I haven’t been writing. Not really, nothing that feels very concrete or hefty. Some words here and there, and I have ideas swirling around, but I’m just not putting words down onto the page.
What I have been doing, on the other hand, is tinkering with this blog. Can we even call it ‘tinkering’? It feels more substantial than that, but to say this is an ‘overhaul’ feels too dramatic and grand. I think it’s something in-between; a change, a shift, a renewed focus.
the first- and so far only- snow of the winter
If you receive notifications of my posts through email then I don’t know if anything will look very different. Come to think of it, if you find my posts in your wordpress reader, those may not look different, either. Would any of my followers actually notice anything different if I’d decided not to write this post?
But things are a bit different, and for what amounts to something between tinkering and an overhaul, there sure was a lot of work involved. I decided to upgrade my blog; for any of you who know anything about it, that meant migrating over to a self-hosted site and buying a domain and a design and hoping that I could transfer all of my content from the old site to the new one.
Confused yet? The details don’t really matter. I think what matters is that I’m trying something new with this, just to see what it might be like to invest just a bit more into my blog, and this blogging practice.
So to begin with, I changed the name of the site, and I’m now calling it ‘Nadine Walks’. To slap my name up on the top of this thing feels… showy and like I can’t really hide behind anything. A little scary. ‘Begin With a Single Step’ felt right for the start of all of this, it felt right for my first Camino, for the first months when I was attempting to write a book. But I feel like I’m past the beginning of things, and besides, ‘begin with a single step’ now feels a little vague.
Nadine Walks, now that pretty much tells you what you’re getting. You guys can hit me with your feedback on this name, but at this point there’s no going back. I’ll blog about some other things, but what remains at the heart of this space are the stories of my walks. And I hope to have many, many more years of walking adventures.
This isn’t a Camino blog, exactly, but one thing I’ve grown to love in these last few years has been the chance to help out others who are starting their own Camino’s. People have slowly but surely found my blog and picked up advice and information after sorting through the contents. At first I only wanted to write about my experiences but now there is part of me that- very much- wants to write about what I’ve learned. And then I want to share that information with others.
My vision is to create some pages on this blog that can direct people to this information in a clear and easy way, but there’s a lot of work left to do in that area. An even bigger vision is to write an e-book, some sort of Camino guide. This idea has been tumbling around for a year, and might tumble around a little longer until I can decide what, exactly, I want to do.
There’s a lot I want to do. I also want to keep writing my book, but why does it feel so difficult? I was on fire last winter- writing and writing and writing. I set a goal for myself and then I sat down in my chair every evening and I wrote. But now I’m finding it so difficult to get back to this book. I wonder what the point is, if I will ever want anyone to read it, if it will ever be ‘good enough’ (whatever that means).
There was too much existential-writing-crisis going on over here, so I decided to set the book-writing pressure to the side and work on this blog, instead. It’s been confusing and frustrating and hours can go by without much progress. But I’m building something new, and there’s something gratifying about that.
Now, there are a few details that I’m worried about. A couple things haven’t migrated well to this new site- a few images lost, some formatting issues. But the most worrisome is that I’m not convinced that I managed to shift all of my subscribers and followers over to the new site. So this post is something of a test. Are you reading this? Is this thing on? Do things look okay, are you able to access the new website? I suppose silence will mean that I’ve lost all of you- so if you can, please comment to let me know that you are still here. Is anything not working? Is something terribly wrong? Your feedback on this will be immeasurably helpful.
In the meantime, now that this new blog change is mostly set-up, I can get back to some of the things I’ve been avoiding (like: writing my book). And because we’re in the middle of February, it also means that soon I can start ramping up my walks and hikes. Aside from a short burst of snow earlier this week, the winter has not been a hard one. Nevertheless, I’ve mostly only been doing fast walks through my neighborhood, and I’m itching to buy a new pair of shoes and to start really breaking them in. Soon. Soon.
That’s the update but I promise, more to come soon.
I got the same kind of email notification that I got with your old blog! The only thing different is that I had to visit the site to see the whole post, but that’s not a problem. And I like the new name – it’s your brand!
