I started this blog many many years ago, with a different host. I knew nothing about blogging. My niece set it up for me. I was living in Canada and wanted to send photos of our apartment to my sisters in Australia. I put the photos up on the blog and sent them the link. I had help to do this. I think I barely knew how to use email.
The blog was called Apartment Photos. After fulfilling this initial purpose it sat there unused for 2 or 3 years. Then Don and I were about to embark on a five-week trip to the Cook Islands, Australia, and Vietnam. By this time I was a member of an online forum and some members asked if I would write about our journey on the forum. Suddenly I remembered – I have a blog! Thus I began writing about our travels. I would email friends and family with the link, and also put the link up on the forum each time I posted something new. The blog was still called Apartment Photos.
After we became nomadic in September 2011 I continued to write about our travels, still sending emails to friends and family to alert them to a new post. Around the middle of 2012 I switched to WordPress. Soon after, I was nominated for The Very Inspiring Blogger Award! What?! What is this? I knew nothing about the blogging community, but I was thrilled and excited to be nominated for this award and wanted to respond. That meant I had to enter the community, find and follow other blogs that resonated for me, make friends, connect. Where once I barely had a toe in the door, now it was wide open and I dived in.
From that small beginning I had no idea how important, enriching and inspiring it would be. Almost every day I was, and am, reading things that move me, inspire me, amuse me, remind me of the truth of being, and bring me back to now. I am so grateful to have discovered this online world. I am so grateful for you.
Recently I read this: that trust is gratitude for that which has not yet manifest. It has had a profound affect on my life. It is one of the most important things I’ve read in recent times. I don’t remember whose blog I read it on but if you’re reading this – thank you! And that’s what all this is about. Thank you to all the people whose blogs I follow. Thank you to all the people who follow our blog. Thank you to all the new followers who have subscribed in the past few days. All of you enrich my life.
Our first guest post:
There’s a fabulous website called Retirement and Good Living. You may not be ready to retire but good living is for everyone! We submitted a guest post on their blog about a week ago. Please head on over and have a look at it. And especially to all of you who have just recently started following our blog, it will give you some of the back story of why we sold our home, and all our stuff, and became nomads. We didn’t just lose our minds one day. Well, perhaps we did!
Our first guest post – on Retirement and Good Living. Thanks for reading.
Oh and have you noticed that lovely bright blue icon at the top on the right? We got Freshly Pressed! Thanks WordPress for the recognition, and for the fabulous community you hold in your arms.
Tomorrow February 13th we fly to the town of Iquitos in eastern Peru. From there we head off on a four-hour boat journey to a lodge in the Amazon wilderness. After a few days there we head even deeper into the jungle for some hiking and (hopefully) animal viewing. Those darn jungle animals! You can never quite predict where they’ll be! We will be largely without internet for about nine days. Catch up with you all when we get back.
Photos of the day: the extravagant beauty, colour, and exquisite splendor of Fiesta Candelaria in Puno, Peru (much more about this to come in future posts).
All words and images by Alison Louise Armstrong unless otherwise noted.
© Alison Louise Armstrong and Adventures in Wonderland – a pilgrimage of the heart, 2010-2015.
I’m so happy we found you online — your wonderful blog enriches my life with each new post. You’ve set a very high standard … thank you for sharing!
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Thank you so much Silk. I feel honoured by your compliment. You 5 are all such wonderful writers!
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Wonderful, Allison! Thank you niece for us for getting you started. (My daughter Bea helped me set up mine). I am very eager to follow your adventures from Iquitos to the Amazon. Do you know the name of your Amazonia guide yet?
Best wishes,
Naomi
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I’ll send the message on to Sarah. She’ll love it 🙂
Don’t know the names of guides yet – I imagine we’ll find out when we get there.
I have sooo many posts to do before I get to the Amazon ones (Isla del Sol and Uros Islands, Cusco/Machu Picchu/all of the Sacred Valley, Lima, Candelaria Festival in Punu, then finally the Amazon). I’m getting to be months behind – too much darn travelling I guess 🙂 I hope you’re very patient.
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Congrats on your increasing popularity and uber-presence in the blogosphere. You definitely deserve it; in a short time, your blogging skills have soared. Each post is beautiful, both in word and in image.
I just read through what the wordpress folks look for when they’re seeking posts for their Freshly Pressed pages, and your blog is all of that and more. Yay for youze two! WTG!
I enjoyed reading your guest post at Retirement & Good Living. You’ve said most of that here in your blog, but it’s great to see it compiled into one post, a great introduction to you and your nomaderie (is that a word? should be!).
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Thanks Kate for all your wonderful and encouraging compliments. We *have* improved haven’t we?! 🙂 I sometimes look back at the very early posts and cringe a little – still one has to start somewhere, and all I was doing then really was writing letters home. Oh and I learned a thing or 2 from my dear sisters about photography and photoshop – that helped. Getting a new camera soon 🙂
xoxox from us
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What fun, a new camera! Post details when it happens please.
I had another paragraph in my first reply, don’t know what happened to it. Anyhooo, it was a suggestion: Use the content of your guest post to make an “about” page here at your blog. Yes, we can find info about you by clicking on your photo at the top of the right-side panel. But because that compiled info/article is such a great intro to your blog as well as to you both, it would be great for new readers (and us oldies) to have right here with your blog. And most blogs do have an “about” page, right?
