Celebrating 14 Years of Blogging: A Look Back and a Look Ahead
I hit “publish” on my very first blog post back in late 2011 over on the old lynnenieman.com site.
Wander Your Way wasn’t even a twinkle in my eye yet.
I was just a gal with a camera, a passport, and a slightly chaotic relationship with consistency.
Now, celebrating 14 years of blogging, it feels pretty surreal to look back on where it all began and how far this project has come.
By late 2013, Wander Your Way officially launched, and I tried to blog regularly…
But let’s be honest, it took a bit before I found my rhythm.
It wasn’t until 2014–2015 that I really committed and began posting weekly (or, let’s say, mostly weekly).
Then came January 2021 — the birth of the Wander Your Way Travel Podcast.
I shifted the blog to every other week as I alternated with podcast episodes.
And that balance worked beautifully for a while.
But as the podcast has grown — and as I’ve really fallen in love with the storytelling, sharing and connection that audio brings — this feels like the right moment to pause and celebrate these 14 years of blogging.
And to take a break from writing new posts … at least for now.
What 14 years of blogging has meant to me
What I really want to share in this final… for now blog post is how much joy it has brought me to write these pieces for you.
To share information, tips, stories, and the heart of Europe travel.
Many of you have emailed me, commented on posts, or reached out through my contact page.
You’ve told me how something I wrote helped you plan your trip… or brightened your day… or stirred up memories from your own adventures.
Those messages have meant more than you know.
In these 14 years of blogging, I feel as though some of you have become friends.
The road ahead
And if you haven’t yet listened to the Wander Your Way Travel Podcast, I hope you’ll join me there — because I LOVE talking about Europe travel.
I also hope you’ll continue to share Wander Your Way with friends and family who dream of Europe just as much as you do.
And maybe one day, you’ll choose Wander Your Way travel planning services to help map out your next adventure.
Or perhaps you’ll join me on a Wander Your Way Adventures small-group tour.
I have a feeling this arm of the business is going to grow, especially after the absolute joy of the inaugural Adventure to the Dolomites of Italy in September 2025.
And now… before I end this post …
I want to leave you with one of my favorite travel moments — a story about kindness.
Because in a world where headlines can make us think otherwise, my travels have shown me that 99% of people are genuinely good.
Here’s the story:
I was traveling in Turkey with my friend, Deb, in 2011 — so pre using smart phones for everything.
Our GPS had quit on us and we didn’t have a good detailed paper map.
We were driving from one town onto the next which was a fairly long drive.
When we arrived in the town, we only had the street address for the hotel.
But without a map, we couldn’t even find the street.
We drove around a bit, but couldn’t find it.
I stopped the car at a corner where some locals were hanging out.
Deb jumped out of the car to find out where our hotel was, figuring if we at least had a general direction, we would find it.
Well, since we only knew about 3 words in Turkish and most Turks don’t speak that much English, we knew it was a long shot.
Deb approached the small group of people as I looked on.
The next thing I knew some man (maybe in his mid-50’s) was opening up the back door of the car, pushing our belongings on the seat over and sitting in the back seat.
Deb, in the meantime, had taken her position in the passenger seat and looked at me as I looked at her.
I knew we were both thinking, “are we getting car-jacked”?
But the kind man in the back seat directed us (giving back seat driving a whole new meaning for me) using hand gestures and we arrived at our hotel — safely.
Deb and I offered him a ride back to the point where we had picked him up.
He refused.
We offered him money.
He said no.
He did this out of the kindness of his heart — helping complete strangers find their way to their hotel.
This is what I have seen time after time as I have traveled.
True human kindness.
True human goodness.
So let this be a good reminder …
As you gather with loved ones during the holiday season and as you look to 2026.
People are good and kind.
Travel teaches us that.
And if there is one thing I hope you’ve taken from my posts over these 14 years of blogging, it’s this message:
Travel with curiosity and an open heart and open mind.
Follow your travel intuition.
Be kind.
Trust.
And just do it.
Travel is the only gift you buy that makes you richer. (as the quote says)
It’s the best gift you can give a loved one or yourself.
So I hope you travel often in 2026.
I know I will be!
With love,
Lynne
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