Notice anything different?
Well yes, I gained a little weight from too much coconut milk soup in Thailand, but it’s not that. And yes, my frizzy, sun-damaged hair desperately needs professional help, but it’s not that either. Um, yes, I have aged a little (thanks for noticing) and, yes, some new wrinkles are spidering out from the corners of my—
Stop!
Okay, I’ll just tell you.
It’s my blog. I redesigned it. After two years of the same design, it was time for a change.
The redesign only took me about eleventy billion hours. Getting ready to launch a book wasn’t quite challenging enough for me, you see. And working eight hours a day was too tame, so I doubled my workload and decided to forgo sleep. Who needs sleep? It’s overrated.
(Psst: Why is Tupac sitting on my lap right now, gazing into my eyes, saying: “Reality is wrong, dreams are for real”?)
Enda at Flare Marketing has also been pulling late nights to get this happening. You should hire him. He has magical powers which he calls “Java” and “HTML” and “CSS.” Oooh! Abracadabra! Specialis Revelio! SEO Magnifique!
So I hope you like my new website. If you don’t, then please be 100% honest with me inside your closed lips while you nod and smile on the outside, because we are currently closed for feedback. I’m too tired and too busy and Tupac is being really demanding.
However, if you see a glitch, do let me know. We’re still ironing a few things out.
What’s new
- A photo section. I’m so excited about this. I have a lot more photos to add, and I’ll be building this out when time permits.
- A book page. If you’re reading my book, Tweet about it with the hashtag #loveanddrowning and I’ll add your thoughts to my page.
- For bloggers and media folk, I’ve created a media kit. This will give you a quick way to access relevant information for writing reviews or interviews.
- A FAQ section about writing and self-publishing. I’ll add to this along the way.
- A FAQ about sailing and adventure.
- A list of My Favorite Things (because I’m narcissistic like that).
- A new about page and a new welcome page.
- An entire rolodex of options for getting in touch with me and my people. (I’ve always wanted to say “my people,” though I’m still waiting for my opportunity to say, “I’ll have my people call your people.” So go get some people, people.)
In other news
I’m back in Melbourne for the Australian launch of my book, which happens on Feb 27.
My dog Frida is fat, though my mum insists she’s “just big boned.” It seems she has developed a peculiar bone-expanding problem during the year I’ve been away. Good thing mum is feeding her all that food to make her feel better about herself.
My book made the Penguin homepage yesterday!
I celebrated by hanging around my parents house in my robe, and dressing my dog up in a Tupac hoodie. She’s really quite heavy on my lap, the lump.
The talented people over at Summersdale Publishing in the UK baked a Love with a Chance of Drowning Cake! The book is out in July in the UK, though I fear the cake will be a little furry by then.
Love with a Chance of Cake
I’m going to be at Readings in Carlton in Melbourne, Australia, to talk / sign books on March 12. More on that soon. Meanwhile, subscribe to my beautiful new site!
Thanks for stopping by.
Torre DeRoche is the author of two travel memoirs, Love with a Chance of Drowning (2013) and The Worrier’s Guide to the End of the World (due out September 2017). She has written for The Atlantic, The Guardian Travel, The Sydney Morning Herald, Emirates, and two Lonely Planet anthologies.
82 Response Comments
LOVE THIS! Love everything about it. Great job Torre, she’s a beauty 🙂
Thank you, Hannah. I’m still working on it. I need to add your pretty head to your comment!
It’s OK Frida, I hide my big-bonedness in my hoodie too.
Love the new site. It’s like you’ve moved into the internet. Now when you’re overseas I can get a Torre fix whenever I like. Picking at beer labels; laughing at the fat dog; bursting over good art and writing. You did good kid. x
Thank you, Karen. I’ve been nervous that nobody would like it. Your comment made me feel happy.
It looks lovely Torre! Okay, I meant the cake, but the site looks good too. Congrats on all of the big (wonderful) changes in your life!
I want to eat that cake! Thanks so much for the congrats, Kim. xo
This is so awesome Torre. The blog looks great, the book happenings are sounding awesome. You must feel great!
Thanks, Meg. I really love your avatar!
We like it! We like it! It’s just, you’re all grown up now _wipes tear_.
I’m not sure that I’ll ever grow up, Colleen.
Super congrats Torre. This looks great. I wish I was there to hang w/your cake!…that sounded weird didn’t it? I think so.. Ok, I take it back! haha
I wish I could hang with my cake too, but it’s in the UK.
Now your forcing me to write a comment… OK, I’ll follow you to your new digs..
Was the gun to your head too much? Well, either way, thanks for the comment Michael. 🙂
how perfect that it launched in or around Valentines day!! I love the new site design. You are so talented!! I have to remind myself that I’m also talented or else I get a little jealous. 🙂
You ARE talented. I just watched your manifesto. Gave me tingles.
I love your design! Its easy to navigate and full of great content!
We are fellow Aussie nomads so feel a connection with you straight away! Can’t wait to read your other great posts now that Ive found them 🙂
Thank you. And it’s always good to meet other nomads!
Congratulations Torre, love your new look and the fact you have ‘people’ now. The photo of your family on your about page is great! All the best, times like these I wish I was back in Australia to cheer you on (are you going to Perth? I’ll send my people…) Cant wait to read the latest edition of your wonderful memoir 🙂
Thank you, Sarah. Not sure that we’ll be in Perth, but I will have my people call your people if that happens. 🙂 Yes, I love that pic of my family. Total hillbillies.
F.A.B.U.L.O.U.S! When will you be in Sydney so I can alert friends there? And North America? We are waiting!
Hmm. Not sure yet, Patricia. I may only be Melbourne based for the launch. I will keep you in the loop!
