Nine Years of Blogging! (Q&A)

Hello, all!

Welcome to another Q&A blogiversary for Rebecca Goes Rendezvous. Hard to believe that nine years have already gone by, and that my decade anniversary is just around the corner. Nine years of blogging about travel, life abroad and at home, and everything in between…a lot has changed since I started my blog in my early twenties to now thirties, and I’m sure a lot more will continue to change as I keep on writing.

As the case has been for the past four years, I’ve done a Q&A for my blogiversary (July 30th), in which I have you, my Readers, ask me any questions pertinent to travel, writing, etc. I got a good handful of questions this year, so thanks to those who contributed! Without further ado, let’s get to the questions:

Nine Years of Blogging! (Q&A)

1. If you only had the time or finances to go to five more places, which five would be your priority?

There are too many to list! But if I had to choose my top five, here they are:

• Uzbekistan: …and Central Asia, in general. It’s been on my bucket list for some time, and I’d love to check out a distinctive place in the world where East meets West.
  
• New Zealand— of course, I have to go because of Lord of the Rings (Hobbiton, anyone?), but also simply to view the stunning landscapes and the many, many sheep!
  
• Southeast Asia— I’ll cheat a bit and say SE Asia, particularly Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. From Ha Long Bay to Angkor Wat, there’s so much beauty in nature and architecture that I’d never get bored of exploring for a long time!
  
• Greenland— having explored the places near this massive ice island, I’m very intrigued on visiting this Danish territory with its unique landscapes and heritage of its inhabitants. One day, when I have the time!
  
• Oman— I haven’t explored much of the Middle East, if at all, but I’m especially curious in visiting Oman– to see Muscat, its capital, as well as its hypnotic sand dunes which seem to stretch to infinity.

2. What places would you visit the next time you’re in Croatia?

I’ve only visited the major cities (e.g. Dubrovnik, Split, Zagreb) while in Croatia, so I think I’d want to check out lesser cities and towns. The Dalmatian Coast calls to me– in particular, Korčula and Zadar. I’d also like to see Pula in the Istrian region. Those are some places which first come to mind, so if there are other places I should visit in Croatia, please let me know!

3. How do you afford so much travel? How often do you travel?

It may look like I’m traveling 24/7 on my blog, but I actually don’t travel that much. I usually take one (maybe two) international trip a year and a handful of domestic trips over long weekends. I have savings from when I lived and worked abroad in France, as well as from the pandemic, and I try to live within my means. I also keep it modest when I book flights and accommodations, as I don’t tend to splurge on first-class seats or five-star hotels.

4. I’m so jet lagged right now. Do you have any secret remedies for getting back to normal quicker than usual?

There’s no magic remedy to getting rid of jet lag quickly– really, time is the key. From my experience, it takes about a week to a week-and-a-half to readjust after a long-haul flight.

However, if I need to get over jet lag a bit sooner than later (i.e. having work the next day), I start by adjusting my sleeping schedule prior to returning home. Depending on the direction I’m traveling back, I try to sleep as much as possible if it’s an overnight flight, so that I’m refreshed by the time I’m home. If it’s a daytime flight, I try to stay awake for most of the flight, so that I’d be tired once I return. Never perfect, but it *sort of* works for me!

5.  How do you make and find the time to post so regularly, all the while holding a full-time job? Do you have any advice for how to post more consistently?

To be honest, I don’t write consistently! I set time on a weekend every two to three months to write as many posts to be published over the next few months. That said, I can’t give you advice for how to post consistently, but I will say that it helps to find a day to set aside some time (two hours to half a day) just dedicated to writing. Put on some Lo-fi music, and crank out those posts!

6. What’s the most transformative travel experience you’ve had?

If I had to pick one, I would say that studying abroad in Paris for the summer during university was a memorable one: it was my first time on my own and far away from home, especially in a country where I was still learning the language. I had all of this freedom to wander, eat, and otherwise be outside of my comfort zone, which inspired me to keep traveling and having new experiences in the years to come. I look back on my study abroad séjour fondly!

7. As you have been travelling for so long, do you think you prepare your trips differently? I mean, there used to be guidebooks and road maps, but I have the feeling that this is being lost to the internet and smartphones. What does this mean for you? Apart from the necessary bookings, what do you research in advance, such as excursions, café or restaurant addresses?

Yes, I believe that I definitely prepare my trips differently compared to when I first started: I’m a lot more meticulous when it comes to selecting dates, flights, accommodations, etc. in order to maximize the amount of time off I have.

I think technology (e.g. Google Maps, Yelp, Skyscanner) is both a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing, because it’s convenient and it definitely saves time from navigating from place to place, so you can maximize exploring on limited time. It’s also a curse, because it’s all too easy to over-rely on technology that it detracts from fully enjoying yourself and being in the moment.

