Back to the Basics

Hello readers!

I would just like to personally take this opportunity to thank you all for being so supportive in my journey to create this travel blog and website. The last few months have been really exciting for me as a blogger. I have received many new followers and readers, and it is great to have you all on board!

I have completed my tour with Hostelling International, which began with the Big Blog Exchange and continued for 2 months with REAJ in Spain. I stopped in over 25 Spanish cities in 8 different Spanish regions. I saw everything from the stunning Alhambra to the beautiful wild horses in the Pyrenees mountains. I got to improve my Spanish, and gain a better understanding for the Spanish people and culture of Spain. It was a good experience for me, and I thank them for the opportunity!

New Developments – PLEASE HELP – I’d love to get some feedback

You may remember me mentioning in the latest newsletter that I am currently redesigning the site. That is true. My current theme has served me well. I have built my current website around this theme and built up a following through it. However, as we all know, development and trying new things are crucial to advancement in life. I feel that to take Backpacking Diplomacy to the next level and transition into full-time blogging, I will need to make a few changes. I am seeking a few features that just are not offered with my current theme.

These are the four themes that I am currently deciding between. Please take a moment to check them out, I’d love to get some feedback:

Insomnia Theme: http://designerthemes.com/preview/?theme=insomnia#

Buzz Theme: http://designerthemes.com/preview/?theme=buzz

Backcountry Theme: http://demo.studiopress.com/backcountry/

TheSource Theme: http://www.elegantthemes.com/preview/TheSource/

*I will likely wait until the new site is complete to add new posts.

I decided on Sahifa and have been happy with it 🙂

What can you expect for the future

Over the past few months, I have done a lot of blogging on Spain between the different hostels, cities, and activities that I did. I will now be returning to the topics that I was accustomed to blogging about before on my site.  That means that you can expect to hear some new adventure stories soon ranging from my second hitchhiking experience to cultural lessons to a story of experiencing Ramadan for a day. 

I am attempting to find new travel opportunities in the near future. I do not know where or how yet, but I may be going abroad again soon. If so, there is a chance that I may become a full-time travel blogger. I’ll hope for that, but we will see what opportunities the world gives me.

New Sites

In order to make Backpacking Diplomacy a more culturally focused site, I am considering dropping languages as a topic from the site, and creating another. I am not sure what the name will be, but one of the new sites that I want to create will follow my quest to become a linguist. It will share things that I learn, resources that I find, and track my progress. Stay tuned if you like languages. I may be looking into another site or two, but I cannot be sure yet. My mind is turning, so something will come up soon.

Thanks for taking the time to read about my new updates. New posts for you this week!

As always, try new things, respect cultures, and enjoy the road! It is a pleasure and an honor to write for you.

– Andy

 

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