One Year On...

Recently I noticed an invoice in my inbox from GoDaddy. Immediately the money-savvy graduate in me saw red, and I angrily clicked on it to see what I’d been incorrectly charged for (my mind went straight to something inappropriate/illegal, and I was ready to call the police. No joke).

As it were, it was not wrong at all. It was in fact confirmation of the renewal of my domain for another year.

And that email got me thinking about how when I’d birthed this little project a year ago, how much of a different place that I was in. I'd just come back from the craziest (near) month travelling across the USA, I was graduating and I was frantically trying to search for a flat in London after landing that all-important grad job.

I'll be honest, the concept of The London Geek has drastically shifted as time has passed. You see, when I started this blog I had several goals in mind. Firstly, I wished to build up my writing portfolio in general. At the time I was entering a job in PR, but I wanted to keep up and nurture a skill that I saw as incredibly valuable. As it turned out, this was a wise choice to make.

Looking back on it, my time travelling in America - and seeing unbelievable sites like the above - gave me the inspiration for The London Geek

Now, not all my readers may know this, but I’ve actually changed career paths in the last year. I am one half of the content team at the graduate app Debut, and this blog right here is like my child. And honestly, I would not have been confident enough to go into a job where editing and writing were a huge chunk, if it weren’t for this side hustle.

Secondly, I wished to establish a platform that provided audiences with London-based places and events to visit that were geeky in nature. Now, if you scroll through my articles chronologically, you may notice that this pattern has inevitably shifted over time. More lifestyle content has crept in, as well as thought-led pieces.

Truthfully, I now see this blog as much more than just a nerd guide to the city. Whilst it may have that Capital focus that I love (and yes, I’m stilling planning on eventually doing a Harry Potter LDN piece one day), I see this as a celebration of geek culture through and through.

Meeting and interviewing creators and professionals alike has really opened my eyes to a new sub-genre of pop culture. Especially when it comes to geeky women. There’s a huge following online for fashionistas, foodies and travel bugs… but geek girls are a rare breed. I see this blog as a space to fill that gap, and I can’t wait to share more stories from across the globe.

Finally, I wanted to surround myself with the city’s culture, hence the word ‘London’ in the title. Ironically, when I wrote my first post, it was from a bedroom in Sheffield, as I dreamt of Soho and Shoreditch. Now, a year on, I can confidently say I feel like a Londoner. I navigate the tube like a pro (even though I kinda hate it lol), I know some good hidden gems and above all, I feel like I’m an expert when it comes to the nerdy scene in the city.

I even acted as a tour guide around London to my old travel buddies! #TrekAmerica

Personally, my circumstances have also changed. When I moved down it was a frantic attempt to get to the city as quick as possible, and I’ve lived with a number of different flatmates (all lovely). However, in this next phase, I’ll actually be living with two of my very closest friends - and previous housemates - from university.

I feel that this final step will propel me into the next level of city living. I’ll get to explore a new neighbourhood in London, I’ll get to laugh at The Chase with my housemates on a regular basis, and more importantly I’ll have people that I feel confident enough with to bounce creative ideas off of for this wonderful blog.

What I’m really trying to say is thank you. To all who have followed this blog’s journey. To all who have commented (it really does spur me on to write). To all that have provided me with new opportunities to explore. I’m really proud of the fact that I’ve managed to keep The London Geek blooming, and I’m eager to see what’s next.

Trust me when I say: I have some big ambitions. I am a Slytherin after all.

So I’ll close out with this. What do you guys want to see? Let me know in the comments below. Or drop me a tweet and we can have a discussion.

Stay geeky all. 💚

The story is only just beginning! Keep up with me on Twitter, Insta and Facebook for the next chapters