Is it really that time of the year again? It only feels like last week when I was writing about what I got up to in 2014.
If the saying ‘time flies when you’re having fun’ has any truth to it, then 2015 was a decent year. That’s not to say it didn’t come without any bumps, but what’s life if you can’t ride the waves when they come to shore?
On Travel
Speaking purely about my travels, I managed to pack a lot into this year. Between January and April, I took time off to travel around SE Asia and Japan. During this time, I also got the chance to spend some quality time with my uncle David in Malaysia. He’s like a second dad to me; always ready to impart his wisdom and make sure I’m being properly fed. Doing this was just what the doctor called for after leaving London and feeling a little bit glum.
All in all, I visited 5 new countries (Myanmar, Thailand, Japan, Faroe Islands and St Lucia) and went back to others which I love (Malaysia, Singapore, China, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Iceland and Portugal).
The two countries which really put a lump in my throat were Myanmar and Japan. Myanmar knocked me sideways; being there was like travelling back in time, though I’m sure this will soon change now tourism into the country is increasing exponentially. The whole experience was enhanced by sharing it with Ruchi. I’ve come to realise that she’s the one: my all important travel partner, that is.
I don’t even know where to begin when talking about Japan. It’s a mind-boggling country, where mind-boggling things can happen. You can delve into my archive if you’d like to know more.
An honourable mention goes to the Faroes Islands where I saw thousands of puffins and dozens of gorgeous turf-roof houses. I’ll always bow down to Mother Nature and all she has to offer, particularly if it’s the Scandinavian variety.
Seeing The Pitons in St Lucia also put a lump in my throat and being on the island blessed with sunshine was a nice escape from the UK during December.
On relationships
The truth is, I was in a relationship that wasn’t working and I needed time by myself to see if we were right for each other. Ultimately, we decided to go our separate ways at the end of the summer after four and a half years of being together. We’re still good friends and I hope I’ll be able to say that in years to come, but ultimately we wanted different things out of life.
It’s quite an adjustment to make because I thought I had a vague idea of what my future might look like. I had a sketch with a beginning, middle and end. It was a very rough sketch but one nonetheless.
Within those 4 years we had travelled all over, loved each other’s families, lived together, had plans to move to Berlin – whilst I worked he even went out there to look for a flat – but if it’s not working, these things can’t be forced and eventually we had to call it quits.
Though I’m not really thinking of relationships right now, still, I’m only human and there’s a natural desire in most of us to want some kind of contact. However, the thought of now having to care about what I look like naked isn’t something I thought I’d ever have to contend with again. I haven’t been to the gym in over 6 years, and suddenly I find myself doing squats whilst brushing my teeth in a tragic bid to compensate for the sheer number of hours, days and weeks that I’ve spent sitting on my ass trying to build this blog into something I’m proud of. A marathon of hummus and breadsticks paired with Breaking Bad, The Bridge, True Detective and Mr Robot also has something to do with the demise of my 21″ waist. I’m sure.
Don’t worry, I’m not going to go all Bridget Jones’s Diary on you. This blog isn’t going to suddenly turn into a place where I discuss the trials and tribulations of my love life. Though I do have a serious question – to Tinder or not to Tinder? Kidding!! The concept of that thing sends a shudder down my spine. But genuinely, this is where I am at the moment and without talking about my recent step into singledom, would be to omit a large part of 2015.
So to all you single ladies, please welcome another sister on board the ship!
On Blogging
So what lies ahead for me in 2016? Honestly, your guess is as good as mine. Well, not entirely. At the moment I’m currently back in Yorkshire with my parents (yep, the ‘rents) whilst I plan the next chapter of my life. I think I will probably move back down to London because it’s where my brothers and most of my friends live, and I can’t help be drawn by its energy, in spite of the accruing costs of living there.
Throughout 2015 I’ve been pleased with the progress of my blog. I’m happy as long as I see growth in my writing and photography. Speaking of photography I was stoked to be featured on the Guardian earlier this year.
Lonely Planet also contacted me to feature one of my photos in a book they were putting together, but much to my chagrin, I’d lost the hi-res version of the image they’d requested – of all the photos it had to be the one I no longer had. Typical.
Towards the end of the year I teamed up with Thomas Cook Airlines who sent me to St Lucia. My aim in going there was to showcase the island beyond the resorts. I discovered there’s so many amazing and wonderful things to do, far more than I initially imagined.
