2021 has been one other difficult yr. Discover out my highlights, a couple of low moments, plus my ideas on how 2022 is shaping up.
If you happen to’ve adopted me for a when you’ll know that yearly round this time I write my running a blog appraisal. It tends to be a little bit of a juicy learn full of private insights into the yr.
December is an effective time to mirror on what’s taken place over the earlier 11 months. Nevertheless, as I’m self-employed I don’t get a type of awkward boss-to-employee value determinations the place you talk about your yr intimately! To be sincere, I’d love an opportunity to speak about profession growth, issues I would like to enhance and to rejoice a couple of successes too. However hey, perhaps you guys might be my sounding board?
Whereas 2020 was a yr most of us wish to overlook, 2021 was slightly extra constructive. There have been a couple of successes each professionally and personally (OMG I HAVE A HUSBAND!) So, let’s sit down with a cuppa, or a pleasant warming cup of gluhwein (‘tis the season eh?) and see how this yr actually formed up!
A QUICK OVERVIEW OF 2021
I simply had slightly re-read of my 2020 running a blog appraisal and whereas there have been fairly a couple of positives, I feel I’d forgotten how gruelling the yr had been. In March 2020, I watched my enterprise just about dissolve, all of the travels in my diary vanished into skinny air and inside a couple of months we’d postponed our September 2020 marriage ceremony to nearly a whole yr later. Plenty of issues that introduced me pleasure disappeared.
We labored laborious to remain motivated, organising the Journey Print Retailer on Etsy and placing a variety of hours into creating content material for the Great British Bucket List (our web site devoted to journey inside Britain). We labored rattling laborious, and I’ll admit that at instances it wasn’t that a lot enjoyable!
I really like sitting at my laptop computer writing a couple of journey we’ve simply executed or a spot I’ve simply found. Nevertheless, spending 8 hours a day, 5 days per week at my laptop computer isn’t a routine I’m used to any extra. I assumed my workplace job days have been previously, however immediately I used to be a desk monkey as soon as once more! In essence, I really like having a journey weblog as a result of I completely adore travelling. To be housebound, and even err, kitchen-bound isn’t why I received into this!
However, it did repay. We labored actually laborious, the websites grew and as soon as travelling was again on the playing cards, we have been out the door as soon as once more.
In 2021, we continued to work laborious on our new ventures, however we additionally arrange a brand new one (yep, you most likely suppose we’re mad!)
We additionally tied the knot, settled into our new flat, oh and Macca received Covid (wait till you hear that story!) I’m completely satisfied to say we’re ending the yr celebrating certainly one of our most worthwhile months in our total grownup lives!
In numbers 2021 seems like this: 6 completely different nations visited (Portugal, Belgium, Spain, France, Scotland and Antigua), taking 12 flights.
As a fast comparability, in 2019, I visited 14 completely different nations (together with some actually unique locations like Thailand, Dominica and Oman) and travelled on 36 flights, whereas in 2020 I solely made it to a few nations, taking two flights! These numbers alone present how laborious the pandemic hit my journey enterprise, and I assume seeing my stats from this yr are a reminder that progress has been made.
All in all, 2021 you’ve not been too unhealthy, however I’ve large hopes 2022 can be a complete lot higher. Proper, it’s time to dive slightly deeper into this yr. Received that gluhwein prepared?
2021 – One other Uncommon Yr
We received married!
On August 1st 2021, we lastly tied the knot at stunning English winery Stanlake Park, surrounded by our family and friends! It was the primary time we’d seen so many individuals in a couple of years due to the pandemic. The date was simply in spite of everything authorities restrictions lifted, so we may actually benefit from the day with out social distancing or masks. We may hug, kiss, sing and dance!
It was a day full of love, enjoyable and happiness.
I’d actually say, it was the happiest day of my life to this point.
