Two years ago today, we sat in a Doubletree hotel in Rochester, Minnesota, where we had returned for a third time since that January for appointments at the Mayo Clinic. The next day, I was to have an electrophysiology study and a heart biopsy in hopes of helping doctors diagnose the illness from which I’d been suffering for several months. That day, as we waited to hear if I had a minor, treatable illness or an serious, incurable condition, we decided that regardless, there was no time like the present to get going on an idea we’d had for a long time.
We sat down in the executive lounge at the hotel, downloaded a picture we’d taken earlier that day of the Mayo Clinic, and wrote our first blog post for Postcard Jar. After several hours of maneuvering our way through a new WordPress website template, we nervously hit the “Publish” button and our first travel blog post was on-line.
No one read it. No one even knew we had a blog. But that was OK. It was more for us at that time. A few days later, I would be diagnosed with a rare inflammatory disease called cardiac sarcoidosis and the travel blog quickly became something to keep our minds off the serious health issues we were facing just two years into our marriage. It was also a way for us to share with others one of the things we enjoy most in life — traveling to someplace new.
Since we began Postcard Jar two years ago, we’ve shared 76 posts, including 7 tips for travelers, an overview of Nebraska’s Nicest Nine places and attractions, postcards from readers like you, and highlights our trip to Europe last summer. We’ve loved taking pictures of the places we’ve visited, the foods and drinks we’ve tried, and the people who have made our travels so special. We’ve learned a lot about other cultures and traditions. We’ve seen amazing cathedrals abroad and found unique museums close to home. Travel may not always be easy for me, but we’ve made adjustments to our expectations and done what we could, when we can. As my my cardiologist tells me often, life is short — go the places you want to go and see the things you’ve always wanted to see.
So we have.
And we couldn’t be more grateful for those like you who have come along on this journey with us. In just 24 months, we’ve figured out (mostly) how this blog works and through social media connections, we’ve been able to attract more readers like you every month. And YOU GUYS ROCK! You’ve liked, shared, commented, and even sent us more than 50 postcards for our jar!
Here’s a little breakdown, by the numbers.
As of yesterday, we had 857 page likes on Facebook and our followers spanned 18 states in the U.S. and 17 countries across five continents. While most of our followers are from the United States, we do have a handful of readers from countries like Italy, Tanzania, Brazil, and even Saint Kitts! Not surprisingly, our hometown of Crete, Nebraska, has attracted the highest number of domestic followers (139), although we also have readers from places like New York City, Greenville, Mississippi, and San Diego, California.
Admittedly, we still struggle with some of the mechanics of integrating Facebook with our WordPress site and hope we can learn more about that this year. [If you happen to be an expert in this area, please message us immediately!]
Steve typically keeps tracks of our Twitter account and has learned a lot about promoting our site through tweeting from other travel enthusiasts like @travelwithsara and @thewalkingtourists. A group of Midwest travel bloggers has also hosted several Twitter chats that have also helped us learn this medium a little better and share ideas. We’ve gained 146 Twitter followers in two years and recorded 407 tweets.
While Steve does a great job with our Twitter account, he won’t touch Pinterest. And that’s just fine with me! I thrive on ideas, so when I found Pinterest, it was a match made in heaven. I’ve created 34 boards for everything from business travel tips and gifts for travelers to travel quotes and decorating with travel (who knew?). It has taken little effort to collect 639 pins while gaining 119 followers.
Instragram is probably my favorite social media outlet. It’s quick and easy and I just love all the filters (Amaro and Sierra are my favs) that make our pictures look great! In our first 24 months, we’ve posted 222 photos and videos and have 130 followers. We appreciate all of the love we get when post new photos, and are especially grateful for our niece, Emma, who is almost always the first one to click on the heart for every single photo we’ve posted. Love you, Em!
As we celebrate our 2nd blogiversary today, please know that we are so thankful for all of our followers and we want to get to know you even better. We love getting your postcards and seeing where you’ve been and here’s your chance to tell us even a little more about YOU! We hope you’ll take the time to comment (look for the speech bubble at the top of this post) or “leave a reply.”
1. Who are you? What’s your name? How old are you? Where do you live? What do you do?
2. What do you like most here? Travel tips? Places we’ve been? Postcards from readers? Pictures of pretty views? Review of museums and attractions?
3. Random question — what’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever packed in your suitcase?
4. If you could travel anywhere, where would you go and why?
5. If you could ask us any question, here’s your chance! Ask away …
We would be remiss without thanking Ciana Cloud for helping us get started, and other bloggers like Sara Broers of Travel with Sara, Tim and Lisa Trudell from The Walking Tourists for showing us how to navigate the travel blog world. We’re also grateful for Roger Yant and Patty Kreifels at Shop Nebraska who include an excerpt from Postcard Jar in each issue of their magazine. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
[well]When you’re traveling next, be sure to send us a postcard at Postcard Jar, P.O. Box 334, Crete, NE 68333. We’d love to hear from you![/well]
Congrats on 2 years. I am impressed with how much you have accomplished in that amount of time.
Thanks, so much. It had been a lot of fun.
Congratulations on 2 years! Often times it takes a medical something to help us find our “new” direction. So happy for you, as your blog rocks! Thanks for the shout out.