the internet and social medias. Slowly but surely I’m finding the fun perks of being a blogger 🙂

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    1. You definitely do help others, your blog is a wealth of information. I don’t know how you do it. (No sleep? :P)

      And yes, writing to remember…I feel the same way.

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  5. Yes to #4. I love not being accountable to anyone (except maybe my sponsors) and having no deadlines. Which is great, because I’ve been happily neglecting blog stuff for the past month or so. And I agree with #1 – blogging has connected me to so many Asian Americans, like exponentially more than I know in real life (I actually only know one Asian American in my current city, who didn’t move here as a kid) and it’s super cool.

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    1. Yes, we are as guilty as we feel re: our blogs. Maybe it’s like exercise…I got to get to it!

      Yeah, loving the AA community . We have to build our forces before we take over the world – Bwhahahahhahahaa.

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  7. Noooo! I was JUST about to do a similar post! Stole my idea, stealer haha. Relationships is definitely the key in blogging for me. Also I would love to chat more with you sometimes about the AA teaching in an Asian country thing! I’ve been thinking of applying for positions in Thailand or South Korea and was wondering how that would go…..

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    1. Hahahaha! (*rubs hands*) I am a mind-reader and felt a great urgency to post before you…fall into my web, you will.

      Okay, that was creepy. I’ll enjoy reading it anyways. It’s not like an original topic or anything…but I thought maybe I should put something positive on the blog. 😛

      Yeah, let’s talk. I think you’ll find it much more acceptable these days to be an AA in Asia. Shouldn’t be a problem. xxoo

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      1. Awesome! What about for South Korea, etc? Do you know anything about that? PS. what’s your email 🙂

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  8. I am so excited for the book release!
    Blogging is a tug of war for me… I love the relationships I have made through it, but often struggle with the content and tech side of it. I am always pushed to the edge of my abilities, which is good for the most part. Overall it has been fabulous though.
    Great post! Hugs from the sunny south! Xoxo

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    1. I know. I noticed WP changed something AGAIN. Everything is moving towards mobile devices, but I’m old fashioned, I like to use a laptop.

      I knew I was going to regret posting it – 555+

      Thanks for the book support. It’s been taking ALL of my time b/c it’s a lot of work and I’ve made a lot of mistakes. Yeaaaa!

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      1. Chad just finished re-editing his first book that he self published and sent his second book to the editor for self publishing as well. It has been such an experience seeing what goes into writing, designing, editing, and marketing a book. Good luck with yours! I cannot wait to read it!
        For my posts, I always use my laptop, the WP mobile app is just not easy enough for me. To read and comment though, it is all on my phone usually, so I can squeeze it in to my schedule no matter where I am. 🙂

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  9. The cat in a sweater in front of the tailors sign is just too good.

    I suppose I blog because I enjoy writing but I also enjoy having an audience – writing a hundred-thousand word epic novel covering the lives and loves of a grand family in the ancient regime is all well and good but if it just sits in a drawer or on the laptop then it’s, in my mind, complete.

    A text needs to be consumed to be finished. Blogging lets me do that with ease.

    I also agree with the sense of community – I would never have met an Asian-American Montessori English teacher living in Chiang Rai without this. Not since they closed asianamericanmontessorienglishteacherinthailand.co.th – man I loved that website.

    🙂

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    1. Yes. I remember reading this blogging advice saying, “focus on your best content and everything else is second” kind of thing. Nice idea, but in the real world, you need someone else to play along. So for a long time, I just wrote, and that was good, but I was writing to the tune of crickets.

      It’s tough. Those damn crickets are persistent buggers.

      It’s WALDORF, not Montessori. 555+ Oh, and I agree, excellent website.

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  10. Spot on, Lani. I love how you describe blogging in your first sentence. We travel without leaving our chairs through blogging. We get to test so many waters as writers through blogging – what readers like to read, what we ourselves like to write about. I can’t believe you get nasty comments. You’ve always made sound arguments here and I don’t see a reason for you to get attacked. Over the last two years of blogging, I’ve had my fair share of nasty comments…what can you do 😀

    I blog for the same reasons as you do, seeing blogging as a means to learn new perspectives and share my stories. It’s sort of become a constant in my life. Not a days go by where I don’t pop by to see what’s going on with my blog and all the others blogs out there.

    Good luck with the self-publishing. I CANNOT wait to hear about it 😀

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    1. Thanks, Mabel. You are too kind.

      Yeah, I don’t get nasty comments, but people are people and I think they think they can get away with stuff when it’s not face to face, kind of like road rage. When we are in a car, we think we can get away with more BS than if we were standing toe to toe.

      And sometimes people don’t know that what they have said is offensive. I know, right?

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  12. I love blogging when inspiration teases me. My reason is that we like to weave our story robes:
    https://cyclewriteblog.wordpress.com/2014/02/09/blogging-is-painting-my-story-robe/

    Lani, I also recently got a head injury after another cyclist crashed into me this past New Year’s Day. So I’m still recovering. Doing simple stuff takes more energy..cause we use our brains for intellectual, creative work as well as to move every limb, our head, to even look at the world.

    It made me realize how the skill and pleasure of blogging was to me if it was ever taken away from me.

    I did lose part of my memory temporarily for 6 hrs. after the accident and was transported by ambulance.

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    1. I’m very sorry to hear about your accident, Jean! I wish I was there to bring over some chicken soup or talk to you face-to-face. I’m sure though you are being well cared for.

      What a scary experience that must have been to lose your memory and the whole crash. I know cyclists dread these things. I hope for a speedy recovery. And sending you lots of love and hugs.

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  13. Hi Lani

    Excellent post and basically could have come out of my mouth because I agree with it all. I’ve onl;y been blogging 4 months and have a small but relatively loyal group of followers but the people I’ve met (like yourself) have been immensely supportive, sometimes helpful, occasionally critical (constructively of course) and always interesting.

    Through blogging we met a couple who is in an almost identical situation and will apply for MM2H next month. We are driving up to meet them next month in Portland and they’ve generously offered to let us stay with them for the initial visit to Malaysia while we’re still waiting for our visa to be approved (our house will be sold and it’s too expensive to stay here so we have to go). We’ve also had offers to help and meet from several in Malaysia and many in Thailand (in case we wind up there; again, thanks for your links and suggestions)

    Anyway, sometimes I get discouraged because I have yet to even break 20 likes on any post but i do have 6.700 views so my thoughts are that people like reading my stuff as much as I like following theirs and the sense of community is nice. And you are correct; I have alraeady learned more from my year as a house husband (especially from blogging) than I did in 30+ years at my boring jobs.

    Cheers and happy new year; we hope to visit you whenever we make it to Chaing-Rai again
    Rob and Daine

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    1. Yes, very good point. I’ve met many bloggers in Thailand, which is too funny and really great. It’s a good network to be part of 🙂

      And I’m pleased to hear that you met another couple in the same situation as you two! Let the comparing notes begin! It’s so nice to have friends as we start off on new journeys and ventures.

      Good luck with everything. I hope it is smooth sailing 🙂

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