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OK, I just saw the link at the top to your “about” page. Sorry. And I still think it would be great to have that article here, perhaps integrated with your current info. Also perhaps put the link to the “about” under your photo in the right panel. Cuz I missed it up top until now, and I’m usually pretty good about finding stuff on a webpage.
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Yes, I agree. I like our about page, but I’ve felt for a while it needs to be expanded a bit. And it is had to find the link to it – it’s one of the little things about this particular template that I don’t like, also that I can’t (or haven’t figured out how to) put the posts on continuous scroll), also that the comments button is hard to find, and I need to make a separate page for the This Nomadic Life posts. I’ll do what you suggest with the article, and maybe put another comment button in a more obvious place. I’m reluctant to change templates – I like the simplicity of this one. After the Amazon, and Quito, and the Galapagos I’ll have time to do this 🙂
Thanks for the suggestions.
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Great guest post!!!
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Thanks Fiona. We had fun putting it together.
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Great post, glad I am following you.
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Thank you so much. Glad you’re enjoying our posts.
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Congratulations! I’m glad you mentioned the Freshly Pressed Award, because I thought it was new. I’m always so happy for you, and so blessed by your love of life.
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Thanks Kelly. We’re just thrilled of course.
xoxox
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Thank you for putting your toe in the door! Yours is the only blog my mom and I both read, so it’s a nice conversation piece in our otherwise pretty separate interests*.
*Well, and we share funny cat videos. Some things are universal, after all.
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I’m so glad I put my toe in the door. What a world I discovered! Before that I was just writing letters home. I’m so pleased you and your mom can enjoy it together. And yes, funny cat vids ore pretty universal. Chuckle.
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Hey, I’ve fostered 24 litters of kittens in under 10 years, of course I would love cat videos. However, your photography and well-written commentary comes in a close second.
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Thanks so much Pam 🙂
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My wife had to help me get a blog and website started, plus I had to take a intro to WordPress.com class. Y’all are doing great and I am glad to have met you on here 🙂
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Thanks Visiting Wanderer. Glad to have met you too.
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What a great post. Stopped by and commented at Retirement and Good Living. Great article on you two. So glad to be connected with you both. xoxo
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Thanks Paulette. Very glad to be connected to you to
xoxox
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your blog is fabulous…thank you so much for your interesting articles…it has not only enriched my life but also energizes me whenever i go through it…love you both..much love and blessings !!
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Thank you Alisha for your wonderful and encouraging compliments. I’m glad it resonates for you. Much love and blessings to you too!
Alison
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Again, congratulations to you both. There’s something really magical and beautiful happening right now with you guys. The manifesting of two positive, connected and real individuals is coming into play.
This is only the beginning, big things are coming your way…like those best selling books Don mentioned for starters.
It’s hard to explain, but this is incredibly inspiring to see.
What are you guys feeling right now about all of this??
So proud/inspired!
~Andrea<3
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Thanks for this affirmation Andrea. We also feel it – a momentum, like a wave slowly gathering strength. We just have to pay attention, do our due diligence in whatever areas are needed, and most of all just ride the wave instead if trying to direct it. We’re certainly feeling inspired, and a little incredulous. It’s fun!
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Congratulations on the recognitions! You deserve them.
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Thanks so much Jun. We’re both thrilled.
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Hi Alison, congrats on your guest post. Enjoy the Amazon! Peggy and I spent a delightful time there chugging up the river and staying at a wilderness lodge with monkeys draped across our shoulders and napping in our laps. –Curt
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Thanks Curt. We’ve been doing a lot of river chugging, and had monkeys on board just today! Gotta love it! Alison
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hello there, I am truly amazed by your journey. gotta admit, I feel so little compared to both of you, I have all this energy and yet I didn’t use it on things that I love which is just the same as yours, being bold, risky and adventurous and just experience life the way it should be experienced.
anyways, I can’t wait to hear your story on your journey to Amazon (wow) 🙂
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Thank you so much! Well you’re young yet. There’s plenty of time to put your energy to doing things that you love. You go girl! Life is waiting for you. Maybe it would help to know that when I was your age I didn’t put my energy to things I loved either. But eventually I realized that I had to do what was right for me. You’re already starting to realize that. Even if you’re afraid don’t let that stop you! It’s your live to live. Blessings, Alison
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This is a great post it shows some information and best advice I needs for a blog. Thanks and keep on posting.
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Thank you so much. I hope you do well with your blog.
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Your journey is so inspiring! I am glad I landed here…Blessitude – Lorrie
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Thank you so much. As is yours! I’m glad you landed here too 🙂
Blessings, Alison
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I love it, Alison. Apartment Photos. Who’da thunk? Now you are freshly pressed blogging celebrities. So glad to be part of your blog family. Yes, I have tons of gratitude for that which has not manifest yet, which means that I have tons of trust in life, love, and us. {{{hugs}}} Kozo
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Blogging celebrities lol and chuckle 🙂
Isn’t that definition of trust just so clear and fabulous and powerful?! I’d never thought of it that way before. Living in trust is one of the things that has arisen for Don and me since embarking on this journey, but this has even increased it. I feel your trust Kozo, and I feel it growing.
(((((hugs))))) Alison
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BEAUTIFUL IMAGES…SINCERELY ANDREA:))
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Thank you so much Andrea. And thank you for following our blog. I hope you enjoy the stories of our journey. Blessings, Alison
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