When I began cycling in Latin America, this blog didn’t exist. I had another one, very basic and random, aimed mainly at my family and friends. However, the more I cycled, the more I wanted to start blogging for whoever was interested in joining me for the ride. So, in the end of August 2016, I created Strangerless. And now, only two months later, I’m daily thinking about quitting it. Here’s why.

Challenges of blogging

1. Writing takes time.
   Blogging is a job. Every day, you have to persistently sit down and write. And sometimes, it’s just hard or impossible to do so when on the move.
2. Posting photos take time.
   If you want to add photos to your posts (which I do), you have to a) take them, b) upload them. That takes time, eats up data and requires good internet connections. I have them now, but what about later? I’m planning to visit many remote places where there are no phone connections (as I already have. In Southern Patagonia, the messages from locals to locals were sent through the radio, because phones don’t work there) and even when there are, I don’t want to spend my time solely in houses with wifi, because this means spending time only with the local upper class…
3. The time spent blogging is time away from locals.
   When I write, I can’t be very social. So, how to balance staying with people and writing? Or should I just sleep in a hostel every now and then and write? But that would mean spending money on accommodation, which would further mean making my trip shorter…
4. The time spent blogging is time away from cycling.
   When I write, I can’t cycle. I sit and write. So, in order to share the journey, I have to stay still. This means, if I want to cycle until Mexico and blog at the same time, the trip will probably last double the time it would if I didn’t blog. So one year will most probably turn into two…
5. Blogging should be constant.
   People say if you blog, you should do it at least twice a week. However, when cycling, you’re sometimes caught in the rain for two days in a row, without phone connections for four days, without wifi for a week. At the moment I still have the possibility to post things, but what happens when I reach the mountains of Bolivia? Will I have phone connections then? Will anyone follow my blog if I don’t twice a week or even every week?
6. Why blog if there are no followers?
   If my blogging is not constant and therefore no one reads even this post, why blog altogether? Is there anyone out there who happy to hear from my adventures even occasionally, or do I just have to accept the fact that we live in a fast world where algorithms and constant internet presence decide my destiny? I don’t want to spend all my non-cycling time on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media, so does that mean this blog is worthless?
7. Don’t want to blog for the sake of blogging.
   I’m not a blogger who writes a post just to post something. When I write, I want it to be something I’m inspired about. I want to share things that are meaningful to me, things I want you to read. What’s the sense of followers if I have nothing interesting to say?
8. No one pays me for this.
   I get paid for writing articles and for blogging elsewhere, but I don’t get paid for this blog. So, when I blog here, I’m basically spending money. I need to stay in one place for at least two days which means buying food and all other daily necessities.
9. Internet can crash.
   What if my server goes down? What if someone hacks my account and deletes all I’ve ever done here? What if I spend half of my free time writing things that can be gone in a blink of an eye?
10. I’m becoming addicted to internet.
    On a cycling trip, this is a rather funny contradiction. I’m not here to tear myself away from any kind of society. The more I experience, the more I want to share. With locals just as with all of you reading this.

And ONE reason to continue:

I LOVE IT! That’s the dilemma.

I want to share what I see and feel in realtime, not only in a book two years later (which might still happen, because there’s a lot more happening than what I write about). And I also enjoy blogging far more than writing private messages to everyone, because this way, I can concentrate my time in writing in-depth posts rather then 50 “I’m fine” messages.

So, now what I have to figure out is how to continue blogging when cycling. Should I cycle only for 70kms a day and write for the rest of the day? Should I just let it be when there is no internet and not stress about it? How about cycling for two weeks and writing for two weeks? But where would I stay then? How to blog from my tent? I really have no answers for these questions. If you have any ideas or comments, please go ahead!

And my apologies already in advance: from this day on, my blogging won’t be constant. I can’t promise you to post twice a week, simply because I don’t want to make such promises. However, when I do post, it will be pure and honest. It will done with all of my heart. It will be done so you can virtually be with me on this journey and so I can have written memories of my days in this world. It will be done so people can see that there are wonderful people around the world. But most importantly: it will be done. So, please don’t forget me!

Greetings from Formosa! You'll be hearing from me, but now gotta work on this lovely sunburn...