Writing a blog can help with isolation abroad

By Chantal Panozzo

Many expats start a blog as a way to connect with family and friends back home. It’s also a great way to write about the isolation you may be feeling, the crazy experiences you have, and the wonderful travel opportunities expat life provides.

But, if you’re like me, all of this will soon turn into something even more. An expat blog is a great way to meet people, make friends, and it might even get you a job. In other words—you never know where your lowly blog may take you. For expat blogger Catherine Sanderson, it was a six-figure book deal.

I started One Big Yodel back in August of 2006 with one reader: my mom. Since then, my blog has led to radio interviews, a job writing for swissinfo.org, and more. Because of my blog, I have become a bigger part of Switzerland and met more people than I ever thought possible. But most importantly, I love to write, communicate with my readers, and start discussions.

So why should you start a blog? Let me count the ways:

-To keep a journal of your time abroad

Jessica, of Swisstory, used to make books from her blog using Blurb. Her blog served as an important journal and scrapbook for her time in Switzerland.

-To help other expats

When you learn something or find resources that help you, it’s great to be able to share them and help other expats. Readers will thank you for it.

-To meet people

While people are thanking you for your great blog, you might just make some friends in the process. I’ve lost count of how many readers I’ve met for a coffee and it’s great to put faces with screen names.

But enough about what I think. Why do you blog?

Chantal Panozzo is a writer in Switzerland who has written for a variety of publications on two continents. She’s the author of One Big Yodel, a blog about life in Switzerland and moving abroad, and also discusses living abroad as a freelancer at Writer Abroad.

Tags: Expat blog, expat life, friends, isolation, Switzerland, writing

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Nice post, Chantal! I started my blog the same summer as you did and like yours, mine has pretty much taken on a life of its own. The only difference is-my mom doesn’t read it. he he

March 16, 2010    Rate Comment

[...] last week, Affordable Calling Card blogger Chantal of One Big Yodel wrote about the reasons expats start a blog and yes, one of those reasons was to meet [...]

March 21, 2010    Rate Comment

[...] a blog. I’ve written about the benefits of blogging before, but writing a blog can make you feel like you’re part of a larger community and can also [...]

April 12, 2010    Rate Comment

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