One year ago, I clicked "Publish" on Unsettled JD.

I wish I could tell you I had a detailed business plan, a social media strategy, or some grand vision of becoming the next big travel blogger.

I didn't.

What I did have was sixteen years of travel memories, thousands of photos, and a desire to help other travellers explore the world with honest, practical advice.

Looking back over the past year, I've learned far more than I ever expected – not just about websites, SEO, and blogging, but about patience, persistence, and believing in something before anyone else does.

So, on Unsettled JD's first birthday, I wanted to look back and ask myself one simple question.

Was starting Unsettled JD worth it?

A laptop displaying the Unsettled JD travel website on an outdoor patio table beside a canned drink, showing the behind-the-scenes process of writing and publishing travel articles. — *One year ago, Unsettled JD was just an idea, a laptop, and a lot of determination. Looking back, I'm so glad I clicked "Publish."*

Why I Started Unsettled JD

When I launched Unsettled JD a year ago, it wasn't because I wanted to become a travel influencer or make a living writing blogs.

Honestly, I just wanted to help people.

For years, friends, family, coworkers, and even complete strangers had been asking me the same questions.

"Where should I stay?"

"Is it safe?"

"How do you travel by yourself?"

"What would you do differently?"

After answering those questions countless times, I started wondering if there was a better way. Instead of repeating the same advice over and over, why not put everything in one place? Somewhere people could find honest information whenever they needed it.

I especially wanted to help other solo female travellers. Travelling alone can feel intimidating when you've never done it before, and I know that feeling because I was once the person booking my very first solo trip. If sharing my experiences—both the good and the bad—could help someone else feel confident enough to take that first step, then every travel mistake I'd ever made suddenly had a purpose.

There was another reason, too.

A few years ago, I spent almost $3,000 earning a travel certificate. I hoped it would open the door to a career in the travel industry, but despite my experience and qualifications, I never found that opportunity. For a while, it felt like that investment had been for nothing.

Then one day I realized something.

Maybe I didn't need someone else to give me a place in the travel industry.

Maybe I could create one for myself.

That's how Unsettled JD was born.

It wasn't built to show perfect holidays or luxury resorts. It wasn't created to convince people that travel is always easy or glamorous.

It was built to share real experiences, honest advice, and the lessons I've learned after years of travelling the world—because if I can help even one person avoid a mistake I made, save a little money, or finally book that trip they've been dreaming about, then every story I've written has been worth sharing.

One year later, that's still the reason I keep coming back to the keyboard.

*Every great adventure — and every new dream — starts with a simple question: "What if?" Looking back, I'm glad I decided to find out.*

I Thought the Hard Part Was the Travelling Stories

When I first started Unsettled JD, I honestly thought writing would be the easy part.

After all, I'd travelled to 55 countries. I'd lived in seven of them. I had thousands of photos, countless adventures, and enough memories to fill several books.

I remember thinking, "I've got stories for years."

Technically, I was right.

Actually writing them? That's a completely different story.

Some days I sit down at my computer, open a blank document, and the words seem to pour out. I can relive a border crossing, a hiking trail, or a funny hostel experience as if it happened yesterday.

Other days... nothing.

I'll stare at a photo for ten minutes thinking, "Why did I even take this?" Then suddenly, twenty minutes later, the memory comes flooding back, and I remember exactly what happened. It's amazing how a single picture can unlock an entire day that you thought you'd forgotten.

Of course, that only works if I can actually find the photo.

Somewhere in my house are USB sticks filled with travel pictures that I know I'll need one day. I've searched drawers, boxes, backpacks... I'm convinced they've disappeared into some secret dimension that only missing socks and TV remotes know about.

Thankfully, younger me uploaded far more photos to Facebook than I ever imagined I would need. What started as a way to share my travels with friends has accidentally become my backup archive. More than once I've found myself scrolling through Facebook from ten years ago because I couldn't find the original photos anywhere else.

I definitely didn't expect that to become part of my writing process.

Writing while I'm not travelling has also been harder than I expected.

When you're on the road, every day brings a new place, a new experience, or another story waiting to happen. Sitting at home is different. Instead of creating new memories, I'm trying to bring old ones back to life. Sometimes that means remembering tiny details that happened years ago—the conversation on a bus, the meal I almost forgot about, or the feeling of standing on a beach watching the sunset.

It's rewarding, but it also takes far more time than I ever imagined.

Looking back, I thought my biggest challenge would be travelling to new places.

