1st Blogiversary + Giveaway! (March 2015)

One year ago, I couldn't have imagined just how much of a beautiful, crazy ride this travel blogging experience would turn out to be!

Today The Thrifty Gypsy's Travels celebrates its FIRST anniversary!

Year One:
The Thrifty Gypsy's Travels (TGT) began with no clear goals or ideas for growth.  I simply wanted to record our travel stories and hopefully inspire whomever stumbled across the site to create their own travel memories.  Between juggling a full-time job, a long commute, and the occasional evening night class, I couldn't commit to a steady schedule of posts, but figured the site could garner a handful of views simply through social media postings.

But I soon realized that page views weren't the best part of joining the travel blogging community.  Finding out that I'm not the only "crazy" person who'd rather eat, pray, and travel was!  For every money-saving tip I shared, I've found at least another five more from other travel bloggers.  Comparing notes, exchanging stories, and connecting with other travelers has become a huge part of my life now -- something I did not envision a year ago.

So with one year under our belt, I am proud to say that I have already accomplished both of my initial wishes:  I've recorded our experiences, and I've inspired at least one person to travel more!

Seriously, I danced in the kitchen for almost thirty minutes after Sara Ann's vote of confidence!  All those lattes foregone, those shopping sprees postponed, packing lunches for work so that we could stuff away nickels and dimes for the next big trip had come to fruition by inspiring another person to go see and do more of the world.  Does it get any better than that?

Year Two:
For this next year of TGT, I actually have a few goals in mind:

1.  Purchase a domain and settle upon a layout/template.  
Because if I don't make a decision soon, my eyeballs are going to fall out from all this comparison shopping.  Two days before this post went live, I finally did it!  So I can already cross this goal off my list.

2.  Become a better story-teller.
The internet is saturated with how to plan a trip and what to see when you get there.  My blog can't possibly compete against sites that lay out all the logistics of visiting a place.  What I can do, however, is provide people with why they should visit a place.  Oftentimes another person's story can make or break the decision to visit one particular location over another.  I want to transform my writing from being factual to being memorable.

3.  Meet another travel blogger in person & attend one travel blogging conference within the next year.
Unfortunately, I will be unable to attend the TBEX Europe '15 conference in Costa Brava, and my attendance at WITS in Boston looks doubtful now, too.  However, One Weird Globe has a pretty extensive list of travel blogging conferences around the world, and I'm hopeful at least one can be fit into the schedule!  (Are you going to any of them?)

The Giveaway:

To celebrate the TGT's anniversary and to express my appreciation for your readership, I'm giving away a $36.50 Amazon gift card - that's one dime (or two nickels) for every day since this blog started!

How to enter:  

1.  Leave a comment below stating what (or who) inspired you to travel!  AND
2.  Use the social media buttons below to share this giveaway on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram.  You can also post my giveaway button (below) somewhere on your blog if you're feeling extra frisky!

Each time you specifically tag me in a giveaway post, it will increase your chances of winning, but you must share the giveaway at least once to be eligible to win.

Giveaway deadline:
The giveaway will close on St. Paddy's Day (March 17th).  I will announce the winner no later than March 22nd.

So what are you waiting for?  Tell me what inspired you to travel and share the giveaway to win!

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Giveaway Button:

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Linking up with A Brit and a Southerner, A Southern Gypsy, Carmen's Luxury Travel, Justin Plus Lauren, and Outbound Adventurer for the #WeekendWanderlust!

Linking up with Chasing the Donkey, Pack Me To, A Southern Gypsy, The Fairytale Traveler, and Ice Cream & Permafrost for the #SundayTraveler!

Linking up with Bonnie Rose, Amanda, Caity, Marcella, and Michelle for #TravelTuesday!