Marie Palmeri Of Feetingtheodds.com

Tell us about yourself.

My name is Marie Palmeri. I was born in Vietnam but was adopted and raised in the Philippines by an American couple. After High School, I came to the United States to further my education specializing in Computer Applications. I enjoy learning and using the different software that are available out there. I love doing office type of work and helping people with electronic problems they may have, not only because I want them to feel happy and worry-free but to improve my computer skills as well. In the world of technology and life itself, there is always something to learn and explore. 

What brought you to the 30 Day Blog Challenge?

I do research on the internet a lot and I noticed that a lot of the websites now have a Blog page. I do web hosting for myself and a few people, and I was curious to know how to set up a Blog for myself. I am a person with a physical disability who likes to promote disability awareness. I wanted to have a Blog which would help me inspire and be inspired but I did not know how or where to begin to create one. So I got online and did some digging…when I found the link for the one-month Blog course. It was the perfect time to do it; a ‘stay home’ order was just issued due to the health crisis we are experiencing.

How do you stay productive and motivated working virtually?

I have always been an independent, organized, and a determined type of person. Whenever I set my mind on something or accept a project that needs to be worked on, I am on top of it. I do not have a lot of patience. I do not like it when people have me wait for long periods of time to receive a request I made. Therefore, I try to finish whatever is handed to me in as little time as possible to keep others from waiting and wondering if I will ever get the assignment done. Using a computer is what I love. When I work, I work very hard until the task or project has been completed. I want people to know that despite my disability, I am reliable and capable of providing and producing great service. Lessening people’s problems and keeping up with the ever-changing world of technology motivates me to work virtually.

How have your friends and family reacted to your project?

Honestly, I have not formally informed any of my family and friends about my website yet because it is new and it still needs to be polished and worked on. The 30 day blog challenge and WordPress courses helped me get started and taught me some neat tips and tricks on how to create and maintain a Blog site. I did share an article I wrote on bullying via voice in a video and I got good reactions from it. I am still trying to figure out and getting the feel of what types of topics will interest people the most.

How has being in a community helped your progress?

Taking the 30 day blog challenge course not only taught me what I now know about Blogging but I have met new, interesting people as well. I was able to learn from them through reading the articles they shared. Although being a successful blogger takes effort and can be exhausting at times, I felt that I was not alone. I read some of the articles which others who were taking the course had posted and I thought, if they could do it, then I could, too. Their thoughtful and kind comments tell me that I should keep on writing and sharing. The assignments for the course also taught me to think fast and use the internet for ideas to post. There is much useful information out there that I can share on my site for viewers to read and learn from.

What has been the scariest part of this challenge and how have you overcome it?

The scariest part of the course was coming up with interesting materials to post for the given assignment before the next day came…for yet another assignment. Yes, in the beginning, there were times when I felt overwhelmed and just wanted to give up altogether. But the more I stuck with the lessons and hands-on work, the easier it got. Looking back, I am so glad that I stayed with the course and went with the flow! I have learned so much!

What have you gained from this journey up until now?

Ever since I took the course, I am now more educated on what Blogging is all about and have a few people on my Contacts list already. I have also created another website using WordPress which contains posts. I feel more comfortable and confident sharing my story and thoughts via a Blog page. If I run into not having anything personal to share, I know that I can just go online and share other people’s works which are related to my theme, crediting them, of course.

Thank you, 30 day blog challenge for making this course available to us. I hope that many more bloggers to-be will sign up and take on this worthy challenge. Take care and be safe.