Instead, it's been learning how to turn years of memories into stories that hopefully make someone laugh, teach them something new, or give them the confidence to book their own adventure.

And somehow, after all this time, I still have hundreds more stories waiting to be told.

A curious dog standing in front of a laptop on an outdoor patio, blocking the camera while someone works on writing a travel article in the background. — *Writing a travel blog sounds easy... until your four-legged editor decides it's cuddle time. Thanks for the "help," Roxy!*

The Work Nobody Sees

Before I started Unsettled JD, I thought running a travel website meant writing stories about my adventures.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

Writing the article is actually one of the last things that happens.

Before I even hit publish, there are photos to sort through, edit, and resize. Then comes writing captions, creating alt text, checking grammar, formatting everything so it actually looks good, adding internal links to other articles, and making sure readers can easily find more helpful information.

Then there's everything that happens after I press publish.

Pinterest graphics need to be made. Social media posts need to be written. The newsletter needs updating. Google has to find the article. Sometimes old posts need refreshing, links need fixing, or SEO needs tweaking because I'm still learning how all of that works.

A year ago, I didn't even know what SEO stood for.

Now I catch myself thinking about keywords, search intent, headings, image optimization, and internal linking almost every time I write a new article. It's funny how quickly you can learn a completely new skill when you're forced to.

I'm definitely still learning.

If you've ever visited my social media, you've probably noticed it isn't exactly my strongest area. I know I should be posting more consistently, and there are months where life simply gets in the way. It's something I'm still trying to improve, and honestly, I don't think I'll ever be one of those people who instinctively knows what to post every day.

But that's okay.

Unsettled JD has never been about chasing viral videos or becoming an influencer.

It's about creating something that lasts.

A social media post might disappear after a day or two, but a travel guide can help someone months or even years after I wrote it. That's what keeps me motivated to sit down and write another article, even when it feels like nobody is reading.

Building this website has taught me that travel blogging isn't really about travelling.

It's about patience.

It's about showing up, continuing to learn, and trusting that every article you publish is another small step forward—even if you can't see the results yet.

And maybe that's the biggest lesson of all.

The journey doesn't stop when you come home.

Sometimes, it just changes direction.

Behind-the-scenes view of a travel blog being designed in Canva, showing a page layout with travel photos and website graphics during the editing process. — *Readers see the finished blog. They don't always see the hours spent editing photos, designing banners, creating graphics, and putting every piece together behind the scenes.*

Celebrating the Little Wins

If there's one thing this first year has taught me, it's that success doesn't always look the way you expect it to.

When I first launched Unsettled JD, I secretly hoped thousands of people would magically discover it overnight.

Spoiler alert...

That's not how the internet works.

Instead, this year has been about celebrating the little victories.

I'll never forget the first time I clicked "Publish" and my words officially became part of the internet. It was exciting, terrifying, and incredibly satisfying all at the same time. After months of planning, I finally had something that people could actually read.

Then came another first.

The first time someone who wasn't family or a close friend read one of my articles.

That felt different.

Someone had found something I created and decided it was worth spending a few minutes reading. It might seem like a small moment, but to me, it meant everything.

Then there was my very first newsletter subscriber.

I remember thinking, "Wait... someone actually wants me in their inbox?"

It's funny how a single email notification can make your entire day.

Over the past year, I've also become a little obsessed with checking my website analytics. Not in an unhealthy way... okay, maybe just a little.

At first, there were days when nobody visited my website at all.

Then one day there was a visitor.

Then another.

Eventually, I realized something had changed.

People were visiting every single day.

Some months were bigger than others. One month even reached around 1,000 visitors, while others have settled closer to 300. A year ago, I probably would have been disappointed seeing those numbers go down.

Now I look at them differently.

Every day, someone, somewhere in the world, is reading something I've written.

That still feels a little surreal.

Maybe they're planning their first solo trip.

Maybe they're deciding whether a destination is worth visiting.

Or maybe they're simply curious about a place I've been.

I'll probably never know.

But knowing that people are finding Unsettled JD through Google instead of me sending them the link feels like proof that everything I've been learning is slowly paying off.

The numbers might still be small compared to the giant travel websites out there.

But every big website started with zero.

And this year, I've learned that progress isn't always measured by huge milestones.

Sometimes it's measured by one new reader.

One newsletter subscriber.

One comment.

One day at a time.

