I was posting something to Instagram today that led me to a deeper realisation. I was posting something I thought “should” be kept separtate from a brand I’m trying to build. But then it occurred to me (like a rock hitting me on the head):

“THIS is part of your brand.”

And I had to stop and think about that for a moment before finishing the post.

The Traveling Huntress is not only about a woman who travels or sells journals. In fact, the travels are just the obvious, circumstantial lifestyle that I chose out of a desire to escape my life. It’s the superficial fantasy I was fed to fashion my dreams around. The journals are more than about having a product to offer I like. 

Before I left college, when I was right on the precipice of becoming a student of the real-world, I knew there was much more to life than what I’d been led to believe. I knew that travel, in particular, would have much more to offer than the fantasy I’d built around it. At least, it could, if I dove deeper.

Deeper how? I hadn’t one clue. But I still wrote in my journal about what I hoped it could be and later realised I’d written a part of my future.

One of those things I wrote about was teaching and learning and meeting many new people along the journey.

A Love of Writing and Teaching

I’d wanted to become an English teacher since high school. I loved writing so much!

One of my English teachers gave us a journaling exercise to do, and boy, did I give her something to read. My mother informed me after a parent-teacher meeting that whenever my entries were up for review, my teacher would make herself a cup of something and settle in.

Asking me to express myself in writing was like telling a fish to swim or a dog to “fetch.”

Writing has always been one of those things that comes naturally to me. Like singing, it was my favorite and best way to express my feelings. It’s how I explore what’s going on in my head, make sense of what I’m feeling, and reguritate ideas that continuously float around in the back of my mind.

For some reason, I’ve been convinced that the things I do to stay human had to exist in separate boxes.

The English teacher. The woman who writes. The woman who journals, reflecting on her life and dreams and speculates about what might come next. The woman who travels and wants to build a brand around journals and other tools for reflection and personal growth.

Why should these things be separate?

The Things That Have Kept Me Going

Teaching English to learners from other countries and cultures who work in various industries has saved my life. It has kept my blood pumping and my mind growing consistently.

I don’t say this lightly: teaching has carried me through some very tough emotional experiences. I know there were times when having my students, my work, and a continued connection to other people gave me something to hold on to. I would not still be here without them.

Teaching has brought me into contact with people whose lives, experiences, and perspectives have given me food for thought and a sense of gratitude and appreciation for who I am and what I do. Over the years, I’ve met people from all kinds of backgrounds, from the USA all the way to Australia. I’ve learned from them as much as I hope they’ve learned from me.

Journaling has been a healing balm to my soul through the difficulties in life I’ve experienced. It has given me a place to put my thoughts, feelings, questions, and hopes. Sometimes I write to understand what I’m going through. Sometimes I write to figure out what I want. And sometimes I simply need to write to do away with a feeling of existing in a state of limbo between time zones.

For me, both teaching words and grammar and journaling have been ways of staying connected to myself and making sense of the world around me. One brings me into conversation with other people. The other brings me into conversation with myself.

And writing is the thread that connects them.

Bringing the Pieces Together

In my mind, these things co-exist and create the woman I am: The Traveling Huntress.

I don’t want to keep separating the work I do as an English teacher from the work I want to do with journals. I don’t want to treat my love of writing as one interest, teaching as another, and journaling as something that belongs somewhere else entirely.

They’re connected by something I value deeply: the opportunity to express ourselves, learn something new, and about the people we come in contact with as well as the world we inhabit.

When I teach English, I’m not simply helping someone learn vocabulary, improve their grammar, or become more confident speaking another language. I’m helping them find ways to communicate their ideas, tell their stories, and connect with people whose experiences may be different from their own.

And when I journal, I’m doing something similar for myself. I’m finding the words to express what I think, what I feel, what I hope for, and what I want to do with the life ahead of me.

Why wouldn’t I want to bring these two things together?

Why should I not want it for others?

Especially when I know how much both have meant to me.

I’m aware I’m not the only one who finds meaning in writing, learning, and taking time to reflect. As I move about the world I see those who are curious about themselves and the world around them. I see them sitting in corners, writing in books on pages ready to be filled with the essence of them. People who want to learn, grow, explore new ideas, and perhaps find a little more clarity along the way.

And I suspect some of those people might enjoy bringing journaling into their English-learning journey, too.

So, What Does This Have to Do With You?

Well, this is where my business offer comes in.

I’m opening up the idea of Journaling in English: a journaling companion session for intermediate and advanced English learners (native speakers are welcome, by the way) who want to practice expressing themselves in English while making space for their inner thoughts, feelings, ideas, and goals for the future.

Think of it as a supplement to your English lessons, but one that gives you the opportunity to write about things that matter to you.

Rather than focusing only on the mechanics of language, we will use journaling as a way to explore your ideas and develop your written expression. You practice putting your thoughts into words, expand your vocabulary through subjects that interest you, and become more comfortable expressing yourself in English.

And perhaps, along the way, you’ll discover something about yourself, too.

You might already keep a journal. Perhaps you’ve been meaning to start one. Or maybe you’ve never thought of journaling as something that could support your language-learning journey.

I’d love to explore that possibility with you.

You might want a journaling companion to help you develop a regular writing practice in English. You might prefer a journal of your own to accompany you on your journey. Or...Both. 😉😀

If you’d like to explore Journaling in English with me, I’d love to hear from you. Let’s make a little room for the things you want to say, the things you want to learn, and the person you’re becoming along the way.