20 Years as a Blogger
I just realized that 20 years ago last week, I published my very first blog post. While 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫 was established in 2010, marking the start of my traveler era 😂, I actually created my very first blog in April 2004.
I think it was my good friend Jerwin, who introduced the concept of blogging to me, and I was sold instantly. At the time, we were taking summer classes, and I had a pretty grueling schedule: 2 PE classes (lawn tennis and running) and another 6-unit course every single day. And like most teens, at the time, 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐲.
Also, it was peak summer and I wanted an excuse to hit the air-conditioned internet cafe near my boarding house. 😅
It was what we call now a personal blog. This blog.
Back then, I spewed words about anything — how I was feeling or thinking and what I was watching or listening to. I treated this blog as an extension of my handwritten journal. I had no idea how drastically this blog would change my life.
1. My former bosses found me through this blog and offered me a position, jumpstarting my career as a social media professional.
2. This blog inspired me to create another — a travel blog — which has basically taken over my life.
3. When I was embracing marketing full time, this blog kept me grounded to my writing roots. Without it, I probably would have stopped writing altogether. This blog also won 3 Philippine Blog Awards in just one night, something that I am still very proud of to this day.
And of course, I met the love of my life because of this blog. 💙 Dun pa lang, ang laki na ng dapat kong ipagpasalamat.
The period of my life when I am a blogger is now longer than the period that I wasn’t. I think it’s safe to say that this has defined much of who I am today.
A lot has changed since then. But I’m always thankful that I got to experience blogging in its purest form — simply as self-expression — back when monetization, branding, and audience building were not a consideration at all. I know that’s rich coming from someone who currently earns a living and has built a career through blogging, but I genuinely miss those early years.
So yeah, 20 years! Blogging is now mainstream. Social media is now a thing. And summers are now HELL.
But there are moments — like right now, I’m writing posts like this — when I still see myself as that frail teenage boy earnestly clanking on the keyboard because — well, even now, after all these years — he still has a lot to say. Some things don’t change, apparently.
I completely forgot to celebrate last week and I don’t have grand plans now. Maybe just a drink.
Or twenty.