As you’ll know in case you learn final yr’s appraisal, it was a horribly difficult time to plan a marriage. The fixed worries over cancellations, rule adjustments and well being undoubtedly took a variety of the enjoyment away from planning, however the day was all the pieces we’d dreamed of.
However, there’s a twist to this story! We truly tied the knot formally three weekends earlier than at a registry workplace in London. It was a small authorized ceremony, in entrance of our two households. Everybody needed to sit in socially distanced chairs, carrying masks (as per the rules). We celebrated with champagne and a BBQ in our again backyard. Regardless of the restrictions, it was such a big day, and a stunning alternative for our households to get to know one another.
The subsequent morning, I made my… husband (!) a stunning breakfast and we sat within the backyard in a post-wedding haze, reflecting on the day gone by. Macca began to eat and mentioned, with a puzzled look on his face, ‘I can’t actually style this…’
SH****T!
Out got here the lateral move exams, and with three exams every exhibiting two thick black bars, it was fairly clear that regardless of being double vaccinated, Macca had Covid. I, nonetheless, appeared to have escaped the dreaded virus.
The primary week of our married life was spent in numerous rooms, avoiding touching or spending any time collectively! He wasn’t too poorly, nevertheless it wasn’t a lot enjoyable, particularly with our large marriage ceremony simply across the nook. Fortunately he recovered inside a couple of weeks and I by no means contracted it.
It was a weird begin to our marriage, and one I’m certain we’ll inform our children about sooner or later!!
Introducing our latest member
Which leads me on to… oh no, wait, this isn’t my means of saying we’ve a bubba! In 2021, after noticing the quizzes on our blogs have been a few of our hottest posts, we determined to make the leap and arrange a brand-new web site. We launched Ultimate Quiz Questions in February 2021.
Up till this level, all our expertise was in creating journey content material, however we felt we may apply all of this information to a brand new area of interest. When the pandemic struck we realised we’d put all our eggs in a single basket by solely specializing in journey, so it was time to diversify. We labored laborious on logos, content material and have become specialists in a wide range of random topics with the intention to write partaking and entertaining quizzes!
The expansion has been completely mind-blowing! We have been accepted onto Mediavine (the promoting community we use throughout all of our web sites) inside 4 months of going reside, and in between our journey initiatives, we’ve continued to place in as many hours as we will to this web site.
Within the final month, web page views have surpassed 200,000 and we’re on observe to hit over 1 million views in yr one. What a tremendous achievement!
We needed to arrange this web site to guard our earnings if there was one other pandemic, or if journey jobs continued to be sporadic. I assume you possibly can say it’s a step to future-proofing our careers and creating a brand new type of passive revenue (via promoting). We’ve received large plans for the positioning for 2022, so watch this house!
Oh, and in case you fancy enjoying some fun Christmas quizzes over the festive season, we’ve received you coated!
Travelling once more
In 2021, after a number of lockdowns and a endless stream of presidency restrictions, we lastly hit the street once more. We purchased a automobile, Yoyo the Yaris, which has made getting round a lot simpler. It’s been beautiful to have the liberty to discover extra of the UK, gathering content material for my weblog and Nice British Bucket Record.
We additionally began to work with a few of our favorite shoppers once more. Many of those jobs had been postponed from 2020. We promoted a novel model of lodging within the Cotswolds, checked out Durham’s coast, countryside and metropolis, explored Shropshire’s numerous landscapes, loved Hampshire’s gin scene and extra!
One of many highlights was our journey to Antigua in October. I’ve misplaced observe of simply what number of instances this journey has been postponed, and I all the time mentioned ‘if that trip ever happens, it’s going to really feel like the tip of the pandemic!’ Okay, so it hasn’t ended, however the unbelievable Caribbean getaway to Hammock Cove was simply what we wanted after a difficult yr and a half.