I research just about everything before I travel: I absolutely research restaurants for my trips, as I love trying new cuisines. I also look up guided tours, whether day trips or multi-day packaged tours, particularly for convenience. I check museum hours, too, making sure I’m not going the day it’s closed. So on and so forth. I’m very diligent!

Next few questions come from one blogger (they had a lot of questions to ask)!

8. In nine years time – how have you seen the landscape of blogging changed?

The landscape of blogging is a LOT different from when I first started. I’ve seen many bloggers come and go, and I’ve seen the rise of spam bots pervading every corner of the blogosphere– super annoying, and I try to filter them out as much as possible. I’m also apprehensive about the rise of AI, which is scary and killing the creativity of writing, let alone thinking. Overall, I think the landscape of blogging has taken a negative turn, but I still stick around, because I love writing and there are still bloggers out there I love reading from and engaging with in this ever-changing online world.

9. With the rise of social media – does it count to be on top with writing blogs? Do you feel blogging is close to your heart and it just clicks…?

I don’t blog to be on top. With blogging becoming an ever-saturated market, it’s impossible to be #1 these days. It’s not my priority to be popular or famous: I write, because I enjoy it, and all the better that followers like you read and support my endeavors!

10. What tech accessories do you use daily, like smartphones laptops smartwatches…etc..?

I primarily use my phone and laptop in my everyday life. I don’t own a smartwatch!

11. How are you feeling right now?

Pretty good! Just tired after a long day of work.

12. One truth and three lies 🤓

This is hard (i.e. It’s difficult coming up with lies, haha), but I’ll give it a try:

— I love popcorn; it’s one of my favorite snacks

— I would prefer to live in the country than the city

— I’ve swam with sharks before– such a thrilling experience!

— I am an early bird, and I would wake up before dawn to see the sunrise

13. Kill, marry, hookup – your choices are – Paul Mescal, Charlie Puth, Ryan Reynolds

I’m not too interested in any of these male celebrities, haha, but I’ll give my thoughts:

Kill— Ryan Reynolds. I used to like him, but I hate his Mint Mobile ads, and he’s married to Blake Lively, who’s problematic these days.

Marry— Paul Mescal. Seems like a nice and chill chap! And an Irish accent doesn’t hurt, too…

Hookup— Charlie Puth. He’s an okay singer, but his personality is very “pick-me.” Might be fine for a one-night stand, though!

14. On the Internet – where are the best travel communities located?

The blogging community! You can still read and engage with people who genuinely want to share their love for travel, and it’s less so paid ads (aka shilling) for earning a buck. YouTube is a close second, although I’ll say there are more ads and paid sponsors…

This is not to say that I hate content creators who are advertising themselves, but it’s when some aren’t transparent with their sponsorship. You can advertise and promote, but just be upfront about it!

15. Have you ever faced a flight turbulence?

Yes, I have! Nothing too crazy, though.

16. Looking back at your roots: did anyone in your family have the travel bug?

Indeed! My parents enjoy traveling, and they instilled my love for travel at a young age. I would take regular trips to and from Taiwan (where my family’s from) as a kid, and I flew back-and-forth to France when I worked abroad. Traveling, as well as living, in different countries throughout my childhood and young adult years got me comfortable with taking trips, and there’s no slowing down!

17. What is your favorite yarn stop you visited this year with your partner?

My partner loves to knit and crochet, and we’ve visited many yarn stores during our travels together– you’d be surprised that yarn stores are in just about every city and country in the world!

However, I think my favorite yarn store I’ve been to was actually without my partner: I went to West Coast Wools in Vancouver last fall when I was visiting Canada with my friend, and I bought a beautiful skein there. The shop was small and quite limited in selection, but the selection was all local and well-curated. Service was also really helpful and kind, and they assisted me in finding good yarn for my partner, especially since I don’t knit at all.

18. What’s your favorite book of the year so far?

Earlier this year, I read and enjoyed San Francisco Poems by Lawrence Ferlinghetti (RIP). Having visited SF last spring, reading his poetry collection brought me right back to the beautiful Bay area with Ferlinghetti’s vivid imagery of the city. I especially love this line from “The Changing Light:”

“The light of San Francisco/is a sea light/ an island light/And the light of fog/blanketing the hills/drifting in at night/through the Golden Gate/to lie on the city at dawn” (lines 5-12)

…and there you have it! Those are the questions I got for my Q&A this year. Once again, I appreciate everyone who contributed such wonderful and insightful questions, and I had a fun time answering them. I will also say that this will probably be the last Q&A I do for future blogiversaries: my 10th year will be coming up next summer, and I want to do something different, even grander, than the Q&As. But it’s been a great run with the ones I’ve done for these past now-five years, and I’m grateful for all of your support throughout it all.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, and here’s to more adventures ahead! 🙂

— Rebecca