In true gemini fashion, I've tried to start this blog about 6+ times over the past decade. My first attempt happened around 2011 when I received my first laptop (long live the white MacBooks that weighed 5 1/2 pounds) and when YouTube "vlogging" had just began to take the world by storm. I watched the British boys like JacksGap, Marcus Butler, and Ben Brown travel the world and document all of their fun along the way (the Rickshaw Run videos were A+).
I'd think to myself, "Why can't that be me? How do I get to travel the world and document my journey along the way?"
Back then Instagram influencers didn't exist, so I saw very few faces like mine going out, exploring the world, and sharing all the highs and lows along the way. I really wanted to start a blog back then for the same reason that I started my @alikaadventure instagram in 2018–I wanted to share relatable and affordable travel content for they everyday dreamer who keeps their eye on the horizon. Cue the Pirates of the Caribbean theme song.
Every few years I'd have a sudden urge to re-attempt a blog launch but life always seemed to have another plan in mind. First it was high school academics & athletics, then college applications, then it was Stanford period. Once I graduated from university, I finally felt like I could make @alikaadventure a priority in my life. I needed a creative outlet to keep me grounded and distract me from the reality that I was no longer a college student–a huge part of my identity that I held close for some of the most important years of my life. I'll have to dedicate an entire blog post about how I wasn't adequately mentally prepared to say goodbye to Stanford (hence the random crying during my summer in Sarajevo, BiH). So much time is dedicated towards getting into college but what about when you leave?!?
So, here we are on the seventh try of starting my very own certified fresh blog.
How does the famous quote go, "If you don't succeed, try, try again."
This time around I want to create a blog that supplements my travel Instagram account. Here you can expect me to dive deeper and share more content in the theme of mindful travel. What are the pillars, how do you incorporate mindfulness into travelling, and who are the cool people shaking up the travel game. My ultimate goal is to share how social factors like sustainability, race, gender, and socio-economic status NEED to be and MUST be apart of travel conversations. On this blog you will find me amplifying Black and Indigenous bloggers, creatives, scholars, activists, artists, etc.
It wouldn't be a Malia production without also sharing my wacky and playful personality. Think Met Gala red carpet reaction videos, conspiracy theories, DOGS, Barefoot Contessa YouTube black holes, and The Daily Mail in all of its entirety.
If you've made it this far down the page, congratulations and THANK YOU✨It took me a few years to understand but the most rewarding aspect of social media (hint-hint it's in the name) are the connections you can make with people who share your passions or learn something from you!
Cheers to new (kind of) beginnings and all the adventures to come.
- Malia✨