Most people create Instagram accounts or blogs when they’re going on longer trips, or, for example, during student exchange, as I was. In my case, I had just deleted all my social media, and I didn’t want to reinstall them just for the exchange.
At the beginning of the semester, we had a welcome day, mainly to get to know each other before classes officially started. The event was a mix of information sessions and casual mingling with the fellow students. “What’s your name?” “Where are you from?” “What are you going to study?” And, inevitably the conversation would end with, “What’s your Instagram?”
I’d explain that I had recently deleted all my socials and suggested staying in touch through WhatsApp instead. The thing is, WhatsApp is a more personal way of communicating, while Instagram is more about sharing and posting pictures of your life. Because of that, I barely reached out to the new people I added on Whatsapp. I simply didn’t know them well enough and it felt a bit awkward to message them out of the blue.
But the truth is, most people going on exchange are in the exact same situation. They don’t know anyone either. Especially during the first few weeks. If someone had come up to me and asked if I wanted to hang out, I’d become so happy. So don’t be afraid to message the new people in your contacts.
As time went by, I started to miss having a space to post and share. I remember how people from home started reaching out to me on WhatsApp, since I wasn’t sharing any updates about my exchange elsewhere. It felt personal and meaningful, but as more and more people started doing the same, it became overwhelming. I even found myself writing things like “Reply to X” on my to-do list. Suddenly, responding to friends started to feel like a task.
I’ve always loved photography. I can easily take around 30 pictures a day, so when I no longer had a place to share my highlights, something felt like it was missing. At one point, someone even asked me why I was studying journalism and communication if I didn’t use Instagram. As if every media student is supposed to be an influencer.
Then one day, I stumbled upon the idea of starting a blog, a place where I could combine storytelling and photography, in a way that felt more creative than just posting on Instagram.
Well… the rest is history (says me, sitting at the airport, even though the blog is only halfway done). It’s taken me a while to get this started, because I’ve been procrastinating it ever since the beginning of my exchange.
But what better way to begin than to jump right back to where it all started and share how everything came to be.
