Hi, Dale Community! Today is a special day for Dale, Let's Travel! LLC as it is its one-year blog anniversary! It is mind-boggling to think that we are at the one-year mark since I published my first post. To say everything has been peachy and great throughout the year would be a lie; however, this past year has been an experience like no other, and I am incredibly grateful to my supporters!
How did the idea of Dale, Let's Travel! (DLT) begin?
For starters, traveling has always been important to me. My parents would take us on a yearly family trip to anywhere outside of Florida, and almost every weekend, we would venture out of our hometown to go somewhere to explore! I remember having so much fun on these adventures with my family and taking lots of pictures (it is almost like I was practicing for today). Moreover, once my husband and I got married, we began to travel more frequently, even having two honeymoons, one in Las Vegas and one on a cruise!
Moreover, before becoming a travel blogger, I was an auditor and an analyst. Both jobs showed me that with my personality type, I am not a person who can work for someone else or have a strict amount of PTO. I enjoy being in charge of my work, hours, vacation time, and everything else truly. With all that in mind, I tinkered with the idea of starting my own business and becoming a travel blogger! I spent a month researching how to be a travel blogger, how to start a blog, how much travel bloggers make, etc., and I decided, "Yes, this is the route I want to take!" That commenced another month of researching how to become an LLC, do bloggers need insurance, how long it takes to start making money as a travel blogger, etc. Once all of that was figured out, I began designing my website and writing my first blog post!
How did the name, Dale, Let's Travel! come about?
Coming up with a name for my travel blog was one of the easiest decisions throughout the process! Let me walk you through the little equation that popped into my head when brainstorming for a name:
I'm Hispanic + I love Pitbull (otherwise known as Mr. Worldwide, Mr. 305, and Armando Christian Perez) + This is a travel blog = Dale, Let's Travel!
The name Dale, Let's Travel! is Spanglish - having a Spanglish blog name was important to me and allows me to honor my roots! As such, dale is pronounced dah-leh. It is a Spanish word that can be translated as Come On/Let’s Go in this phrase. So, if you were to completely translate the blog's name to English it would be Come On, Let's Travel! or Let's Go, Let's Travel! either way, the name is meant to encourage you to travel with me virtually or on your own using the travel blogs as guidance.
Lastly, I mentioned and thought of Pitbull because he is well-known for saying Dale in his songs, and if you know me personally, you know I have always loved Pitbull for his upbeat music and him as a person. Fun Fact: the blog's name is not the only place I acknowledge him - he also inspired the example First and Last Name of the Subscription Form at the bottom of this page which reads Chris Perez.
Challenges throughout the Year
There have been plenty of challenges throughout the year, but they have all helped me grow as a blogger and as a person! A few of the challenges I faced in this journey were not having a guide or teacher as I have always been so used to having in school and at work, learning about search engine optimization, finding the correct keywords to write about so my blog ranks high on Google, and video and photo editing for social media. Through research, the right tools, and a lot of practice, I have greatly improved in each of these sectors, and it has shown in the number of impressions, views, and likes I get on my blog posts and content.
A major challenge I faced throughout this year was realizing that I could not spend half of my time on the travel blog and the other half on building my social media platform. In doing this, I was not dedicating either side the love and attention it needed to prosper and grow to its full potential. As such, I had to sit down and think about what I ultimately wanted to do. Long story short, I decided to put all my efforts into the travel blog and have left social media to the side.
Furthermore, some of the biggest challenges I continue to face in this journey are not being patient, getting overwhelmed too quickly, comparing myself and my blog to successful travel bloggers and content creators out there, wanting to do it all at once, and not understanding the fact that I am one person who is simply trying her best and giving her all. It is a constant battle I fight as a perfectionist and as someone who wants to jump straight to the finish line. However, I have gotten better, and I am beginning to acknowledge that things take time, I am doing the best I can, and everything will fall in place with hard work, perseverance, and determination when it is time!
Achievements throughout the Year
Even with all the challenges throughout the year, I am incredibly proud of myself for stepping out of my comfort zone and creating this blog! It has been a lot of long hours, lots of research, a ton of editing, and so much work, but I am now doing something I enjoy, so that makes it all worth it. I am working for myself, creating my empire, and working on my dream! A few of my achievements this year include:
- Designing the DLT! website on my own
- Being featured in VoyageTampa
- Becoming an affiliate for Amazon, Go City, and CityPASS
- Being awarded a scholarship to attend a blogging conference held at Disney World
- Facing various challenges as mentioned previously
- Growing as an individual and as a businesswoman
But, the best part of this experience has been seeing some of you partake in some of the adventures I have written about or even simply seeing you enjoy the content by commenting on the end of a post or on Social Media! It brings me joy and is my favorite thing about being in the blogging world!
Dale, Let's Travel! LLC's Mission Then Versus Now
When I began DLT!, my mission was to motivate others to go out into the world to travel and have fun by writing about our travels and creating social media content to illustrate those examples. However, to be a successful blogger, I was told by a lot of people that I needed to post more frequently than once a week. It was saddening for me to hear, and at first, I was not open to accepting that advice because I thought I would be the change. But, after months of low impressions and views, I had to stop being hard-headed and listen to those with more experience than me if I wanted DLT! to succeed.
