{"id":1261,"date":"2011-10-19T16:04:39","date_gmt":"2011-10-19T16:04:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.studyabroad101.com\/?p=1261"},"modified":"2018-02-27T11:53:30","modified_gmt":"2018-02-27T16:53:30","slug":"abroad101-featured-blog-traveling-writer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.studyabroad101.com\/blog\/2011\/10\/abroad101-featured-blog-traveling-writer\/","title":{"rendered":"Abroad101 Featured Blog: The Traveling Writer"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>Abroad101 interviewed Alexis Grant from the Traveling Writer. She is also the author of Please Send Pants <\/em> a story of her adventures through Africa. She has also written two\u00a0e-guides: How to Build a Part-time Social Media Business and\u00a0How to Take a Career Break to Travel (Released on Oct.17!)<\/div>\n
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\n1. Who are you, and what makes your blog unique?<\/em>I\u2019m Alexis Grant, a journalist, social media coach and soon-to-be author. At The\u00a0Traveling Writer, I blog about the process of writing and publishing my first book, social\u00a0media and figuring out how to live the life you want. I like to think my combination of\u00a0interests \u2013 writing, travel, journalism social media and careers \u2013 is unique, but so is my\u00a0voice. I think of the blog as a community.\"\"<\/a>2. What are your goals behind your blog & where do you draw inspiration for\u00a0stories?<\/em><\/p>\n

My personal goal is to build an audience of people who will buy my book \u2013 a travel\u00a0memoir about backpacking solo through Africa \u2013 when it comes out. But to make it\u00a0successful, I aim to help my readers. I do that by sharing my knowledge and experience,\u00a0whether that be about social media (I work as a social media consultant on the side of my day job as a journalist), writing, publishing, etc. I also write a lot about taking leaps in\u00a0life, finding the guts to follow your dreams, and practical advice about how to make those things happen. I left my reporting job in 2008 to follow my own dream of traveling in Africa, so that provides inspiration.<\/p>\n

3. What have been some of your favorite stories?<\/em><\/p>\n

I love seeing which posts my readers get passionate about! And I enjoy writing pieces\u00a0that inspire.<\/p>\n

Some of my favorites:
\nHow to Land an Awesome Job After Your Career Break<\/a>
\nTake a Leap<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Oh, and my first e-guide: How to Build a Part-time Social Media Business<\/a><\/div>\n
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My new e-guide (released Oct. 17)\u00a0How to Take a Career Break to Travel<\/a><\/div>\n
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4. Do you follow other blogs in the space (study abroad, travel, volunteer\u00a0abroad, etc)? If so, what attracts you to those?<\/em><\/p>\n

I follow some travel blogs and also love blogs about entrepreneurship and creating a\u00a0career that\u2019s outside the 9-to-5 box. Ones I enjoy:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Chris Guillebeau’s Blog, The Art of Non-Conformity: Unconventional Strategies for Life, Work & Travel. <\/em>Chris\u2019 goal to visit every country in the world is awesome,\u00a0but I also respect his ideas about entrepreneurship and dodging societal norms.<\/div>\n
Peter Gostelow, The Big Africa Cycle <\/em>Awesome blog by an awesome guy. He\u2019s cycling\u00a0across Africa and doing some charity work along the way.<\/div>\n
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\n5. What’s your favorite part about keeping a blog?<\/em>It brings fabulous people my way. I\u2019ve met some great folks through the blog! But I also\u00a0love that it helps me become the person I want to be. When I write about how to create\u00a0the life you want, it helps me realize what I could be doing to reach that goal. Sometimes I think I\u2019m writing for my readers, but I realize in retrospect I was also writing for myself.6. What suggestions would you give to blog writers out there?<\/em><\/p>\n

Think about what value you can provide to your readers. Readers like to hear about our\u00a0personal struggles, but only insofar as they apply to them, too. Every successful blog is\u00a0either helpful or entertaining. Which is yours?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Abroad101 interviewed Alexis Grant from the Traveling Writer. She is also the author of Please Send Pants a story of her adventures through Africa. She has also written two\u00a0e-guides: How to Build a Part-time Social Media Business and\u00a0How to Take a Career Break to Travel (Released on Oct.17!)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_ppma_block_editor_authors":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[682],"class_list":["post-1261","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-abroad101-news","author-pwpadmin"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t