Expat Blogging: What's in it for Me?
Maria Foley
Unless you have been living under a rock for the past decade, you are probably aware that blogs are everywhere. A recent report by Technorati pegged their numbers at a mind-boggling 133 million. To put it in perspective, this number is greater than the populations of the UK, Canada and Australia combined.
It should come as no surprise to anyone who has ever lost an entire afternoon on the Expat Women Blog Directory that a hefty percentage of blogs are published by expatriates. Although they vary in quality, tone and purpose, they all have one thing in common: they document the ups and downs of the expat experience. In doing so, they not only enlighten and entertain their readership; they also provide tangible benefits for the bloggers themselves.
The Evolution of the Blog
Because applications such as WordPress and Blogger make it easy for just about anyone to own a slick and professional-looking blog, we may be excused for forgetting that the mighty blog has decidedly humble beginnings. Tech-savvy individuals began posting their musings in diary format back when the Web was still in its infancy. As the popularity of these online journals grew (along with the technology to support them), they morphed into personal home pages and eventually into weblogs.
One of the most prolific pioneers of the new medium, Justin Hall, started blogging in 1994. The man dubbed "the founding father of personal bloggers" by the New York Times was also part of the early wave of expat bloggers. In 2001, he moved to Japan and began chronicling the daily minutiae of his life as an expatriate, writing about his efforts to speak Japanese, coax yen from recalcitrant ATMs and find his place in an alien culture. Expats around the world sat up and took notice.
Why Do Expats Blog?
"There are many reasons why blogging can be incredibly useful for expats," offers Megan Fitzgerald, Expat Career and Personal Branding Coach and CEO of Career by Choice. Blogging allows you to:
Express yourself. Technorati found that self-expression is a key motivator for blog hobbyists. No surprise there; it is a fundamental human need, after all, and one with which most expats are intimately acquainted. Perhaps this is because expatriation opens the door to a host of emotions such as joy, frustration and loneliness. The very act of writing down a feeling or emotion validates it, engaging the writer in a cathartic experience that can be extremely satisfying.
"I began blogging about my trials and tribulations of adjusting to Swiss life as a trailing wife out of sheer boredom," confesses Riki Campbell, who publishes a blog called Trailing Wife. "When the only thing on my To Do list for entire the day was water the cilantro seeds, I needed to find something to fill up the other 9 hours and 10 minutes until Mr. Big came home from his exotic new job and spoke to me in English."
Writing can also organize thoughts and facilitate sense-making, helping the expatriate untangle the bewildering array of unfamiliar cultural cues that relentlessly bombard her senses. "Expats are constantly being exposed to new ways of thinking, doing and being in their new country," explains Megan. "This can be unsettling, confusing and even overwhelming at times. Writing a blog helps the expat process those experiences."
Share experiences with family and friends. There is no question that blogging has revolutionized the way we communicate. Expats were quick to jump on the blogging bandwagon because it is a convenient way to keep in touch with friends and family back home and around the world. The bonus is that it is interactive in nature; allowing readers to post comments encourages an ongoing dialogue between blogger and reader, enhancing this sense of connection. Says Riki, "Blogging lets me pretend that I have friends right there in the room with me, and we are all sitting around chatting and having coffee"
Share experiences with other expats. There exists a treasure trove of information within the expatriate community, and most expats are eager to help their fellow sojourners – whether it is with practical solutions to a problem, or just the comfort of knowing that someone, somewhere, understands what they are going through.
Expat blogs are also a boon to those considering taking the leap into expatriate life. By giving prospective expats a candid view of their own lives – the good, the bad, and the ugly – bloggers such as Jo Parfitt help them determine whether or not living abroad would work for them. "I have always written about my own experiences, openly, honestly (sometimes too honestly) because I believe that is the best way to inspire people," says the long-time expat and author. "By exposing my own failings and foibles I can create stronger connections with my readers."
Get more involved in your community. Expat bloggers comprise a niche community that can be further segmented by area of interest: expats in Dubai, for example; or ESL teachers. The benefits of these informal group memberships are enormous. Megan points out that "through posting and receiving comments on blogs, expats can create new relationships, and expand their social and support network so crucial to successfully navigating the ups and downs of living and working overseas."
For the expat blogger, opportunities for personal and professional connections abound. 63 percent of respondents to Technorati's survey reported an increased involvement with their niche community as a result of blogging; 42 percent have formed friendships with people they have met because of their blogs. Judy Rickatson, whose blog Expatriate Life explores issues faced by expatriates and repatriates, is one of them. "I really enjoy reading other people's blogs, and within my niche I have found a very warm and supportive community," she says.
Recap
Part vanity project, part therapy, part social networking: there are probably as many reasons for blogging as there are expats. Whatever the motivation, it is clear the rewards are great – for the reader as well as the writer.
As an avid consumer of expat blogs, I have a feeling I will be spending many more afternoons lost in stories of faraway lands. And that is just fine with me.
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Maria Foley is kicking herself for only recently realizing that blogging is not, in fact, a style of folk dance featuring hard-soled shoes. After spending seven years in Australia, Singapore and France, she is back home in Canada, where she lives with her husband, two Third Culture Kid (TCK) daughters, and a yellow Lab named Jeff. She started a blog, I Was an Expat Wife, because it was cheaper than hiring a therapist.
Want more? Check back next month for Annabel Candy’s follow-on article, based on her great new e-book Successful Blogging in 12 Simple Steps... |
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| October 2010 |
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