Blog & Life Update From Medellin

It's hard for me to believe that almost three months have passed since I left the USA to begin living in Medellin, Colombia, again. 

This also means I'm just three months away from flying back for Christmas.

I used to love backpacking because it always felt as though time slowed down when traveling through new countries; however, the more time I spend in Medellin, the more normal it feels.

Time is marching forward, and I'll be celebrating my 34th birthday this Saturday, September 25th. 

I'm looking forward to a fun night of salsa dancing.

Medellin Living

The last few weeks have been quiet here at Go Backpacking as I've been focusing on updating the design of my other blog, Medellin Living, as well as sharing my recent experiences in the City of the Eternal Spring.

If you haven't been over there yet, here are a few posts to get you started:

• Vacationing on the Colombian Island of San Andres
• La Cabalgata (Horse Parade)
• Book and Culture Festival
• Brasarepa Restaurant in Envigado (as featured on Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations)

I try to ensure a fun mix of content, including the nightlife, culture, local festivals, music, finding accommodations for more extended stays, tips for finding work as an English teacher, and other highlights from around the country.

Cali Trip

For a mere $72, I've booked a 1-way flight on Avianca to Cali, Colombia, for September 29th.

Now that I'm settled in Medellin, it's time to explore some new territory, and Cali is the salsa dancing capital of the country. 

I'll be spending a long weekend there with GB contributor Troy and Todd, the co-owner of a new residence called The Art House in Envigado.

Instead of flying back to Medellin with them, I'll be taking a few short bus rides through the coffee region, which I've only heard good things about. 

I imagine it will be a relaxing way to unwind after all the partying and late nights that are bound to occur in Cali.

Blogging Projects

Earlier this year, I launched a new site, Travel Blog Success, to help travelers build high-quality blogs.

The feedback from members has been overwhelmingly positive, which reinforced my decision last Fall to dedicate four months to the project. 

Before the end of the year, I intend to revisit and update (as needed) the 12 original lessons and add new content related to social media, press trips, and making money.

In association with this new content, as well as hitting the 100-member mark (which should happen very soon), I intend to increase the price of admission, so if you've been on the fence, now is a great time to join!

Building a membership site from scratch was a tremendous learning experience.

Before I left the USA a few months ago, I was throwing around the idea of creating another one on a travel-related topic other than blogging.

Earlier this year, I did some private consulting work for a fellow travel blogger. 

It worked out well for both of us, and in the next month or two, I intend to make myself more widely available.

I also have some domain names I bought last year and have yet to develop into websites. 

I've been thinking more and more about working on them since returning to Colombia.

Most of my online income currently comes from text link sales, and I think it'd be a new challenge to build informative, static sites based on outsourcing the content creation  (and maybe SEO too).

And last year, a friend suggested I write an eBook guide to Medellin. 

Given I often get the same questions asked of me via my Medellin blog, Twitter, and email, this idea continues to linger in my mind as well.

A Quick Word About My Online Income

I began blogging in January 2007, and each year, I was able to double my online income.

As of August 2010, I'm tripling my monthly earnings over the same time last year and can, therefore, afford to live comfortably in a large South American city of my choice (sweet!). 

If you're curious about how much I earn month to month, I publish regular breakdowns over at Blog to Travel.

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My 138-page, all-original Medellín Travel Guide is now available for Kindle and PDF.