What I don’t like to do is concern myself with numbers. Comparatively, I’m terrible with updating my social media. I’d rather have ten interactive followers who I can have meaningful conversations with, instead of ten thousand followers so are disengaged and only followed me because I followed them first.
So many travel bloggers play the follow/unfollow game to push their numbers up and it has become a bone of contention for the other travel bloggers who are not playing these tactics. So to those doing this: stop doing it, seriously, it’s pathetic. If you invested that time in honing your craft as a storyteller then you wouldn’t need to play a fool’s game.
I turn down 95% of offers that come to my blog because I want my opinions to remain unbiased and I don’t want to clutter my site with adverts. That doesn’t mean I will turn down all opportunities, but they have to be pretty fabulous for me to say yes to.
Most importantly, in 2016 I want to host more thought provoking articles on my blog, stories which challenge our perceptions of society. After coming back from the Faroe Islands I wrote a piece about whaling, and another article about the impact of boycotting countries. I want to travel and write more purposefully.
In the summer my cousin, Danielle, hitchhiked to Serbia to volunteer at a refugee camp. I felt so proud of her for getting up and doing something about a cause which often feels so unsurmountable that we end up doing nothing.
Whilst I’m happy my blog can, in some small way, act as a platform to ensure these kind of stories can reach a wider audience, I also want to do something more hands on. I’m not entirely sure what I’m going to do, but I’m in the process of planning.
I hope you continue to follow my journey.
Love Shing Xx
25 Responses
Hmm… well, at least you guys didn’t wait until Berlin to realize things are not working. That’s a good thing, I guess…
I second you on those follow/unfollow crap. That sort of thing is unsustainable. How on earth will you be able to Like 1000 Facebook shares and leave 500 generic comments in blog posts daily? You’ll stress yourself up until breaking point, then when you stop doing it, your following tanks and so will your blogging income. If your traveling depends on those income, then you’ll be royally scr… never mind… Anyway, it is better over the long run if we build up our audience organically rather than artificially.
You’re bang on with it not being sustainable. Reaching a point organically is always the way!
well if anything makes you feel better, your blog is one of the very, very few i read. and i won’t just skim over your content- i actually will sit down and read it thoroughly when i have time because you write well and have the ability to tell a story unlike many others out there.
i absolutely hate what the blogosphere (gosh i hate that word) has become. i hate the numbers games and i refuse to play them. while i hate the sexbot following on IG (like 1/3 of my followers are russian sexbots…. that is what i get for ever hashtagging russia or post CIS countries), i hate even more the travel bloggers that play the follow/unfollow game. i block EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM. i have blocked now around 300 travel bloggers. if it is someone from another industry or genre, i dont block… it just bothers me when it is one of my own.
anyways, im sorry to hear about the relationship… but now it makes sense of why you didnt end up moving to berlin 😛
and, this is totally random, but i think you should take six months off and go work in svalbard 😉 you dont need a visa and can find a job/house really quickly. and then i can live vicariously through you while you earn tons of money with little to no tax, play with p-bears, and photograph one of the most stunning landscapes on earth.
I mirror your thoughts 100% Megan. Your blog is one of the few I read as well, and not just because you show me places I’ve never even heard of. I love reading about your views on topics with polarising views – that’s when you shine!
OMG living in Svalbard, I’ve had this fantasy for well over two years now. I would scrub toilets to be there, anything! However, I work full time for a travel company in a job I do enjoy so I have that to consider. Never say never though. Honestly, I have been thinking about it, and now more than ever!
Ahh, but you didn’t answer the question burning on every readers mind: what (realistic) dream destinations are you likely to visit in 2016?! Great recap Shing, too bad your relationship didn’t work out 🙁 Hope we’ll get to meet in LDN town when I’m there again this July!
If I’m in the UK in July then you and I will definitely align our paths this time. It would be a crime against our own existence if we didn’t!
Ok, besides Iceland and Norway which I’ll be going to over the next few months, I’ve booked two weeks off in May to go away with my girlfriends, Ruchi and Verity, and we have either South America of South Africa in mind. We’ll be deciding soon!
So, I was totally going to tell you to move to Norway, but I see Megan beat me to it! Except Svalbard is far away. Though… I would love to visit you there. It’s really not too hard for Brits to move to Norway, just saying. And blech to all the silly blogging games – it’s definitely the weirdest part about having a travel blog. Especially because I’m pretty sure it doesn’t matter at all. What does matter is your stories, and I’m looking forward to reading more of them!
