Darren Alff’s 25th Birthday Extravaganza
October 14, 2008 by Darren Alff
Filed under General, Internet, Travel
Yes, I turned 25 today. 25 years old! Wow!
Over the past year I’ve made a lot of changes in my life. I’ve set a lot of goals, achieved many of them, and learned more in the last 12 months than at any other time in my life.
One of the biggest changes I made this year occurred when I started my website at www.bicycletouringpro.com. I started the site after my college roommate, Brandon Roesler, approached me saying that he wanted to go on a long distance bicycle tour. Because I was traveling by bike every summer back in college, Brandon knew that I had some knowledge on the subject, so he pumped me for as much information as he could get.
After a couple long conversations with Brandon, I decided one night to create a website where I would write down everything I knew about bicycle touring. I bought the domain name that night and a week or so later, BicycleTouringPro.com was born.
Just a few weeks after putting up the site, I started to receive some traffic. Then, in December (the same day I had my wisdom teeth removed), the Adventure Cycling Association published a short blurb about me in their bi-monthly email newsletter – Bike Bits.
That single mention skyrocketed my traffic and before I knew it I had close to 700 people on my mailing list.
From that moment on, I’ve been working to improve the website, give out valuable information, and provide an income source for myself that will allow me to travel the world and life the lifestyle I wish to live.
One of the best parts about my work on the BicycleTouringPro.com website is that I have met so many incredible people because of it. Every single day I get to talk to people from all over the world. I’ve met famous authors, talked to world famous travelers, and am now working with some of the biggest names in the bicycle industry. And of of this happened because I decided to follow my dreams and start a website about something I was passionate about!
I’m extremely proud of my work with BicycleTouringPro.com and I’m excited about the future of the website, but here are some other things I’m proud of accomplishing this year:
2). Went to Atlanta, Georgia (twice!)
3). Got my wisdom teeth removed
4). Learned the basics of the German language
5). Cut ice cream out of my diet (almost entirely)
6). Wrote and published “The Ultimate Guide To Free Lodging”
7). Made the decision to live in Europe for 3+ months
9). Joined a mastermind group with likeminded entrepreneurs from around North America (all of which are considerably older than I am)
10). Learned a ton about blogging, Internet marketing, and social networking
11). Attended the Interbike International Bicycle Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada
… plus, a whole lot more!
Okay! So if you really want to give me a present for my birthday, here are three things you can do:
1). Tell someone about my website at www.bicycletouringpro.com. I’m working hard to make this website my main source of income, so any traffic you could send my way would be greatly appreciated. If you’d like to go on step further, notify the local press in your area about the site and my upcoming travels to Europe this winter.
2). Make a donation to help me fund my trip to Europe and continue to grow my site at BicycleTouringPro.com.
3). Link back to this website or my website at www.bicycletouringpro.com.
Do any one of those three things and you’ll make my day! Thanks for being a part of my Birthday celebration. Now go out there and have a great day… just for me!