Guest Author - Dennise Ziaja

Blogging on the Road

One of the best ways for friends and relatives to keep track of you as you meander down the road exploring the highways and byways is to create an online journal called a blog. Why is it called a blog? The term most likely evolved because it is an easy way to say ‘Web Log”. Web Logs are writings posted on a web site that may be personal insights into current events, help and information for the web site’s readers, or simply diary or journal entries. I recall one fulltimimg couple we met at a rally, laughing about running away from home. According to this couple, one kid would call another kid and say “If you were Mom and Dad, where would you be?” Now your relatives and friends can find you anywhere you travel. Of course, this is assuming you want them to find you!

There are many sites on the internet where you can create a blog. Blogger.com is probably the most recognized site for a free blog page. My own blog can be found there, The Meandering Ziajas. My blog is a personal blog and chronicles our travels… funny things that have happened on the road; and the not so funny things we have done like forget to get propane on our way to an outing in the Midwest in April. Our friends and relatives really enjoy reading about our adventures. I have even used my blog to post recipes and create a step by step visual preparation of the dish with the use of digital photos. Other sites you may want to check out are: LiveJournal.com, WordPress.com, and Blog.com. If you “Google” blogging sites or something similar, many more sites will pop up in your search window.

To create your own blog or on-line journal, find a site that appeals to you. The majority of these sites are free, so avoid one that charges a fee. Before you choose your blog’s home, visit the site and see if it fits your needs and provides a simple and easy setup. Many RVer’s chronicle their travels on MyTripJournal.com. This site is unique and will allow you to add a map to your blog so readers can trace your movements. Once you decide on where you would like your blog to reside, you can then create your page. Blogging sites provide templates and easy to understand directions that you can follow to create your blog. You can choose background colors, upload pictures to your blog site and even let your readers know when your blog is updated. You can also limit who can read your blog, therefore eliminating potential problems with unknown folks reading your stuff. You can add a comment section so your audience can respond or contact you.

Writing a blog helps sharpen your writing skills, provides you with a creative way to share your travels and to create your “own” place on the internet. Daily blogging or every other day blogging is a great way to keep in touch and leave you and your readers with lasting memories.

For more information about blogging try Wikihow.com and search for "start a blog".