The Girl Behind The Blog

Tah dah!

So, we finally meet – hey! I’m Sian (pronounced like the colour: Cyan). I must admit, writing an ‘about me’ section is the most awkward part about owning a blog—too personal and, honestly, cringey. But I’m gonna go out on another limb and hope that you’re genuinely interested in who I am and why I started adding my two-pence on the internet. So, here goes…

I’m 25, I live in the UK, and my favourite colour is blue. The end.

Just playin’—but I’ll keep it short and sweet.

Let’s start with the clichés: I’ve wanted to travel the world since I was a kid. Travelling has been the one constant dream of mine for as long as I can remember, and that’s important because I’m one of those people who constantly flit between what I want to do with my life, whether that be career, hobby or entrepreneurial-wise.

In short, I have wanted to: open a cosy cafe or boutique B&B, create a line of handmade handbags, become a jeweller, start an acrylic sign business, and write fantasy or romance novels. Not that any of these ‘ideas’ ever saw the light of day because—another fun fact—I’m an indecisive procrastinator.

All of the above (and the hundreds more I didn’t divulge), I hoped would 1) bring me fulfilment, and 2) make me enough money to travel the world.

Fast forward to September 2024: I had just left my long-term corporate job due to stress and anxiety (an overshare, but hopefully some of you will relate), and I was back to contemplating my next move. Naturally, you’d assume that that’s when I had my ‘ah-hah’ moment and realised blogging was my calling—not quite. First, I have to admit to my first idea…

Candles.

Yep. A candle subscription business (p.s if you’re currently in the market for a new business idea, I would appreciate it if you didn’t poach this one, as I may have to fall back on it if blogging doesn’t quite take off!). I was inspired, excited, and ready to order the supplies, my creative mind whirling with imaginative branding and fun packaging ideas. But despite my eagerness, I could hear a little voice in the back of my head telling me to hold off, which was funny (not funny-haha, funny weird) because I had been asking God to give me clarity and discernment over this idea.

I was frustrated, wanting this to be the idea that took off and succeeded. Instead, I was back to the drawing board—back to asking God, “What now?”

I don’t really remember how the idea of blogging came to me; it just did. I did my due diligence, researched the hows and whats, opened my laptop, and began writing.

I didn’t have to think—my fingers darted across the keyboard as the memories of my trip to Barcelona tumbled out of my brain, forming words on the page. It felt good. I felt alive. Aligned. Like God was typing through me. I sat back, read it, and it was good. I was proud—a feeling I hadn’t experienced in a while.

Then my mom and best friends read it:
“It’s amazing, Sian.”, “I nearly cried reading this.”, “This is so you.”, “I can tell you’ve written this.”, “You better keep writing—I’ll be mad if you don’t.”

Validation.

I had produced something that felt like me through and through, something that combined two of my earliest passions – travelling and writing.

A prayer had been answered.

And instead of feeling annoyed at myself for not instinctively knowing that travel blogging was something I should’ve been doing all along, I was grateful for all those ‘failed’ ideas, because in that moment—when God breathed life into this one—I knew it was the one.

It was that God ordained that I had created the ‘Thrive’ logo you see at the top of the homepage, way before knowing what it’d be used for!

Say it with me—God is good!

Best of all, I’ve been given peace, knowing that there’s no pressure for me to perform here, to force the blog to be a “success” in terms of financial gain or recognition. Instead, it’s my creative outlet, it gives me a voice, and there’s no better feeling than being able to express yourself in such a way. So, whether read by a handful or a multitude, for those who discover this piece of my heart, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I do writing it.

I would love for you to interact in the comments, or just say ‘hi’, and if you’re feeling extra generous, share it with others so that they can gain travel tips and tricks or just have a good old read about adventure and faraway lands.

Either way, stay blessed and keep an eye out for my next story…

Love ya, Si
<3