A new space for a new era

Hello!

I’m sure if you’re reading this, you’re already familiar with my writing, either because you’re a friend or because you’ve followed me on social media over the years. My blogs have gone through a couple of transitions, but essentially I first started blogging in 2009 for work. I wrote a weekly column for the online new site Tourism Update, it focused solely on what was happening in the tourism sector from a trade perspective at the time.

After I left Tourism Update in 2010, I decided to start a personal blog justagirlwholikeswords. If you could call it a breakthrough, then I guess it was. It was the first time I’d had people react to personal pieces that I had put out into the great wide world and it was also the first time that I started dabbling in travel writing (rather than tourism writing, which believe it or not, is very different).

But after a while, the blog started feeling more like a chore and I decided to stop altogether. I’m a firm believer in the adage: when it stops being fun, stop. My travel writing started back up again when I began working as content editor at South African Tourism and I really started enjoying sharing my own travel experiences again. I also started a running blog last year called Run Kate Run which has been moderately successful (I had a few people say that I inspired them to run themselves, that felt pretty great).

After I quit my job last year to create my own version of employment, one of the things I planned was to start a new travel blog. After taking a few months trying to come up with what my version of a travel blog would be, I’ve realised that maybe it really is just an evolution of what I’ve done so far.

I’ve imported most of my old blogs onto this platform, minus a few really cringe ones, and I hope that you’ll enjoy what I’ll be focusing on going forward as a reader. I plan on covering travel, running, music, events and other things I love generally. My focus is likely to be mostly on South Africa, but I’m hoping to create more and more international content as the blog grows. With one blog, I can channel my energy into creating one great thing, instead of spreading my attention over a few!

So for those that loved justagirlwholikeswords, you’ll get a slightly more grown up version. While for those that liked my running posts, let’s hope I end up writing reviews on more international races in the coming years.

the name really is a combination of independent and my name first name (duh), but my posts will focus on independent travel and discovery, rather than mass tourism destinations and spots. It’s all about finding the new and different!

Thanks for all the support, let me know what you think below!

K for Kate x

P.S. There are still a few bugs in the system on this blog, let me know if you find any so I can fix them up!

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Kate Els