As such, the new mission for DLT! is to encourage, inspire, and equip my blog readers for their travel adventures! The mission is still to motivate you to get out of your homes and explore your cities or other places, but instead of it solely being through our personal experience, there are research-based blog posts as well. This change helps the blog and its readers since there will be more content out there to satisfy everyone's needs and preferences.
Plus, we typically like the silly, fun stuff when we travel, and maybe you want to go on a romantic couples vacation instead. This new implementation allows for more opportunities for you, our reader, to relate to and find use in our blog posts. I hope you have noticed this change, are enjoying it, and are finding use in them as well! But do not worry, the main mission of encouraging you to get out and have fun is still alive and strong!
The Blog Posts
Do you know the best thing about this blog? The articles are also available in Spanish! If you are on a desktop, scroll to the top of the website and toggle ES to switch it from English to Spanish. If you are on your phone, go to the top of the webpage, click the "hamburger menu" (the 3 lines), and toggle for ES there.
Throughout these 68 blog posts, we have traveled all over the United States and the world! A great way to recap some of these articles is by visiting some of the different categories and their respective blog posts. Here are some of the highlights:
California
How we did the Warner Bros. Studio Tour, Big Bus Celebrity Homes & Lifestyle Tour, Dolby Theatre® Guided Tour, and Madame Tussauds for less!
Five important things you need to know when planning to visit the Santa Monica Pier.
If you love Amazon, fashion, shopping, and/or eating, you will love to visit these three "hidden gems" North of LA, CA.
Florida
This blog explores each exhibit at the Florida Aquarium preparing you for your visit! Indoor and outdoor activities, food options, and more.
Heading to Key West, Florida for a day trip or port day, and not sure what to do. This blog is just for you with 15 great places to visit!
Food, Fun, or Both - Armature Works has you covered! A great mix of bars, full-service dining, quick-service restaurants, and entertainment.
Arizona
In Las Vegas and want to explore the Grand Canyon and other beautiful rock formations in Arizona? Then this blog post is just for you!
Life is a Highway and Route 66 is a great one to visit! Check out this blog post for 11 Great Road Trip Stops on Route 66 in Arizona.
Thinking of visiting the Grand Canyon in Arizona? Check out this blog post for all the necessary information to prepare you for your visit!
International Travel
Do you want to be blown away by architectural masterpieces? Visit Vienna, Austria, and check out this blog for 17 must-see famous buildings!
Visiting Canada? Here are 12 things you should do when visiting Niagara Falls and Toronto! From waterfalls to Beaver Tails, they have it all!
You are not going to want to miss this! Let's explore all the fun you can have on the Dominican Daze Itinerary on Virgin Voyages!
Travel Tips
Want to explore top tourist attractions and save money too? Consider purchasing discounted ticket packages from CityPASS and Go City!
Learn how to master Google Flights to find the best flights for your next trip using our step-by-step guide. Including the Explore Feature!
A must-read if you want to go on a cruise and not have to apply for a personal loan! The Do's and Dont's on finding a cheap cruise.
For an all-encompassing list of all 68 blog posts, check out our blog page here.
Thank you!
If this is your first DLT! article or your 68th, thank you so much for your time! I hope you enjoyed this article and find use and enjoyment in the other articles mentioned above. Please subscribe at the bottom of this page to partake in the fun adventures, learn about somewhere new, and support the blog!
Why subscribe below?
Subscribing below puts you on the email list and makes sure you do not miss the new blog posts that are published in our weekly newsletter. Also, in the newsletter, there is an opportunity for you to reply and share any suggestions about places you would like me to cover on the blog, and I will do my best to create it for you or point you in the right direction using some of my fellow travel bloggers' articles!
But wait, there's more!
In Celebration of our 1st Anniversary, aka our Paper Anniversary, we are selling Dale, Let's Travel! stickers! These stickers are 3 x 3 inches and cost $5. Please check out our Facebook post here, or through the embedded post below to order a sticker and support the blog! If you have any further questions or do not have Facebook, feel free to email me at contactus@daleletstravel.com with the subject line "DLT! Stickers" or "Blog Stickers."
Other Ways You Can Support the Blog (besides subscribing yourself to the email list or purchasing a sticker)
- You can "Buy me a Snack" through my Buy Me a Coffee Account
- Anytime you travel somewhere that is a Go City or CityPASS location, and you want to buy those passes, check out this blog post 2 Amazing Discounted Ticket Packages for Top Tourist Attractions, and use our affiliate links found in that article to purchase your tickets
- If you are reading one of my "What to Pack," "What to Wear," "Things you Need," etc. blog posts and there is an item you are interested in buying, be sure to use the respective Amazon affiliate link
- Share our blog posts with your friends and family
- Encourage your friends and family to subscribe to Dale, Let's Travel! using our form at the end of this page, the form in our Linktree, or reaching out to me at contactus@daleletstravel.com
- Interact with our articles in the comment section below and/or interact with our social media accounts when you see a post, picture, or reel
Do not be afraid to reach out with any Dale, Let's Travel! LLC related questions! I am happy to assist. 😊
Ready? Okay, vamos. Time to have fun!
Happy Anniversary, Dale, Let's Travel! Cheers to an amazing second year!
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