One Year of The Drift: A Heartfelt Thank You
One year ago today, I took a leap and registered The Drift as an LLC. A few weeks later, I hit “publish” on the very first stories for The Westport Drift—an interview with Mayor Ed Welter, a profile on Tracie Barry, and an update on the Westport Skate Park. I quickly realized that if I wanted people to actually read these stories, I’d need to connect with them on Facebook and Instagram.
Heart-shaped red sea glass found in Westport
The idea for The Drift had been swirling in my mind for years before I finally had to let it out. And I do mean had to. Have you ever had an idea, story, song, or poem build up inside you until you just had to share it? That’s what this was for me.
I kept hearing people talk about the South Beach Bulletin and how they missed having a local news source. I sat in a tsunami preparedness meeting at the marina and listened as residents wondered how they could find out about meetings, events, and what was happening around town. I started The Drift to help bridge that gap—a blog for the locals of South Beach. I have a section called The Lineup with stories, a section called Currents that lists events, and a section called Bites that features small news tidbits. Of course, there are many Facebook community groups where one can find information, but I wanted to go more in-depth and tell the stories of all the interesting people around here, and also share relevant news and events along the way.
I’m just one person, so I can’t cover as much as The Daily World or Coastal Currents, but I’m giving myself grace and focusing on the stories I do get to tell.
Today, I just want to take a moment to recognize this milestone and thank every single one of you who has read an article, visited the website, liked a social media post, left a comment, or sent me a story idea. It truly means the world to me, and I hope to hear from more of you—because I know the South Beach is full of stories worth telling!
Before launching The Drift, I took a business planning course with Enterprise for Equity to develop my idea. Originally, I dreamed of a free, quarterly newsprint publication, but I realized that was a little too ambitious (for now). I met with Barb Aue, former publisher of the South Beach Bulletin, to learn from her experience. I found inspiration in my friends who run The Outer Banks Milepost in North Carolina—a thriving free publication written for locals by locals. They encouraged me to bring The Drift to life, even if that meant starting online instead of in print.
Without boring you with all the details, I have a long background in print journalism, mostly in a niche market of surfing, sports, profiles, and music. Hopefully, I can keep this gig going for a while longer. If you ever need help with writing, event planning, or social media, I’m available for hire.
The Drift writer Anne Beasley with her two daughters in Westport.
I couldn’t have done this without my dear friend and artist, Laura Todd, who helped me navigate Squarespace and get the site off the ground. And to my two daughters—who finally get to see their mom writing again—my Westport surfing family and lady shredder crew near and far for keeping the stoke alive no matter how crowded or kooky the lineup gets, and my partner, Dustin, for being my biggest cheerleader of all: thank you.
If you made it this far, you’re amazing! I have more stories in the works—some weeks are busier than others, but I appreciate your patience. And please, reach out! Do you have an idea? A photo? A story to tell? I’d love to hear from you.
Yours truly,
Anne Beasley