Now you’ve got to do more work to read my posts! 😉
Hi Nadine.
The new blog looks great and the sweet simplicity of the title is perfect. Looking forward to following you on your next meander.
Michelle.
Thank you Michelle! So glad that it all looks okay and thank you for your kind words.
I have always enjoyed your writing and look forward to seeing more!
Now that I’ve worked on upgrading this blog, I have plans to (hopefully) write more consistently! Thank you for your comment and, as always, for reading. 🙂
Hi Nadine,
It came through perfectly — actually easier to read than the old one and the pictures are beautiful.
I’ll miss Begin With a Single Step. That seemed like an exhortation and motivated me. My physical therapist just recommended knee replacement, so I guess that the more passive enjoyment of Nadine Walks may be more appropriate.
Good luck with whatever format you choose and I look forward to reading your blog and, eventually your book.
Lorrayne
Thank you Lorrayne, and I’m glad to hear that it’s a bit easier to read than the old one!
And I have to say, I already miss Begin With a Single Step, as well. I repeat that small phrase to myself all the time, and on every single Camino… every single project or dream that feels a little too big. I’m sure I’ll keep saying it.
Good luck with the knee replacement decision- it doesn’t sound like a fun one (but maybe that will ensure steady and strong walking for years to come!)
Thanks again 🙂
Luv the photos and the posts!
I thought you would enjoy the photos!
Love the new look and can’t wait to read more. Cheers!
Thanks for your comment, Jeff, it’s good to still see you here!
Present and accounted for. Knowing what I know about the back end of things, I know what an impressive projected you’ve completed. The word “tinker-haul” came to mind. 🙂 More than tinkering, less than a haul. Although with all those photos, it probably *was* a big migration. Brava to you, Nadine.
Being included in your ramblings and musings is what drew me to your writing in the first place. I’m delighted it’s continuing and even in a possibly more-owned way. It is you.
If I can support your writing development, let me know. I’m pining for a sit-down and coffee with you, as I notice how our paths continue to reflect back similar challenges and growth. Perhaps you’d settle for a skype. In any case, well done, adventuress! So nice to be here in your new digs!
Yay Jen! So glad that things seems to be working out with this whole blog migration. Way more challenging than I expected it to be, but I think the worst is past. (I hope?) A coffee/chat would be so, so nice- maybe our paths will cross? Any plans to be on the East Coast? I’m so curious as to how your writing is going!
A nice new blog – what a treat! I had the same connection experience as Stasia, but it’s working well.
Glad it’s working- there’s not much ‘new’ to the blog aside from the design, though I have plans to add more!
I’m here Nadine! Same email notification, just a little different in looks as Stasia said! But all good, and will be here to see what this next chapter brings.
Oh good, I was worried about you, in particular (as some of my previous posts never made their way to you)… so I’m happy that things seem to be working!
I’m here too! Got the email notification and I’m loving the fresh, new look!
Hi Hilary, thanks for the comment! I think the look feels somewhat ‘fresh’ (in a good way, ha!) too!
Your new site works perfectly and your writing, as always, is a treat to read. The notification was just like your old one.
I’m one of those whom you helped immeasurably when I walked my first and only Camino in April/May 2015.
I’m so happy I was able to help you, Joe, and I feel honored that you’ve continued to read and follow my blog. I hope all is well!
Got the email. Read the blog. Seen the pictures, which are very good by the way. All appears OK, apart from one thing – you. You’re worrying too much, so chill out, relax and enjoy it. Best Wishes.
More relaxed now that everything appears to be working 🙂 There were many steps involved in this process and I’d heard too many scary stories about content being lost. And with years of writing under my belt, along with my core group of followers, I risked losing a lot if anything went wrong! But all is good.
Thanks for reading and I’m so glad you enjoyed the photos.
It works for me Nadine – I’ve often thought about migrating to self-hosting, but am not sure if it is worth the trouble. I believe there is quite a lot involved. But I must congratulate you on the new streamline look – very pleasing to the eye
There was definitely more involved to switching to self-hosting than I initially thought… just a lot of steps and some nail biting and hair pulling but I think I made it through the worst? I really like the look too, this was more what I imagined when I first started the blog. Thanks for the feedback and I can’t wait to hear more about your 2017 Camino plans- they sound amazing.