I additionally travelled to France for a tremendous river cruise alongside the Rhone with Avalon Waterways. Nearly all of my travels are with Macca, however this one was only for me. It was a extremely beautiful journey, with an ideal group of journalists and bloggers, and jogged my memory how a lot I really like my job (and simply how a lot I’ve missed it too)! I’m trying ahead to occurring a couple of extra solo journeys in 2022.
One other dream job came about in Bristol a couple of months in the past. Canon requested me to be the face of a brand new digital camera lens, so off I went to Bristol to movie a vlog which is now live here. This was such superb expertise, working with a staff on such an thrilling and demanding venture. I felt honoured to be a part of it – it was a little bit of a pinch me second!
We’ve additionally simply returned from Lanzarote. After the hardships of the pandemic, we analysed what we would like from our lives. Whereas we love consumer work, we completely adore planning our personal journeys too.
We determined to fund per week in Lanzarote, gathering numerous fascinating content material for future blogs and social media posts. It was refreshing to remove the pressures of sponsors, be 100% upfront and clear about all the pieces (from what issues value to non-public opinions), with no signal of an #advert on any of the content material. We’re hoping to plan a couple of of those journeys annually. The place do you suppose we must always go subsequent?
House life
We purchased our flat in London final yr, and at last moved in simply earlier than Christmas. 2021 has concerned a steep studying curve of house proudly owning. Every little thing from mortgages and insurance coverage, to DIY, gardening and inside design. Apart from a brief row over hanging photos on the wall, most of it has been actually pleasing!
I felt fairly proud seeing the completion of our fire venture from mouldy, crumbling brickwork to a classy art-deco impressed scallop design. Isn’t it stunning? I additionally received a variety of pleasure seeing my row of sunflowers develop to over 6 ft, whereas Macca grew sufficient chillies to arrange his personal chilli sauce model!
2020 and 2021 have seen numerous large choices amongst our pals, of shifting to new elements of the nation, increasing their households, and following new careers. As London opened up over the summer season, Macca and I have been reminded of why we selected to remain within the metropolis for slightly longer. The thrill returned, we received again to seeing pals for nights out and found numerous new superb eating places. How lengthy we’ll keep put? Who is aware of! However proper now, London most undoubtedly seems like house.
2022 AND BEYOND
If you happen to’d requested me three months in the past how we’d be kicking of 2022, I’d have mentioned we’d be jetting off to The Philippines in January to kick off 3-4 weeks of honeymoon travels. That was the plan.
The place do two journey bloggers go on the journey of a lifetime? It was laborious to decide on, however we have been hoping to go island hopping in The Philippines, adopted by per week in Indonesia after which on to South Korea for a giant dose of tradition. I’ll admit it was a wrestle discovering locations we hadn’t been to but, however we’d just about settled on that plan.
Till… properly… yeah….! Till it turned out the pandemic was nonetheless in full power, and if something, gaining power with new variants rising.
And now? Nicely after a couple of spins of the globe, we’re 99% set on visiting Sri Lanka (pandemic allowing!) and we’d see if we will add in a single different vacation spot too. We’re going to push again our departure to the beginning of February. Hopefully we’ll know extra about how the world is dealing with the pandemic by then, and might ebook with extra confidence.
Whereas we haven’t had the busiest journey schedule for work this yr, we’re undoubtedly prepared for a little bit of downtime. Getting married was an enormous second of 2021 and we need to ensure we don’t rush previous this particular time with out having fun with all the nice and cozy fuzzy emotions that go along with it!
As for work in 2022, we’ve lined up a couple of actually thrilling campaigns for January, and are in chats about some actually thrilling worldwide journeys later within the yr. We additionally need to plan one other self-funded content material mission (much like Lanzarote). I’m trying ahead to creating extra inspiring content material for you guys, that can assist you plan your holidays. All of us deserve them after the troubles of the previous couple of years!
In order that’s the tip of my running a blog appraisal for 2021. I’m hoping 2022 brings with it a giant fats dose of positivity and much extra completely satisfied instances!
Keep secure and properly this Christmas and see you in January.
