Life can take unexpected turns, and sometimes those turns lead to beautiful new destinations. After dedicating 32 years to a company, I suddenly found myself facing a closed door and a career change at 52. It was a moment of pause, coming right after my daughter’s high school graduation, forcing me to rethink my path and what truly mattered. I decided to pour my energy into my blog, which I had moved to WordPress, hoping to turn my passions for writing and travel into a sustainable venture.
However, I understood that building a successful travel blog, especially focusing on Sisterhood Travel, was a marathon, not a sprint. Income wouldn’t materialize overnight. To bridge the gap, I took a part-time job at the Post Office. Full-time employment proved elusive, but we made part-time work and blogging work together.
I diligently worked on my blog, crafting articles whenever time allowed amidst my busy postal schedule. An exciting opportunity arose when I won a ticket to my first travel conference through the Midwest Travel Network in the spring of 2017. Back then, my blog was named “Lori Loves Paris,” a reflection of my deep affection for Paris, the city that had profoundly impacted my life.
The conference, the Women in Travel Summit (WITS) in Milwaukee, was a pivotal experience. It brought together women from across the nation and globally, all connected by the world of travel. Destinations, travel writers, tour operators, and travel agents were all present. Being surrounded by women thriving in this space, many achieving remarkable success, was incredibly inspiring.
WITS was a turning point. I realized the importance of focusing on my specific audience and the stories I was most passionate about telling. My core mission became clear: to empower women like myself – women who might be hesitant to take that first solo trip, introverted women, women who haven’t had the chance or resources to travel – to experience the transformative power of travel, just as I had discovered in Paris. This realization shifted my blog’s focus towards inspiring and supporting sisterhood travel, creating a community where women could connect, encourage each other, and embark on their own journeys of discovery.
