Hello! Welcome to my blog. My name is Marileidy, but you can call me Mari or Mariposa. I am excited to use this platform to share my traveling experiences and advice. This blog was originally supposed to launch on April 1st which was also my 3 year anniversary with my boyfriend Danny, making it a special for us. However God, life and the universe had other plans. That same day I dropped off my best friend/partner at a hospital emergency room with Covid-19 symptoms. The rest was an 8-week nightmare that we had no idea we would be facing. But that is a long story that we may open up about later on.
With a global pandemic and so many uncertainties, I am aware that it is a tough time to launch a travel blog. However, as we all get used to the “New Normal” I am curious and excited to see how the travel industry adjusts to things. I look forward to connecting with all of you and really hope to make this a community where we can all exchange ideas.
Background:
I was born in Santiago, Dominican Republic and moved to NJ when I was nine-years-old without speaking a word of English. Since then, it’s been a whirlwind. As a first generation college student with very traditional Immigrant parents, I didn’t know any other place besides New Jersey and the Dominican Republic. In 2009 my friends and I booked a SpringBreak trip my senior year of college to Cancun, Mexico; and the rest is history. You can read more at the About Me section.
Blog Name Meaning:
Mariposa means butterfly in Spanish. Morel is my last name. Growing up my mom used to dress me in those puffy dresses, which I used to be mortified in after I started to get a little older. But my mom used to tell me that she loved to see me in them, because I looked like a little “Mariposa”. When I finished college, which I did Broadcasting as an undergrad, I was involved in TV gigs. I wanted a stage name/alter-ego so I remembered my puffy skirt, childhood nickname. Which seemed to flow naturally from my current nickname, Mari.
The Social Butterfly:
I started a blog called Mari Morel roughly around 2011 because I was really into poetry at the time. In 2013 I decided to join forces with my bestie, Samantha and we created www.TheSocialButterfly.me this blog was much more diverse and originally had lots of video content. Mainly interviews with entrepreneurs and influencers. We eventually drifted off the video content and focused more on lifestyle blogging.
MariposaMorel.com:
The idea of MariposaMorel.com has been in my head for a while. But it didn’t have a name or home until earlier this year. I absolutely love The Social Butterfly and it will forever be my blog baby. But I wanted to rebrand and niche down to something that I am extremely passionate about. A place where I can share my knowledge and will be able to help others. It was not an easy decision to branch out on my own after all these years. But I am taking a leap of faith and hope that I am able to make a difference in this new journey.
I would love to build a beautiful relationship with each a everyone of you. Feel free to subscribe to this blog in the form below, so we can keep in touch through this new adventure.
-Mari