About 2023 & A Glimpse of 2024

Yes, I know.  It’s almost March already, so why am I reflecting on 2023 now?  

For me, it feels like one of those tasks in the back of my mind that just feels undone.  And 2023 was a challenging year so those kinds are never the most fun to write about. 

Nevertheless, I’m here.  And I’m doing it.  If anything I hope it gives my readers a glimpse of what happened in 2023 and what’s next.  Although truthfully I’m still trying to figure out the what’s next part and so now we’re back full circle on why I’m just writing about 2023 now in February 2024…you see what I mean?!

Anywho…..let’s talk about the good stuff.

YOU

Thank you, faithful aBroad purpose reader!  While I appreciate all the traffic that made its way to the biog in 2023 (over 400K btw) it’s my faithful repeat followers that make the blog happen.  

Your kind comments on posts and private emails to me are seriously the best!  

 “Thank you! From SA to Croatia. Your post gave me new insights” – @andries_combrink on Why Trailing Spouse Is Rubbish & What To Do About It

 

“Thanks for this post and answer since I am moving there very soon. I didn’t ever think of getting American goods there! Brilliant. I’ll join before I leave.” – Elena on Is Costco In The UK?

 

“Loved reading about your trip. You answered so many questions on where to stay, visit, cost etc. ..I am inspired to add another day (maybe 2 at most) and perhaps hit one or two more sites (perhaps on the south rim)…” – Jay on Grand Canyon Road Trip

Whether you’re an expat in motion, an avid traveler, or perhaps a fellow anglophile, every visit and purchase you made in the Shop matters and keeps the lights on for aBroad purpose. 

And for that, I thank you with a thousand butterscotch blondies from The Pudding Stop! (If you haven’t had one get on a plane/train/auto right now to St Albans City. They are sooooo yum.)

Other 2023 Highlights (that I don’t want to forget)

• Appearance in Houston Voyage, which somehow won me a nominee for “Who’s Who In America” (is that even a thing anymore???)
• A feature article on expat life for Cigna International was written and still waiting for a publication date..let’s go Cigna!
• Added another digital product to the shop: Dog Relocation Checklist
• 14% YOY growth in pageviews and 16% YOY growth in sessions thru September (will talk more about this later in the post)

Now, if 2023 had kept going with the same momentum as the first 8 full months, the rest of the year’s blog reflection would be very different. 

2023 Lowlights (that I do want to forget)

Google and new tech in general is making digital content creation errr uhhh…let’s just say complicated.  

At first, I thought AI was my biggest concern. That machines could actually replace the narrative of a true human experience. I was concerned AI would diminish the need for human blogging anymore.

But then the Google Helpful Content Update happened in mid-September which I admittedly wasn’t prepared for. No previous update had rocked me and I thought I was safe.  But it really turned aBroad purpose upside down. Traffic just fell off a cliff.  Like fell off the top of a mountain to its demise.  

I pivoted to doing all the things that I think Google wanted so that they’d forgive me for whatever I did that I don’t know I did and give me my traffic back.  So far no such luck.  

As a result, it’s making the future for a solo digital content creator in the travel industry questionable.  And for that reason, I’m still in a conundrum on what’s next.

Google and tech aside…let me share what happened on a personal and family level in 2023.

2023 Personal & Family Goals Reflection

I still haven’t finished my Tunnocks cross-stitch I received as a repatriation gift in 2020! If you’re good at this and can finish it, for the love help me.  

On a positive note, for whatever amount of time I would have put into cross-stitching I applied to volunteering. Winning!

Both my kids transitioned to new schools in the fall and are doing amazingly well.  It’s been a ton of change having 1 in high school and the other in junior high, but they are both thriving and I firmly believe it has so much to do with attending school overseas. Definitely read this if you’re doubting the British school system. 

Playing football in England is still paying off for my multi-sport son even in a gigantic Texas high school.  And my shy daughter has a surprising interest in theatre. I credit early years in LAMDA for that renewed passion now that theatre is an option again.

Home was split in 2023 between Maine for the summer and Texas for the rest. Neither are risk-free states when it comes to mother nature but we managed to get through the year with only a handful of floods at our Maine place.  

Yes!  That says “handful”. Insanity.  

But given how horrible the State of Maine got hit in December 2023, we’re actually feeling pretty grateful. 

And on a hugely positive note, we finally got our 1987 Land Rover Defender back.  For good this time!

Health Crap In 2023

My husband and I managed to get through 2023 without any surgeries or broken limbs. But we did end up with broken hearts.  

We both lost our dads this year.  As you can imagine, our lives went/are on pause while we process and adjust. 

My dad was my big supporter of aBroad purpose after my mom passed.  He wasn’t great at using the web or tech in general but he ALWAYS asked me about my workbook, what I was working on, and how things were going in general.  I loved that he was so interested in my passion.  It was a regular topic we’d chat about every summer in Maine. And this particular “last summer” is one I will never forget.

My dad & I at a friend’s wedding in Maine, June 2023

Moving on to happier stuff so that tears don’t blur the page…

2023 Travel Goals

Travel in 2023 was mostly stateside but I managed to escape to Europe in the end.

• Park City, Utah
• Grand Canyon Road Trip (with Vegas, Page, Bryce & Zion) – a trip of a lifetime!
• Orlando, FL
• Houston to Maine Road Trip (with Alabama, Asheville & Hershey)
• Round Top, TX
• Frankfurt, Germany
• Cologne, Germany

I love, love, love exploring new places.  In fact, I aim to always try somewhere new but this year I spent more time doing things for the first time right here in Houston, Texas with more on my agenda for 2024. 

So about 2024?

2024 Is Well….Still A Work In Progress

Although Google has thrown me a curve ball that I’m still sorting out a recovery plan for, there are some exciting trips shaping up that I hope come to fruition:

• Surf & Scuba Diving in Maui
• Annual road trip to Maine with a new itinerary
• Caribbean: St Martin/St Maarten
• Maybe Los Angeles
• Hopefully somewhere in Europe…girls trip to Bruges, anyone?

While the number of blog posts may slow down compared to years prior while I work through the next steps on the tech stuff, make sure to get on the newsletter. 

The newsletter is where it’s at.  

I occasionally include a PDF one-pager of awesome travel destinations, who’s hiring for visa-sponsored jobs in the UK, tips for expats or soon-to-be expats, travel suggestions, and all sorts of helpful resources like big dog airline changes.  I include digital products at a reduced rate via private links too.  

I only send newsletters 1-2 times per month (I hate a lot of email too).

My favor to ask of you in 2024….if you love it, share it! Sharing and word of mouth are my best referral sources (and comeback against Google HCU!).

Thank you again for another year of almost linear growth!