ONE YEAR DEAR! FIRST BLOGVERSARY OF MARYHOP

 

Sao Paolo, Brazil. April 2013

Marriott Executive Apartments Hotel

Vila Nova Conceição

Local Time 17:35

Room 308

 

"Hello Mrs Kalymnou, thank you for your order with Hostgator!”

 

What does this mean? Do I now have my own blog?

Where should I begin? How will I organize my countless photographs? What about tips? What form should it take? What colors should I use? How should the articles be? Copyrights? Social Media? Google Analytics? SEO? Guest posts?

 

And the name? What about the name?

 

I guess you can imagine how all these questions felt like hands trying to strangle me inside my executive apartment. Giant dot-coms were chasing after me night and day. My eyes were working overtime, studying the “Secrets of Blogging.” Skype and email were begging for one hour off work (not a chance), and when I finally would find some time to relax, websites, templates, headings, and articles would parade before my eyes. When I got back home, I became one with the rug, sitting on the floor, searching for a name and a shape.

 

Until one morning, with a clear head, it appeared in front of me staring at me: “Maria,” it said, “it’s me. I am here. Sorry it took me so long, but I was looking for the right color, to match your lipstick.” And that was it! The HOP became my extension and Maryhop came to life. But I’ve told you "the story behind the hop" before and you can read it all here.

 

This last year has been one huge HOP. I managed to visit 17 countries and 43 cities: Krakow, Tampa, Recife, Brasilia, Miami, Savannah, Geneva, Shanghai, Brussels, Curitiba, Rio de Janeiro, Mauritius, Luanda, Barbados, Saint Lucia, Jersey, Eindhoven, Leipzig, Paris, Beijing, London, Catania, Hong Kong, Sao Paulo, Nice, Munich, Stockholm, Belo Horizonte, Dusseldorf, Lisbon, Zurich, Frankfurt, Beirut, Bremen, Bodrum, Basel, New York, Pisa, Istanbul, White Plains, Roma, Paris, Riyad. 

 

May seems to be my month, and this year I have two reasons to celebrate: Eight years ago, in May 2006, I started my life long journey in the skies, by becoming a flight attendant. One year ago, this journey became yours as well, with only one purpose:
 

To inspire you to get to know the world and taste its beauty.
 

 

This blog has given new meaning to my travels. I walk, explore, and enjoy every city with one sole concern: how to bring its pulse to you, so that you too can experience the city, even if only through my eyes. This for me is the biggest reward; not the ratings, the number of visits, or any statistics. If there was a way to measure success by the sum of the times I managed to make you travel with me, I might do it. But it would be pointless. It’s enough knowing that even one person can take something out of this.

 

Before I go, I would like to share with you something I read a year ago and gave me the final push to start this blog:

 

“Blog only if you have something to say. Then the success is all yours”. 

 

That’s what I did and have been doing ever since, in a simple, authentic, and direct manner. And let me add one more thing: if you have people believing in you, you can accomplish a lot. My sister is one such person. Without her, this blog might have never taken shape and form. She is the web-designer, color advisor, font expert, fan, supporter, follower, and Sunday backup master.

 

I grab my hat and my camera and off I go!

 

Keep hopping,

Maryhop xx