the real reasons i'm starting this substack
Hi, it’s me: Fleur! A freshly new writer on Substack. In this first article, I’ll share the real reasons I started this account. Welcome to my personal world! 🙂
Disclaimer: I’m not a big fan of introducing myself by listing things about me. That’s quite boring, isn’t it? So instead, I guess you’ll get to know me gradually (if you don’t know me yet). I promise it won’t take long, as I’m quite open and love sharing my honest thoughts, experiences, and feelings.
Ok, back to WHY I’m here.
It all started on a Sunday in November when I was meeting up with two friends in Valencia, the city in Spain I’ve called my hometown for the last six years. Lucky me. It was one of those perfect sunny days (one of the reasons I moved here) that allowed us to sit outside with a coffee. Even though I see my friends regularly, this time felt bittersweet.
The reason? It would be the last time seeing them before I was going on another who-knows-how-long trip. One thing about me: I travel often. Some people close to me think it’s too much, and some of them do the same. But either way, knowing you’re seeing people you love for the last time (at least for a while) makes you appreciate the moment even more.
When we finally hugged and said goodbye, I told them that I was thinking of starting to write on a platform called Substack. They had no idea what I was talking about. But the idea of me writing about my experiences while I was travelling sounded like something they’d want to read.
More than a month went by without me creating my account here until one of those two friends (hi Celina! 🤍) asked me a few times if I was going to write the articles I had talked about. Honestly, that was the push I needed. So here I am! And these are the honest reasons WHY I started this Substack:
Continuing my writer’s journey—in English and in a more personal way
Another fact about me is that I’m the proud owner of my Dutch travel & lifestyle blog, www.fleursophia.com. For more than ten years, I’ve been writing on there about almost anything, but mainly travelling. My articles always have a personal twist, and here and there I’ve shared more personal stories. I’ve always wanted to have a place on the internet where I could write freely in English. That way, my international friends can read it if they want to.
Openly sharing what I’m experiencing and what’s going on in my mind
I love journaling, but if I’m being honest, it’s hard to keep the motivation to write in a notebook for longer than a couple of weeks. Don’t get me wrong, I love buying cute new notebooks, and I even prefer writing over typing. But somehow, I never managed to turn it into a long-term habit.
So the plan is to turn this Substack into my virtual journal, where I’ll openly share what I’ve been experiencing and what’s going on in my mind. I’m really into personal growth, so you might come across some life lessons or motivational quotes sprinkled through my stories. Do with them what you want. ;)
Building a community and creating an extra source of income
Let’s be honest: one of the reasons for starting this is also to build a community and possibly create an extra income source. Isn’t that something many of us would want? Connecting with like-minded people, sharing our passions, and getting rewarded for the time and energy we put into it?
When I started my blog in 2010, I published articles purely because I needed a creative outlet next to my (boring) economic studies. I wrote many articles in the first few years without getting paid, or even knowing getting paid was an option.
Since then, I’ve realized that writing is a passion I’ll always want to share with the world. Paid or unpaid. But in the last few years, my blog didn’t feel fulfilling enough anymore.
So, I decided to do something completely different and something I’d wanted to do for a long time. I studied to become a holistic coach and breathwork teacher, alongside my writing jobs. After successfully finishing the course, I went from (safely) sitting behind my laptop at home to working with people and even speaking in front of groups.
This wasn’t just a career switch, but also a personality switch, haha. Throwing myself out there and stepping out of my comfort zone brought me so much. It made me believe in myself more, feel confident, and (most importantly) happier through connecting with people.
And here’s the thing: I know many people are interested in personal growth. My goal is to combine my passion for writing with the things I’ve been learning during my personal growth journey and courses. Forgive me if I’ll promote my upcoming breathwork retreats in the next couple of months. Only sometimes, I promise ;).
If you’ve made it to the end of this article, I feel incredibly grateful that you’ve taken the time to read something I put so much time and energy into.
I have so many ideas for the coming weeks, especially with a lot of changes happening. Not just because we’re about to welcome 2025, but also because I’ve made some life-changing decisions lately. In my next post, I’ll share about the trip I went on and how it turned out completely different from what I expected…
Stay tuned, and… I’d be so happy if you subscribe to support me and (obviously) not miss anything! ;)
Love,
Fleur
(Current location: El Salvador)