This graph might not look impressive to everyone, but to me, every dot represents someone who found Unsettled JD. That's worth celebrating. — *Every visitor started as zero. Watching those numbers slowly grow has reminded me that progress doesn't happen overnight—it happens one reader at a time.*

The Doubts

I'd be lying if I said there haven't been moments where I've wondered whether any of this is making a difference.

When you spend hours researching, writing, editing photos, creating Pinterest graphics, checking links, and finally pressing publish, it's hard not to ask yourself one simple question:

"Is anyone actually reading this?"

Some days, it feels like I'm writing into the void.

I know there are bigger travel websites with teams of writers, professional photographers, and years of experience behind them. Then there's me, sitting at my computer, trying to remember what happened on a bus ride ten years ago while searching through old Facebook albums because I still can't find the right USB stick.

It's easy to compare yourself.

It's much harder not to.

I've also learned that websites don't grow overnight.

There isn't a magic button that suddenly sends thousands of readers your way. Growth is slow, sometimes frustratingly slow, and there are weeks when it feels like you've put in an incredible amount of work with very little to show for it.

There have been weeks where I didn't publish anything at all.

Life got busy.

Motivation disappeared.

I'd fall behind and then have to give myself a little pep talk to get back into writing again.

The funny thing is, I never seriously thought about giving up.

Sure, I've questioned whether I'm doing things the right way. I've wondered if I should be posting more on social media, making more videos, or spending less time trying to make every article perfect.

But quitting?

Not really.

Maybe that's because my domain automatically renewed for another year.

Or maybe it's because, deep down, I still believe in what I'm building.

I still don't know how many people finish reading my articles.

I still don't know if someone books a trip because of something I wrote.

I still don't know if I've helped someone avoid making the same travel mistakes I've made over the years.

But I hope I have.

Because that's always been the goal.

Not to have the biggest travel website.

Not to become internet famous.

Just to help someone feel a little more confident about exploring this incredible world.

Maybe one day someone will stumble across one of my articles while planning their very first solo adventure.

Maybe they'll avoid a mistake because I already made it.

Maybe they'll realize that travel doesn't have to be perfect to be unforgettable.

If that happens—even just once—then every doubt I've had along the way has been worth it.

Screenshot of the Unsettled JD homepage featuring a sea turtle hatchling on a beach at sunset beneath the heading "Stories, tips, and tools for solo female travelers." — *Behind every article, guide, and photo is one question every creator asks themselves: "Is this actually helping anyone?"*

Was It Worth It?

So...

Was starting Unsettled JD worth it?

A year ago, I probably would have measured success by numbers.

How many visitors I had.

How many newsletter subscribers signed up.

How many followers I could gain on social media.

Now, I see things a little differently.

Of course, I still get excited when I see someone reading one of my articles. I still smile when a new person subscribes to my newsletter, and I'll admit I still check my website analytics more often than I probably should.

But those numbers aren't the reason I started.

I started because I wanted to help people.

I wanted to create the kind of travel website I wish I'd had when I was planning some of my own adventures. One that didn't pretend every trip was perfect, but instead talked about the mistakes, the unexpected moments, the budget tips, and the reality of travelling solo.

If someone reads one of my guides and avoids a mistake I made...

If someone finally books that solo trip because they realized they're capable of doing it...

If someone visits a destination with a little more confidence because of something I wrote...

Then every late night, every frustrating writing session, every missing USB stick, and every moment of self-doubt has been worth it.

If I could go back and talk to myself on September 1st, 2025, I'd keep it simple.

Enjoy it.

Don't stress so much.

Keep learning.

Keep having fun.

Don't worry so much about the numbers.

And don't spend too much time missing the life you had while travelling.

You'll get back out there.

There are still countries to explore, buses to catch, sunsets to watch, travel mistakes to make, and stories waiting to be told.

One year later, I still don't have all the answers.

I'm still learning about websites.

I'm still trying to figure out social media.

I'm still wondering if my articles are reaching the people who need them most.

But maybe that's okay.

After all, the website is called Unsettled JD.

I'm still a little unsettled.

Still curious.

Still learning.

Still dreaming about the next adventure.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Here's to year two.

After all, there are still plenty of stories left to tell.

A traveller walking along the stone pathways of Machu Picchu, Peru, overlooking the ancient Inca ruins and surrounding Andes Mountains on a sunny day. — *One year down, countless adventures still ahead. The journey doesn't stop when you come home—it just changes direction.*

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