Greetings Daizies,
Last night as I finished rubbing frankincense oil around my temples and scalp, I was thinking about writing my next blog post and what the subject should be. Today as I login to the drafting page, I get this little notification from WordPress saying “Happy Anniversary with WordPress!” Exactly 4 years ago DaibyDai was born and I wanted to pause and take some time to celebrated my blog’s birthday.
Thinking back to four years ago, I had just finished my freshman year of college and was preparing to go on my first study abroad trip which would also be my first time outside of the country. It was a time where I was relieved to finish such a challenging year of college yet excited to really be doing something I had set out to do, which was study abroad. Part of our course assignments was to write a blog post after each company visit we went to in London (the program was about Hi-Tech in the UK). So really I started it for homework reasons, but it was also about 3 months after my big chop and I started becoming more interested in learning everything there was to know about growing long healthy natural hair and thought it would be cool to document my experience.
I got really into it and began sharing my blog with more and more people. I still find it amazing how there’s people all over the world reading my blog posts. I started touching on other topics like health/wellness, mindfulness, skincare, and lifestyle. I continue learning and figuring out life as I go and I have found it very therapeutic to write it out here. It became something really personal to me and something I’m proud of. My thoughts and outlook on life at the time all summed up into a blog post. And sometimes there were people out there having the same thoughts I had or who felt excited to try a new product or visit a new place or start solo traveling because of the experiences I shared. And that’s one of the coolest experiences about having a blog. Even if what you write doesn’t reach thousands and thousands of people, if it helped just one person, it feels rewarding.
No matter how many new ideas and ventures I have I always find my way back to writing. DaibyDai is where I got the confidence to put out any of my creative ideas. If I had the courage to start a blog, I have the courage to do anything. I feel like I’ve grown as a writer and as a creator. It took time to develop the theme, the Daizies concept, the colors, the content, the whole brand, all of that is my creativity coming to work.
I know there have been times when I plan and set goals to blog three times a week and go really hard at promoting the site and there are times where my priorities shift. It seems like in this day and age we are often pressured to monetize our hobbies and turn it into a stream of revenue. And over the past 4 years I’ve had bursts of energy where this was the goal. I have had to find a balance with my entrepreneurial goals and having something for myself without the burning pressure to make it take off. Whether I reach my entrepreneurship goals with DaibyDai or any of the other ideas I’ve gone on to create (FroandTravel, Curl Calendar, Dai of Social, I want to focus on how I’m feeling when I’m creating. I feel good when I enjoy writing and getting my ideas into the world on my own terms and that’s what I’ll continue to do.
When I say “step by step, DaibyDai” it’s not just a tagline but it’s a positive affirmation I live by. In times of uncertainty, stress, or anxiety I bring it back to just taking things day by day. Just one step at a time. DaibyDai is my baby. It’s so much of the things I enjoy most, hair and amazing travels, and stories of learnings and ways I’ve experienced growth over the years. It’s a canvas of growth in my early twenties now that I think about it. From 19 to 23 years old is a unique piece of my life and there’s so much greatness ahead. I have a great way to look back on things I’ve written and find encouragement, wisdom, and excitement for the future based on experiences and lessons I’ve gained throughout these 4 years. Cheers to many more years of DaibyDai!
Lastly, I want to say thank you to my readers, my loyal DAIZIES that have been with me since day 1 and the ones that have joined the field through the years. Your support really means a lot to me. Sometimes I post something and pretend it doesn’t exist and when someone brings it up and say they enjoyed it, I feel my eyes get wide and it makes me excited. So for sure it makes a difference and I appreciate you!
Happy Birthday to DaibyDai!
As always,