Haha if I move to Svalbard you and Megan will be among the first people to get an invite!
Thanks for sharing Shing. I hope new travels and new people brighten your new year. I think talking about the personal a little helps people know you better, and your writing is so fabulous, it just draws me in even more to know your motivations behind things. When you tiptoed into areas this year about whaling, etc I began to see a side of you that I know cares about the world enough to speak your mind, and I like that side of you. I think your writing of places and people is superb, but even more so, when you go into the more political or controversial areas, you really shine. I feel priviledged to have gotten to know you a little better this past year – so thank you for being part of the highlights of my 2015.
Really happy that you enjoy the meatier topics of conversation Brad – hopefully I’ll feel compelled to write more this year. Thank you so much for all the interaction, it’s great talking to you! 🙂
Bridget Jones Dairy – I love it! If you need another boxset recommendation, I reckon you’d love ‘Lilyhammer’ – a mafia/witness protection series set in Norway. Keep up the good blogging work and photos, and who cares about numbers? You’re obviously doing something right when people like LP, Guardian and Rolling Stone come knocking.
‘Dairy’ – hahaha amended!! I really should watch Lilyhammer, especially since I’ve been and obviously love Norway, thanks for reminding me Rich. I hope 2016 is a great one for you and your blog too!
I loved your post on whaling in the Faroese and I’d love to read more of those articles so definitely keep them coming 🙂
When it comes to blogging and stats: I tried several strategies this year to grow my blog and honestly ended up being totally frustrated as my numbers increased but not my engagement. The follow-back game might give you more followers but they’ll never ever visit your blog so it’s pointless. For 2016 I plan to just blog about what I love and don’t bother about stats too much. And with writing my masters thesis and working part-time, I don’t have much time to care about such things anyway 😉
Keep up the good work!
Thanks Van, I know we feel the same way about the way of life in the North, and I love reading more about these areas on your blog too. Good luck with your thesis girl!
Here’s hoping you catch the wind of your dreams and ride it all the way to personal fulfillment. That way you will continue to write creative and interesting travelogues the rest of us [armchair] travellers rely on to make our plans. It’s a selfish thought I have, but hopefully you can benefit on behalf of us all in your readership.
Thank you so much for your kind comments Mik, here’s to hoping 😉
I’m looking forward to the “more provoking stories” you were talking about. I want to do the same, but I don’t have a clear vision of those yet. I just know that writing generic posts don’t make me feel fulfilled at all, neither I read those kind of stuff.
Talking about Berlin, you can still go there and live for a few months – I did that last year – just went there for half a year to feed my soul a bit and when I felt completely inspired I returned back home.
I hope you find whatever it is you enjoy and feel most inspired to write about Anca.
You’re right about Berlin, I can still go… Which part of Berlin did you call home for half a year?
Oh the social media. I get so excited every time I get a new follower. I like to go see who they are, what they do. And then it turns out to just be self-advertisement, be it a person or a company : (
I hear you! Grrrr.
Shing, the culture map is by far the most professional yet relatable travel blog I follow and I’m really honoured that you make time in your day to interact with smaller websites like mine. It means a lot. Thank-you for being so honest in this post, you’ve had an amazing year for travel and blogging and who knows, being single may be the best thing that has ever happened to you. I travelled through Morocco alone after I ended a 5 year relationship and I think it changed my life. Don’t worry, you’re obviously beautiful and you really don’t need to worry about what you look like naked!!! Good luck for 2016!
I enjoy reading your blog Katie and I hope 2016 is filled with more adventures for you – small and big.
That’s true, being single brings new freedom and opportunities, I’m excited about the unknown future!
Love this post Shing; think your approach to not chasing the numbers makes for a much better read. Can’t wait to catch up with you when you’re back in London! x
I agree Kat, the blogs I enjoy reading the most rarely use social media and they don’t seem to care about their online popularity, but I return to their blogs time and time again to read what they have to say. Looking forward to catching up with you in London! X
I so agree with everything you or Megan said about the travel blogging word. I hate most of it with passion recently but then I remember how many awesome people I met this way and it gets better 🙂
Anyway, so sorry about the relationship. but if this is better for you and you’re happy now then I’m happy for you! Can’t wait to follow your adventures in 2016!