Handstands Around the World turns 1!

Holy cow, I can’t believe it’s been a year since I started this blog! There have been some handstand photos, but not much of the whole “around the world” thing. I guess I was a bit ambitious when I chose the name. My travels don’t extend past the US and Canada at this point in my life. But someday, hopefully in the not-so-distant future, I’ll be able to do a handstand somewhere that’s not in North America. I guess Handstands Across America would have been a more accurate name. Oh well.

In the meantime, I’ve only made it as far as 2011 in recounting my travel adventures. I’ve got a loooooong way to go!

But that’s okay, because I’m enjoying this so much! I’ve always loved writing and I love traveling (obviously) so it’s been fun to combine the two. Sometimes I think I should have tried to get a job for National Geographic instead of spending my life in school. I sat down and figured it out once; I’m currently in 21st grade. How depressing is that?

Sorry, that got a bit off topic. As I was saying, I’ve enjoyed this foray into the blogosphere. And it’s been fun for me to take a trip down memory lane.

It hasn’t all been easy and fun, though. Finding time to write is a constant challenge. And I want this blog to be something I enjoy, not a job or a burden, so I’ve had to be careful to keep it so I enjoy writing the next post rather than feeling like I should sit down and write it. I’ve also never been the greatest at sharing – feelings, emotions, personal info, etc. – so it’s been a good challenge for me to try to incorporate some personal information into the posts here and there as well.

You’re probably laughing as you read this. Don’t worry, I’m laughing as I write it, too. I really haven’t shared that much. It’s still a constant struggle for me, but I think I’m getting better. I’m trying to, at least. That’s the goal I’m setting for myself for year #2.

Anyway, my main reason for starting this blog was not only to have a place to write and share my travel insights, but also to inspire others to get outside and explore. If I’ve been able to do that for even one person, then I’d call it a success! I’ve found so much fantastic information on travel blogs over the years… mainly photos that make me want to drop everything and jetset across the world. I hope that I can now provide the same for some of you.

But most of all, I’m writing this post to say thank you – for reading, commenting, and hopefully occasionally laughing at what I write. I’ve also recently been nominated for 2 awards, which was a wonderful surprise. Thanks again to the two who nominated me!

I was nervous to dip my toe into the world of blogging, but I’m so glad I did. It’s a good outlet and it’s fun to follow so many other people’s adventures and read about their experiences and insights. But mostly, it’s so rewarding to know that people actually care about what I have to say.

So thank you all for making the first year of Handstands Around the World a success! I couldn’t have done it without you.

-Diana