I started A City Girl Story as a place to write about my time studying abroad, and then it turned into more of a blog when I was living abroad. Over the years, I felt disconnected and more forced to push out content that did not fit me. I was feeling pressure to do trendy sounds and videos on TikTok, to go to the places everyone else was going to, to wear that ‘viral’ sweater and talk and share what everyone else is, and it all got very overloading, loud, and frustrating. I needed to shut it all down, delete everything, and walk away to focus on other things. In my break from posting my blog on social media, I realized how much I enjoy writing about my adventures, thoughts, bad dates, and life as a thirty-something woman living in the cities. And just because I do not fit into that box doesn't mean I shouldn't do what I like to do. So, I am coming back to blogging on social media.
It is terrible timing to come back to blogging now with so many factors that I do not need to list or get into. I think it is the best time for me to bring back my old blogs on a very old, probably outdated, not trending website that I paid for. And share what I want without worrying about numbers, trends, or having to get that perfect photo. I've missed long writing, taking pictures, and having a place to share it. Another reason why I am coming back to blogging is that I have not been seeing what I've been looking for when it comes to travel or local guides, and selfishly, what I want is what I have done in the past. I'm not coming back as my blog but as the now 30-something woman who's still trying to figure it all out while living life in the cities- perfectly imperfect. The name of the blog is still A City Girl Story, but on social media, I decided to stay away from a blog name to feel more like me.
Before, when I was blogging, I felt stuck creatively and sometimes trapped in trying to be creative because it felt like the only thing that was performing or what people wanted to see and like was what was trending. And coming back, I am determined not to feel that way. I’ve been looking at my favorite blogging, and it is different since she has thousands of people following her and keeping up with her, but no matter what, she has stayed true to herself, what she likes, and her craft and also pushed herself further to better herself and her craft-she probably has feel for the trendy social media trap before but not anymore. And I feel like that just comes with time and age, growing in confidence in yourself. And to be honest, mine has decreased since moving back (7 years ago, and then COVID did not help)--and I'm tired of feeling that way.
The rules I have for myself when I come back are to go back to how I did when I first started posting on social media to the public: 100% myself, random photos that are now called a photo dump, and not put pressure on myself.
What to expect is more words and pictures, guide local and far, thoughts of being a 30-something woman and keeping it real!
