Zero to Hero | Day 1 | anexpatabroad

“I think the word ‘blog’ is an ugly word. I just don’t know why people can’t use the word ‘journal’.” Moby

So in a bid to continue my blogging momentum in 2014, I have signed up to the WordPress ‘Zero to Hero: 30 days to a better blog’ challenge. So there will be no New Years resolutions from me (don’t they always get broken anyway, does anyone actually achieve theirs?) instead my focus will be to participate in this challenge, lets hope it doesn’t go the same way as resolutions.

So the WordPress team of top blogging experts have created in their words ’30 days of digestible blogging assignments’ to get everyone involved from “What’s this blog thing?” to a blog that’s exciting and proud to be published (watch this space readers!)

The official WordPress Zero to Hero logo (source: The Daily Post)

So with no time to waste the first days assignment is to introduce yourself (no way, introduce yourself ok! sorry little family joke) and publish a “who I am and why I’m here” post. Mmmmm……stumped a little already, haven’t I covered that in my ‘About’ page and my first ever post………not a good start. Must think positive, must think positive…

So here goes…..I started this blog as a way to keep my brain active and share my journey and experiences of a British expat living abroad in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. It’s really just my witterings of what I get up to, how I try to fill my days interspersed with excerpts of my growing family (growing as in they are getting older not growing as in there will be any new babies, just clarifying). When I moved to the desert four years ago I wanted to do/write something, I even had a grand idea of writing a novel but (here comes the first of I’m sure many excuses in the next 30 days) I was busy caught up with the challenge of moving to a new and completely different country and spent my free time with a group of ‘Ladies that Lunch’, all of us trying to navigate our way around a new country, make friends and settle ourselves and our families.

I went from a hectic life back in the UK of running a busy home and family of four/five on my own (the other half was already in situ in the desert for nine months before we arrived permanently) as well as working, organising an international move and emigration as well as my eldest’s gap year to Australia and Canada. So from busy, busy to practically nothing was a shock but gradually I found my feet and friendship groups evolved with the other wives, some who became more like family as we all relied on each other for support.

This summer my very good friend here in AD returned to live in the UK (most other ladies have already gone or are working) so empty days loomed ahead. I continued to go to the same exercise classes and the mall but it’s all a bit rubbish on your own and motivation/enjoyment is low and to be honest I now eat all the cake instead of sharing in the coffee shop! Too much time on my hands and a need to be creative prompted me to start this blogging adventure (something I have fancied for a while) and so at the end of August ‘anexpatabroad’ was born and I began sharing my experiences with friends, family and the WordPress community.

My blogging journey continues to evolve and I am enjoying the creative challenge it brings, I have added the Weekly Photo Challenge to my blog routine, set up a Facebook page and added my Instagram feed to enhance it visually. I hope this new WordPress challenge will strengthen my blog, keep it interesting so that the current readers stay engaged and I attract some new followers along the way. I hope that my creativity will be challenged and my fellow bloggers will share their ideas and feedback about my blog with me as I hope to with them.

Thanks for reading 😉

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/zero-to-hero/