The Rocky Safari Celebrates Six Wonderful Years of Being Online Today

Last Updated on December 17, 2022

Today, on January 23, 2019, The Rocky Safari is celebrating its sixth blogiversary of being online, helping to connect me with people across the world just like you! I want to take a moment to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has ever stopped to read a single thing I have written on this blog. If you are reading this right now, that means you!

One of the coolest parts of blogging has been hearing all of your comments, stories, and experiences you guys have shared with me. From my loyal readers to the guests who chime in after discovering this blog online, there is nothing I look forward to more than seeing your comments and emails throughout the week. It still blows my mind how inter-connected the internet keeps us. Since its inception, The Rocky Safari has continued to grow and expand in so many amazing ways. I’m nowhere near my long-term goal but the progress I’ve made with this site over the last six years is something I’m really proud of! I do work hard to keep this blog up-to-date, relavant, helpful, and fun! It is probably one of the largest commitments I have made but I wouldn’t want it any other way. This site will always be a part of my life and I hope that helps my readers feel confident that you can trust me as a blogger and as a friend to always be open, honest, and responsive with you.

The Rocky Safari hit so many milestones in its sixth year of being online. Just to mention a few personal accomplishments that are especially exciting, my blog recently became profitable! Who knew you could make money blogging?  (Honestly, when I started, I didn’t! I’ve been building blogs since 2006 when I was just 10 years old. It started as a hobby and over the last 13 years, I’ve continued to pursue blogging because of how much I enjoy using it as a platform to connect with people.) For years, blog monetization was something I never thought about or even bothered with. Nowadays, I’m an adult with real expenses and I still run this website first and foremost for the purpose of entertainment, information sharing, and storytelling but it never hurts to make money along the way ~ especially to cover the ever-growing costs it takes to keep this blog online as it expands.

If you want to learn about how to make a blog, you can read more about that here.

With each passing year, I learn new skills and tactics to become a better blogger. I have learned from my mistakes and I’m beginning to better understand what works, what doesn’t, and what I need to change moving forward. My aim is to consistently learn new skills so that I can do what I ultimately want to do more of: write!

As seen below, with the exception of countries within the Sahara Desert in Africa, The Rocky Safari is now read in almost every country on a weekly basis. Of course, the majority of my readers come from English speaking countries like the United States and the United Kingdom. Still, it is so exciting to hear voices chiming in from all corners of the Earth. I get emails and Facebook messages on a near-daily basis from individuals who have have found my posts either helpful, somehow relatable, or otherwise enjoyable to read! I love hearing from you guys, I really do. Your thoughts, messages, and replies are what make blogging fun. I hope that never ends because I want blogging to always be a two-way conversation!

I always say The Rocky Safari changes with me as I change. That is a good thing because as long as I get better, the blog gets better too. As I learn more, my site will always transform, evolve, and adapt to meet the changing needs of my readers.

I believe my blog’s vision has grown clearer in the previous twelve months and I am excited to see where 2019 takes us. Of course, with that being said, things on here won’t always work or look the way they have in the past. For example, you may have recently discovered a new page titled, “The Backpacking Chronicles.” I’ve designed this page for new readers who want to follow my stories step-by-step in chronological order starting from Day 1 when I first left home to travel on my own. This is but one of a few recent changes to the structure of my blog that I hope will make reading even better for you! If you ever have an opinion or a suggestion, please know that I am always open to feedback. All you need to do is shoot me an e-mail at [email protected] and I will happily get back to you as soon as possible.

Cheers to another great year of adventures, stories, and keeping in touch!

Like it? Put a PIN on it!

It has come to my attention via Twitter that some of my newer readers did not realize how passionate I am about birds. That needs to change right away so please enjoy these new bird-themed blogiversary pins.