Why I Moved From Instagram to My Own Website

I used to post heavily on Instagram. At first, it was fun, but eventually, the pressure to cater to an algorithm burned me out. I didn't want to optimize hashtags or play the marketing game. I just wanted to share what I was up to. So I stopped, and moved everything over to my own website.

Having my own domain changes how I write. On Instagram, the format dictates the content. You post a photo, write a quick caption, and that's it. If I travel, I want to talk about the good parts, the frustrating parts, the people I met, and what I actually learned. On my own site, I can drop in photos, embed links, and write 2,000 words if I feel like it. I own the space, so I set the rules.

Writing here also forces me to actually practice writing. A caption on a social feed is disposable; a blog post feels permanent. It makes me slow down and get my thoughts straight before hitting publish.

It's been freeing to abandon the metric-chasing of a social feed. If you're tired of renting space on someone else's platform, buy a domain and start your own blog. It's much quieter over here, but the connections you make feel significantly more real.