Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Simon-Madden.
Hi Ashley, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
I’ve sat and considered the many creative or philosophical spins I could put on how my travel blog got its start. I’ve ultimately decided that the unfiltered truth will more than suffice.
It was a partly cloudy weekday afternoon in January and I was working from home. The weight of my new and ongoing work assignments coupled with the aftershocks of recent personal life upheavals had finally met me at eye level. I needed an escape. As I closed my eyes and thought back to the most recent physical and mental escape I could recall, a smile escaped from my lips.
A surge of happiness it was, which combusted into joy; and joy (in what I’ve come to understand of its nature) is contagious, and will not be satisfied until shared. As such, approximately 3 hours later, the beta version of what is now the Madd About Jamaica Travel Blog site was designed and active.
I’m not sure if I cried then, but I’m tempted to now as I reflect on just how I was a split second away from losing my mind, but the embodiment of joy rescued me. So no, I had no grand creative epiphany, no 5-year business plan, no content strategy, none of it.
All I had were the memories of shared experiences and the indescribable joy that came from the memories themselves as well as sharing them with others. That’s how I continue to see my Travel Blog today, as a joyous escape. Travel has a way of allowing us to see the world through someone else’s eyes… as well as any joys, disappointments, or any other lived emotions.
Travel is honest, and is as rich as you make it to be, regardless of the actual price tag. That’s the mentality that keeps me going in sharing my local stays, eats, and adventures to date. I’ve realized just how right Dorothy was when she clicked her heels and said “There’s no place like home”.
Even as I’ve shared a few of my adventures in hindsight, I see very clearly in the present what a privilege it is to live in a small slice of island paradise. I want to honor that and I want my blog to encourage others to enjoy Jamaica as a home or a home away from home, whichever is needed at the time.
That being said, my Travel Blog is where I go to be free. It is a space where pressure isn’t allowed, where creativity shows up just on time, and where authenticity reigns. I love it there and am excited as to where it may or may not take me (and others who want to come with me!).
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
For the majority of the journey so far, I’m thankful to say that it has been smooth. As counterintuitive as it may sound, the main challenge has been balancing what to share and when to share it.
There are so many ideas swirling around in my head at any given time. Admittedly, I can be quite indecisive, so my current blog post draft folder has a minimum of 10 unfinished posts. I’m trying to come to terms that this isn’t intrinsically bad, as the only expectations are the ones I’ve put on myself.
Nevertheless, I want to find a rhythm that on one hand encourages sustainability of all that I have to share, but on the other hand, encourages accountability to the integrity of the blog and my fellow audience journeying with me.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
It is my hope for Madd About Jamaica to continue growing as a community. It is very important to me that the travel blog be relatable but entertaining, as if recalling an experience to friends/family. Jamaicans are known to be very animated storytellers! As such, I want to stay true to form with each blog post, whether written by me or a guest.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts, or blogs that help you do your best?
I’m a firm believer in working smarter, not harder!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.maddaboutjamaica.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddaboutjamaica
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maddaboutjamaica
