I’ve done it. I’m self-hosting my blog! This feels like a big step, because Skipping Customs (first called Pasta Republic) is something I started over three years ago and over the three years it’s become a place where I’ve been able to openly (or sometimes not openly) document my time abroad and share what it’s really like to one day hop on a sixteen-hour flight and start a new life .
In some ways, having this space as a blog on WordPress felt safe, because it was a platform and a community like LiveJournal or Tumblr (yes, I once had both a LiveJournal and a Tumblr) and one of those things that everyone does in their “I’ve moved abroad and now I must write a Blog” moment. I’ve tried so hard to keep Skipping Customs going, because as the initial shock of moving to another country dissipates, it’s gotten harder and harder to find things to write about. I don’t want this to become an impersonal blog about the best Shanghainese restaurants on the Bund and the most affordable four-star hotels in the French Cocession, nor do I want it to become a collection of stories that says ‘look, isn’t China weird?’. I just want to keep writing.
And here I am. I’ve configured my own server, set up my own WordPress plugins, I’m wearing my big-girl pants and striking out on my own.
And as always, I have no idea what I am getting myself into.
I mean, I do – my day job is as a php developer (I haven’t talked much about my actual job here, but if that is something that people want to hear, I will include an entry in the coming weeks!). Ot feels like I’m leaving a familiar ecosystem for something terrifying and unknown. I don’t know whether my followers transferred or whether my posts are going back to the WordPress homepage. I’ve configured everything I could during the transfer, but I can’t help but feel that I’m posting into a void again. It’s kind of liberating, but also feels like I am starting this whole thing anew after almost three years of running this blog.
And so here’s to new beginnings! I am very excited about this new look and feel and if you read this blog, I hope you are too.
I tried to comment on the last one, but was too late and they required all sorts of personal information and my blood type. But whatever you’ve done I can comment again. I’ve lost blogs through people making them “more professional” but you’re obviously up to the task.
You don’t appear in the reader though. Don’t know if you expect to, but there you go. I’m glad you’ve survived the transition.
hmmmm… i tried to talk to WordPress support about showing up in the reader, but all attempts are proving future.
I largely switched over because I felt a little shameful over paying 100usd a year for a wordpress.com site when I am supposed to be capable of handling these things myself. I suppose it’s more of a hassle, but I really do like this theme better!