There seems to be a kind of “like it box” trying (and partly failing) to slide in from the left side. It’s not making it all the way, not enough to be legible, anyway. I’m using Safari.
Otherwise, the site is very nice, although I like the old one too.
That sounds weird. I’ll check it out. Appreciate it, Scott. Thanks!
This is incredible – love the layout, photo sections and all the details about your book! Hope you made it back okay and things are going well.
Thanks, Alana. Yes, I made it back OK and my Chiang Mai stomach bug cleared up, so all is well. I hope yours is all better too!
It’s a darn shame that I’ve just moved from Melbourne and won’t be around to attend the talk! I’d love to get hold of the book once it’s released.
Yes, it’s a shame! Would’ve loved to have seen you there. Somewhere else perhaps?
Your new design is a whole lot better. A much better picture of you, too.
I am in awe, as I cannot bring myself to do anything about mine and can only hope that someday it will be retro.
May all your SEs be O.
Your new design is a whole lot better. A much better picture of you, too.
I am in awe, as I cannot bring myself to do anything about my own site and can only hope that someday it will be retro.
May all your SEs be O.
Thank you. I guess you’re so enthusiastic about it that you just HAD to post twice. 😉 It won’t take long for your site to become retro. Just wait about 12 days.
Excellente! I wanna be you when I grow up. Which may be never.
Perfect, because I am not grown up either!
Beautiful re-design, Torre! I’m in the beginning stages of one myself and every time my developer says CSS or SEO or HTML, I can literally feel my eyes glazing over. I just want to write and take photos and for someone else to make it look pretty without asking me ANY questions whatsoever. Just read my mind. (I don’t KNOW what colors I like! Pick them for me, you IT monkey!) Sigh. Congrats on all the great things happening!
As a designer, I’m usually the monkey. This time I got to make Enda my monkey. Dance, Enda, dance!
Thanks for your lovely words, James. Love your work.
Looks great, Torre! (The book looks fab, too.) Hope you’re having fun in Australia!
Hi Torre, I spent a couple of hours today reading through your archives and I’m so glad I did, because your posts were some of the most entertaining and inspiring blog posts I’ve read. I love your honesty and ability to see the humour in situations, not least having the courage to share everything. You brightened my day today, so thanks! I’m getting my hands on your book once it’s available in Europe. The globe and the waves against the blue border look great by the way. And good idea with the fun page intros!
Aw, what a lovely comment. Thanks, Erica! Book is out in July in the UK.
Yes, I am. Thanks, Susan!
I love the new look! Can’t wait to read the book. This is going to be an exciting year for you! Can’t wait to read about it. 🙂
EEeee! Yes, it will be. Thanks so much, Joy. x
EEEEE!!!!! Exciting stuff. I love the new look. It’s classic and clean, with just the right amount of info. It makes me incredibly jealous too since I have a website now…just without any content or design. Sigh. But back to you…I can’t wait to read the book! Then I’m going to hashtag the shit out of it.
Hehe. Thanks, Carmel. It did take me two years of blogging and a shameful number of hours to get to this point, remember.
Torre, it’s just beautiful! I love the spirit and style. And I’m *just* a wee bit jealous of the photo section. Well done, you! : )
Thanks, Bethany. It took me a long, LONG time to pick the right plugins for the photo section. (Man, I’m such a geek.)
Loving your new blog design! I am so excited that your book is finally coming out and that it is being turned into a film as well (even though I won’t be able to get it until the autum-which is when I will b in the UK next). You don’t happen to distribute to Cambodia, do you? 🙂
Thanks, Tammy. If the book becomes popular, you’ll find a photocopied version at any tourist bookstore in Cambodia. 🙂
As someone who just discovered your blog and never saw the old design, I wanted to tell you that this current design is incredibly beautiful and made me want to fall into all of your posts – I literally added the RSS feed to my reader without reading a single thing. So job well done!!!
Aw, what a lovely comment. Thanks, Marissa. My website charmed you with its looks alone. 😉
Just found your blog and read some stuff re fear – You have given me such inspiration to push through and make my company a success – I will keep in touch to share the success – thank you as I was unsure and a little frozen with the enormity of living to my potential – one day I hope to meet and shake your hand.
David, I’m so glad to hear this. Please do come back and tell me how it goes! Best of luck to you! I’ll be cheering you on from this side of the screen.
The new website looks great!
Why thank you, Harpreet!
Absolutely love it – took my breath away and I’m so contacting your guy as I’m going to get back into travel blogging on my other site.
Huge congrats on the book and the cake and I can only assume the book launch was a huge success!
Excellent news all around! I can’t wait to get a copy of your book. I definitely want a physical copy, not an e-book. I only buy physical books from independent bookstores. Will it fairly easy to find in the US?
What a beautiful new blog layout and I adore your book cover. Congratulations all round! This must be an amazing time for you.
WOW! I’m really loving the new redesign. Looks amazing. Congrats on making the front page of Penguin.
Sigh. I’m obsessed. And I hope you know I take this as a very personal assault on the zero progress I’ve made on my own web design. You really know how to twist the knife.
Love the dog, love the cake, love the Things You Love page.
Bravo, Torre 🙂
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Howdy! I know this is somewhat off topic but I was wondering if you knew where I could find
a captcha plugin for my comment form? I’m using the same blog platform as yours and I’m having difficulty finding one?
Thanks a lot!
I’m not sure, sorry. Someone helped me with my site so I don’t know what plugins were used.
Beautiful site! Just found you via a daisy chain of links from one female entrepreneur & blogger to the next that started with a post in my FB feed. Glad to have found you.
I am searching for a web design company for a client & unfortunately, the link for Flare is not coming up for me. Would you mind sending it along?
Thank you!
Ah – never mind. Just found it via the links in the footer. 🙂
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