Last fall I read a post by Trendenser-Frida (one of the blogs I’ve read the longest!) titled “What’s the worst thing about blogging”. She, in turn, had found the post at Flora Wistrom. I really enjoyed reading Frida’s personal posts, as well as all the answers in the comments section! There, readers wrote things they like about her blog and things they like less about others. I decided to take the plunge and create my own version of the blog list (modified a bit to make the headings fit here). Then we’ll see!
What’s the worst thing about blogging?
#1. Why did you start blogging?
Me, Tobias and our little boys (1 and 3 years old at the time) finally went on a long trip to Asia. The idea was to have family and friends sit down in a corner in the form of a diary. So this was 2011, ages ago. Now I realize that the blog is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year – yippee and hurray!
#2. What did your parents think of you blogging?
Dad only read newspapers and books, but Mom was my absolute best blog supporter. Never before or since has anyone shared and commented on my posts as much as she has. No one is like mom!
#3. How do you feel when you read old posts?
Joy, almost always actually. I can get stuck for hours between my previous blog posts. But I also love reading my old diaries in physical form. Understands that not everyone is as self-centered as us bloggers.
#4. Has the blog ever been a “real” job?
More or less, absolutely. During 2017-2020 I largely supported myself with the travel blog and other travel-related assignments. Then the pandemic came and I returned to legal life before we started a family business in Nynäshamn.
#5. How do you talk about your blog to people who don’t know about it?
“I run a large travel site”. I hate that blog, it’s become something of a swear word. Maybe it’s time to reclaim the blog!?
#5. Do you ever get stressed because you have to document something?
Over the years, FOR SURE! Not so much these days because I consider myself wiser now than then. However, when I have paid work assignments related to the blog, the stress is constant – there is a lot of information to gather and the “right” photos to take. Naturally, I want to supply my customers with the best possible material.
#6. How much time do you spend on your blog?
Very, very, Right too much in relation to how much (little) money I make with it. But you know what? 2026 is the year I will change that. Where are my words!
#7. What programs do you use for blogging?
My hosting is called Loopia. I manage the blog myself in WordPress, a publishing tool in which I write and publish all posts. I’m writing always on the computer, I can’t seem to tap on the phone. For image editing I use Lightroom and Photoshop – sometimes also Canva. I will never let ChatGPT write my messages, then it’s time to stop.
#8. How many posts do you have planned for the future?
Good. Currently there are 560 drafts in the folder. Some only with a working title, others almost finished. The headlines vary, it’s really high and low. Some examples of posts that are in the draft phase and waiting for better times:
- To what extent are you influenced by the situation in the world?
- Sharing a summer spot with relatives: paradise or nightmare?
- How much does a holiday to Poland cost?
- 16 things I want to do in my year of 46
- Optimize, Execute and Triumph – the posts in my feeds are driving me crazy!?
By the way, are there any posts you’re particularly curious about – or do they belong in the trash rather than among drafts?
#9. What is important to you when writing a message?
I really don’t want to rush my posts, I read them at least 3-4 times before they are finally published. Least. I HATE when I see typos or spelling mistakes, it kinda hurts! For example, a while ago I wrote Ästad Vingård and Falkenberg Strandbad as tips in a post about Skåne. I was really embarrassed when I got the comment that they are not actually located in Skåne at all – which I actually have a good idea of. My thoughts were obviously elsewhere that evening, so I should have left the blog alone!
It is also very important to use as many of your own images as possible. Also spends an unnecessary amount of time looking for the ‘right’ images and seeing whether they fit into the flow and beyond. It is of course also important that the text is written by myself and not by some AI tool.
#11. What’s the worst thing about blogging?
That it takes so much time. Time that I could have spent on other things in life.
#11. Do you ever feel like you want to quit blogging?
The natural follow-up question is whether I ever want to stop blogging. I think the thought is true every now and then. Realizing that I would have plenty of time left for other things. But for what? My interests? That is 1) traveling 2) writing and 3) taking photos. Eh, against that background it seems unnecessary to stop.
#12. Is there a post that received a particularly large number of responses?
Many people got hooked when I wrote a travel bucket list in 2016. In turn, I got inspiration from the great blogger of the time Isabella Löwengrip / Blondinbella (who has since stopped blogging):
100 goals to achieve (#100travelgoalstoachieve)
There are also other posts that are still going strong even though it took me ages to write them. Like this for example: Starting a family in a city far away from relatives.
#13. What do you think of Instagram in relation to the blog? Do you have Tiktok and/or Snapchat?
I feel REALLY bad about Instagram versus the blog, at least for Travel Friday. If Instagram and I had been in a relationship, our status update would have been clear”It’s complicated.” I spend an insane amount of time scrolling without having the strength to post that much myself. But! Because yes, such a thing exists…
…I am also responsible for the Instagram account of our padel hall. There it just looks like gold and green forests. Does not feel any prestige and feels that the account really fulfills its purpose: keeping people informed about our activities and events.
I started an account on TikTok a while ago because “people” said I really need to have it if I really want to make it big. I haven’t logged into TikTok since I created the account. Snapchat? No way. It seems life-threatening in every way.
#14. What was your very first blog post about?
About the absolute powerlessness it means to have sick children. A message I could have copied straight from today, 15 years later.
#15. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve received in an offer?
Haha, yes, I used to even get offers here and there. During that time, the blog had a pretty big focus on exercise and family life. Once there was a knock on our front door (we lived in Stuvsta at the time) and outside there was a huge purple mascot who let the children drink yogurt in a cool bag. I think it might have been mine 15 minutes of fame as an influencer. Could it be just like 2012?
#6. How many different names have you had on the blog?
I have my third name and maybe I should settle for that – third time liked and all!? When I started blogging the blog was called Yesterday you Said Tomorrow (as I said I blogged about training at the time). After a while I switched to aniika.se because Aniika was the name I had in my email addresses (some of my course participants started calling me Aniika by the way). I ended up posting themed posts about travel every Friday and that’s where TRAVEL FRIDAY was born. The rest is history.
#17. A question for those of you who have read this far: why are YOU reading my blog and how long have you been doing so?
In closing, I actually want to ask you a question on the other side of the screen. Why did you click here and when/why did you start reading? It’s a lot of fun to put some faces to those anonymous numbers in Google Analytics.
Feel free to follow me further Instagram under “Resfredag” for real-time updates! Cover image from a Travel Massive event, photographer Katarina Wohlfart. Author: Annika Myhre/Resfredag.se
#Whats #worst #blogging #Travel #Friday