What’s In a Name? The Story Behind An Aspiring Heroine

An Aspiring Heroine wasn’t the first name of this blog, but it’s one that I’ve come to love. I can, however, understand how it might need a little explaining for new readers or even some who have been around for a while! Since I’ve been doing some personal branding exercises for both this blog and my Instagram account, I thought it would be fun to give you the story behind the name.

Let me set the scene for you:

It’s December 31, 2014. Spencer and I are in a cramped little room on the very top floor of an inn on the outskirts of London. We’ve had the most magical honeymoon exploring Paris and London, and now it’s coming to an end.

At this point, my blog has been filled mostly with wedding planning advice and random posts about our first six months living in Cincinnati. Now that we’re married and are becoming more settled in our new home, I know that I want to transition my blog’s content to grow along with me. I also know that I want to rebrand my online space to better align with these goals.

This blog began as a WordPress.com site called “Learning to Thrive in 1455.” As I’m sure you can imagine, there are a few problematic things about that name:

1. It doesn’t tell you anything about what you can expect from my posts.
2. What if we decided to leave our first apartment? The name wouldn’t exactly fit anymore. (Spoiler alert: We bought a house not six months later!)
3. Internet safety, bro! I shudder to think how easily someone could’ve found our physical address with a few quick Google searches.

As I sat there with Spencer, watching London’s New Year’s Eve festivities on the tiny TV in our room (including a live concert with Queen led by Adam Lambert!), I considered what to rename my blog. I wanted something that encompassed the things I loved most: literature, fiction writing, new travel experiences.

But I also needed something that wouldn’t pigeonhole me. I’ve never been a huge fan of niches (something I’m sure many millennials can relate to), and I wanted the freedom to write what I wanted to, whether in 2015 or 2025.

A few songs into the concert, I started playing around with the phrase “aspiring writer,” a sentiment I don’t exactly agree with. (In my opinion, if you’re writing, you’re a writer.) And that’s when it came to me.

For years and years, I had looked up to my favorite heroines from literature, empathizing through their struggles and successes, their heartbreaks and celebrations. More than that, I had attempted to emulate them in my own trying moments. Nothing appealed to me more than being the heroine of my very own story.

And just like that, An Aspiring Heroine was born! “An” instead of “The” because we all have the capacity to be heroines of our own. “Aspiring” because, though I might be the protagonist of my own life, I’m always learning and working toward being my best self. And “Heroine” because it’s what I’ve always wanted to be!

It touches on the things I love writing about for the blog and the things you can expect when you pop over here:

• unique travel experiences that push me out of my comfort zone and introduce me to cultures around the world
• writing tips and resources that I come across in my own journey to someday publish a novel
• lists of books that inspire me and teach me about new and different ways to be a heroine,
• what I’m thinking and learning about feminism, sustainability, being a young professional, and current events,
• the best products, brands, and technology that make life easier, solve a problem, or simply bring me joy as I continue on my journey toward being the heroine of my own story.

If any of that sounds like something you could use in your life, do me a favor and sign up for my email list, so I can keep you in-the-know about what’s going on here at An Aspiring Heroine! (You can sign up for blog post alerts or just my monthly newsletter. Whatever works for you!)

Thanks for reading through the “origin story” of the blog! I hope you’ve enjoyed getting a peek behind the curtain. It’s really helped ground me as I build out my editorial calendar for the next few months and solidify what I want from my Instagram account.

What do you want to see from An Aspiring Heroine this year? Leave a comment and let me know!

P.S. Curious about the post that’s been my most popular for three years? Read it for yourself!

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