Welcome to Our New WordPress Website: The Story Behind Our Blog Hiatus and Migration Challenges

Welcome to our new WordPress-powered website! We’ve been unusually quiet on the blog these past few months, and while we didn’t want to overwhelm you with the details, we’ve been diligently rebuilding our online home from the ground up.

Five years ago, when we launched this travel blog, we intentionally avoided WordPress for several reasons. However, as I’ve taken on more back-end responsibilities—despite not being a coder—managing the site became increasingly challenging. After some discussion, my husband Scott agreed that migrating to WordPress would streamline our workflow and save valuable time.

That said, site migrations are notoriously complex, and ours was no exception. The first two freelancers we hired struggled and eventually stepped away. Fortunately, our third hire was skilled and reliable, but what should have taken weeks stretched to nearly three months. During this period—while traveling—we focused intensely on the backend, sidelining our regular posting schedule.

It’s been a while since our last personal update, so here’s an honest look at our lives as full-time travel bloggers. For the past 18 months, I’ve earned my livelihood online, experiencing significant highs and lows. Truthfully, the workload has left me exhausted, with stress levels at an all-time high.

This migration amplified the pressure. Our travel resources page is still evolving, the destinations section is just getting started, and I have about 1,500 images requiring manual data re-entry. As a Type A personality, resisting the urge to perfect everything immediately is a challenge—especially when this blog sustains our income.

With countless articles from recent trips pending, I could spend three months at home and still play catch-up. We just returned from Baja and a travel conference in Los Angeles, so we’re staying put until our Thanksgiving trip to Puerto Rico—just three weeks away. Post-Puerto Rico, a Christmas road trip through Central and Northern California is planned, though burnout from work and travel may shorten it. Exciting 2015 spring destinations are in the works, including a long-dreamed-of spot—stay tuned!

Meanwhile, expect posts on Molokai, Maui, St. Maarten, Newfoundland, Mauritius, and Puerto Rico, plus ongoing site enhancements.

Explore the new site, share your feedback, and report any issues. We hope you love it as much as we do!