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Saturday, February 22, 2014

Hawaii: When Travel Writer Meets Travel Reader

The note, sent in response to the post I’d written about Ko Olina, O’ahu, was short:

“We are also at KO.
I would like to meet you.
(signed) Louise”

honu2014 003One thing I’ve learned about blogging is that we don’t really know who – if anyone -- reads the posts we’ve written - unless they make a comment or send an email.

At times it is kind of like feeling as if you might be talking to yourself.

Some bloggers live by ‘stats’ but even those numbers don’t tell us if what we write is really being read.

We also know the numbers of ‘subscribers’ - those who sign up to receive the posts as emails  – and if we dig deep enough,we also know their email addresses. (Rest assured, I seldom do that.)

In the case of TravelnWrite subscribers, the majority are people we don’t know. People like Louise. So to say I was thrilled that 1) someone was reading the blog and 2) wanted to meet me, sent me ‘over the moon’.

KO2014 010In this case – the weird part is --Louise and I had already been together earlier in the week at a Ko Olina owners’ “Meet and Greet” that she had organized.

In fact, I’d  taken photos and written about the event on the owners’ Facebook page.

But ‘that Louise’ and I didn’t have an opportunity to chat . . . so I was guessing, when I wrote her back asking if she might be the same person. She was one and the same!

KOowners14 004A few hours after exchanging emails, we met at poolside; chatting as if we had known each other for a long time.  We talked travel, and Hawaii and timeshares. . .and about the blog, of course.

She isn’t quite sure who recommended it to her, but she’s been a TravelnWrite reader since last September and had ‘come along ’via the blog on our South Pacific adventure.

Louise (pictured left) and her husband left Ko Olina for their California home a couple weeks before us, as they have another trip coming up.  But Louise and I have stayed in touch and will continue to do so until our paths again cross ‘same time next year’ at Ko Olina.  


KOBFuji2014 025Mahalo Louise, for sending that note!  And a big  mahalo to who ever recommended our blog to her!

We love meeting members of the TravelnWrite community, so let us know if we turn up somewhere near you.  Just drop us a note: travelnwrite@msn.com

If you've not subscribed and want to do so, just fill in your email address in the box to the right of this post, then reply when Feedburner sends a confirmation email to your email address. It is free and as simple as that!

And recommend us to a friend of yours. . .just look at what might happen if you do!  Thanks for the time you spent here today – we’ll be back soon with more Tales from Somewhere in the Pacific.

(In case you are wondering, I have Louise’s permission to use her photo and tell you the tale of how we met.)

14 comments:

  1. How nice that one your blog followers reached out. So far, I've only met up with other travel bloggers on or travels. But, that's fun too.

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    1. I do think the best part of blogging is the people that we've met as result of the blogosphere - bloggers and readers. We all seem to share the same interests, read the same books and enjoy life in much the same manner.

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  2. Amazing story, Jackie! It is SUCH a small world, in the end, is it not? But, YOU had a hunch and you were spot on! Kudos to you for being so connected to your world, wherever you may be in it!!

    Poppy

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    1. An incredibly small world, Poppy, made even moreso thanks to the blogosphere!

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  3. How fun on meeting Louise, Jackie! That is one of our biggest dreams is for Phoenix and I to meet all of our blogger friends and take pictures with them :)

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    1. It was great fun meeting someone that reads the blog. . .always great fun to meet whether fellow blogger or reader. . .and we do hope to meet you and Phoenix one day!

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  4. That's great! Since my blog also covers expat life, I end up accidentally meeting readers when they move here. I'm on the Parent Teacher Organization at school and met 3 readers last month at their New Parent Welcome Breakfast. Another reader contacted me when she was traveling through Penang, and I ended up taking her on a private tour through Little India based on one of my blog posts. It's kind of strange that they know so much about me but I know nothing about them. It's always fun to meet a reader, though. I hope we get to meet sometime.

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    1. What a great resource your blog is for newcomers (I hadn't thought about that before because I just simply enjoy reading it!) Look forward to meeting you one of these days -- face-to-face that is!

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  5. Hello Jackie:

    We have, very happily, come across your most fascinating blog through Helen Tilston who, although we have yet to meet, is a very dear friend. And this is what is so extraordinary about the Blogosphere that it is possible in so many instances to have and feel a real connection with people who might otherwise be considered as strangers. And that is what is important and not a concern for statistics or 'hits', as you so rightly remark.

    Over the time in which we have written our blog we have been so fortunate to meet with, have to stay and stay with a number of our Blogger friends. And what a delight it has proved to be as, very clearly, is your friendship with Louise.

    We have signed as Followers to stay in touch. Should you wish to know more about us, then we are simply a click away. Have a lovely week.

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    1. Jane and Lance, Thanks for following us and as you know, we've begun following you as well. So look forward to getting to know you better!

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  6. Oh how lovely! :-) I too have been able to meet a few readers in real life and it has always been a meeting of kindred spirits. :-) I would LOVE to meet you someday somewhere. :-)

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    1. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that you and I are going to meet somewhere one day and we will talk long into the night because we have so much to tell each other! And I am so looking forward to it!!!

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  7. I just started reading your blog and I really enjoy it! I totally agree, unless people comment you really have no idea who is reading your blog. And yes, sometimes I do feel like I'm talking to myself. I do see it as a great way to remember all of the places that I have visited, and hope that someone else can gain some info/enjoyment out of it, too! Love your blog though and it is so awesome you got to meet one of your readers!

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  8. Welcome Lauren! So nice to have you with us as we set out on new adventures. I just visited your blog and it appears you've had a wonderful adventure as well. I love the ambiguity of your future travels box. . .it is fun to have the compass swinging without any set destination yet, isn't it? Hope to see your comments often!

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We have been having problems in recent weeks with our comment section and I am not quite sure how to fix it. Thanks for letting us know. Some comments have been coming in as emails, so I will respond to those as I get them.