|| Jacket: ASOS || Sunglasses: Free People ||
Big changes are happening around here… Besides adding a new addition to our family (we love you, Greta!), we are completely rebranding our website from Something Devine to SOMEWHERE DEVINE. As you may know, about a year ago Brad and I decided to change the nature of our business. We opted out of our video production company, Haugen Creative, to start a new business venture. And what a crazy ride it has been! It has been a full year of brainstorming, nailing down this new concept, and putting it all together… I am so thrilled to share it with you all, so soon! It all started when we were traveling internationally for video production work in 2013. We went to 12 countries in 12 months. We shared our behind the scenes content here on the blog, and we had numerous emails come in with questions about travel, videography, and overall just wanting to ‘give back’… We thought, “Why don’t we open up the opportunity to travel with our readers!?” So we did! Last summer, we partnered with a non-profit organization and opened up applications here on our blog. The trip was for 35 of our readers to join us in Fiji, and the expedition sold out in 48 hours! We were blown away by the response, and our trip to Fiji was one of the most rewarding trips we’ve ever gone on. To be able to connect with our readers on such a personal level, talk about videography, and aid service to those Fijians… We knew that this was something that we wanted to continue to do.
We partnered with some amazing trip coordinators earlier this year, and planned our first official Somewhere Devine Expedition to Thailand! We opened up applications for 50 of our readers, and we were even more blown away by the response this second go around. We had over 500 applications submitted within the first 48 hours! We went through every application for the accepting process (it was so difficult!), and our group turned out awesome. We hosted a video workshop, along with touring the city and aiding service at the local mercy center. We made new friends and it was seriously unforgettable. I can’t wait to continue traveling with all of you! Moving forward, we are separating the two types of trips into ‘Video Mentorships’ and ‘Service Expeditions’, and I’m so excited to announce where we are hosting our 2017 Service Expedition and Video Mentorship! (Be the first to know about our big announcement over at www.somewheredevine.com )
The next thing we will be creating content around on our new website, is how HOME can be “Somewhere Devine”. You don’t have to travel far, to have beautiful and life changing experiences. We will be sharing experiences within the walls of our own home, and exploring our hometown with a new perspective. Which leads me to…
Video Travel Guides! We’re kicking off our website with a travel guide of our hometown: SALT LAKE CITY! With all the traveling and questions we’ve received over the years… We thought, “Why don’t we start creating travel guides for each city we visit?” and then we thought a little deeper, “Why don’t we find locals in these cities to show us around!?” That way these travel guides are unique, and share local insights that you won’t typically find on google or trip advisor. It’s going to be a crazy big adventure!
Lastly, I want to thank you for all of your support. I sincerely mean it. We couldn’t be where we are today without all of you, so thank you.