Aloha Reader,

I'll admit something. For a long time, I've been self-conscious about filming videos in my house here in the Seattle area. It felt like a mismatch, me talking about black sand beaches and shave ice while sitting in a room that looks nothing like Hawaii. I'm not in the islands 24/7, so I had to figure out a way to make the content still feel right even when I'm filming from home.

So I carved out a corner of my home office and turned it into a little Hawaii backdrop. I spent a good chunk of time picking out artwork on Etsy that I can swap in and out, ordered some artificial tropical flowers for the table, and invested in real lights and sound equipment instead of just winging it on my phone. It's a small space, but it's mine, and it's starting to actually look like somewhere I'd want to talk about Hawaii from.

I'll be honest, rearranging my office and setting this up made me nervous. I'm pretty introverted in real life, so filming myself talking has never come naturally. Posting those videos still gives me a little jolt of nerves every time. But the response has been good enough that I know I need to keep showing up there, because a lot of you get your Hawaii info from video before you ever read a word I write. Seeing this setup finished is helping me feel less like I'm faking it and more like I actually belong there talking to you. Here's my first video with this new set-up.

Instagram isn't just talking-head videos for me either. I use it for quick tips and tricks, the kind of thing that doesn't need a whole blog post, and for fun clips that are really just me nerding out over how much I love Hawaii.

If you want to see the new setup in action, I'm @hawaiitravelwithkids on Instagram.

Aloha,

Marcie

P.S. Today's podcast episode is about Fake Vacation Rental Listings: How to Protect Your Hawaii Trip​