I like the new look! It looks the same in the WordPress reader, but when I open to read the new blog, it brought me here so…congrats on the new look!
Thank you, I’m glad that everything migrated in WordPress reader 🙂 I’ve been wanting to make changes to this blog for awhile… so now it’s time to start WRITING!
Lovely blog and beautiful photos. This looks very polished and my first reaction was that you were scanning a galley proof. Very nice! J
Thank you Uncle Jake, I really like the look a lot too! I’d imagined something like this when I was first dreaming up this blog… it took a few years for me to get to this next step, but it feels good to be moving with it! Now: more writing.
It is beautiful, Nadine and I am really looking forward to reading more of your posts. All seems good with the new site, but I would put Captcha into your contact page before the spammers start causing havoc! And keep going with your book. Its hard work and immensely rewarding. Your inspiration is your gift to the world and the world will really appreciate it. J
Thanks for this advice Jeremy, I did go over and added a ReCaptcha to the contact page (hopefully I did it correctly- I’ve been guessing my way through so much of this, but it all seems to be working well enough). Got to keep the spam away!
And thank you so much for your encouragement. The writing feels hard right now, but I know that this book is important to me. And I’m so touched by your words about inspiration, truly. Thank you.
Hi Nadine, I also received your e-mail, clicked on it and voilà!!! Beautiful new sights and photos. Keep on trekking, great job, hapoy to read you!
Thank you Danielle! I’m so glad that things seem to be working with this new blogging set-up, and I’m happy that you’re here and reading. And yes, believe me, the trekking continues!
I subscribe via RSS reader and I noted that the name of the site automatically updated, so, all is good on that end of things. I have to click through to the site to see the full post, whereas before I could read the entire post in my reader (Feedly), but, that’s the only difference besides the name. I suppose this way when you become famous and decide to monetize by putting all kinds of adds on your blog, this is the way to ensure they have to clickthrough to it. 😉
Good feedback Bobby, thanks. 🙂 I’m not sure how I feel about you guys needing to take an extra step to read the whole post (though I’m not exactly sure how to change it if I decide I want the entire post to appear in reader/email). But in any case, yes, I get better stats this way!!!
The email arrived safe and sound and got me to the new location. I’m looking forward to new musings. And you get a special prize for making a PA snowstorm – in February, no less – look magical!!
Kathy
Hi Kathy! Thank you! Glad that the email went through 🙂 I raced outside to get those photos just after the snow stopped falling (before everything fell from the trees)… it helps that working in a school means I got a snow day. Hope you’re doing well!
Still here! 🙂 “Begin with a single step” was inspirational but I think “Nadine Walks” is something you can “own” better. (Take it from someone with a blog named after some lyrics to a song, lol.) xx
Your lyrics are from one of my favorite songs of all time. I think that’s what first made your blog stand out to me! 🙂
Glad to hear you’re still blogging. I’m here. Not sure about my own blog at the moment…
Always look forward to reading your posts and following your journeys Nadine:) – David
I love the new look. I’m not sure I’m as brave as you switching to self hosting. I’ll stick to WP for a while yet. Always enjoying your posts.
Apologies for being late to the party, I only caught up with the updated blog today. I think the new name and self-hosted blog is a perfect natural progression for you. It looks great and I’m looking forward to seeing where you’ll be taking it. I like the idea of developing different categories and streams, so it will be easier to find relevant content.
Congrats on taking the next step in your blogging journey. I got the email but I need to have data on to access the new blog- no big deal. One difference is you cant “like” the posts. Did you want to remove this or am I blind?? I just like to click it once ive read a post so you get feedback that theres followers out there. All the best!
Oh, thank you so much for the heads up about the ‘liking’ issue! I was sort of wondering why I wasn’t get any likes on these last few posts 😜 I think I’ve figured out how to add it back in…
It looks lovely…