Jerome Creek, 23 June 2005

The Inception
I’ve decided to start a blog about my travels. I’ve thought about blogging before, and enjoyed reading other people’s blogs, and kicked around the idea of starting one of my own when I could think of an appropriate impetus. I haven’t been comfortable with the idea of producing a general “life as I see it” blog—it is done so masterfully here that I feel I would inevitably fall short. And my career choice isn’t quite so globally interesting as this—who wants to read about a writer sitting at her computer every day and writing? There’s only so much self-reference one blog can handle. But I am fortunate in that I can travel a lot, and that’s something I’m also interested in writing about—for myself. And that seems to be a big part of it—if your blog entertains and enlightens you, it’ll probably entertain and enlighten others.

So now that I’ve decided to do it—how do I decide what to call it? For obvious reasons, “Writer’s Blog,” “Travelblog,” and “Travelblogue” are out. Puns are unoriginal at best and incredibly irritating at worst. “The Stranger” is also out—it’s way too arrogant to compare myself to Camus. “Citizen of the World” and “Global Citizen” are out—hyperbole and, again, unwarranted arrogance. “Travels with Calin”—referencing Steinbeck seems about as appropriate as referencing Camus. So where does that leave me?

To be honest, it leaves me with this: The Dilettante Traveler.