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It’s the time of yr once more. Annual weblog evaluation time! Yearly I write an extended, rambly put up trying again on the final twelve months; one thing midway between an end-of-year profession appraisal and a prolonged journal entry.
I’ve written one in all these evaluation posts yearly since 2015, however I wasn’t going to trouble this yr. Perhaps I’m nonetheless in that post-Christmas funk, however I simply may NOT be bothered! Till I remembered that the one particular person I write these posts for is, nicely, me.
Blogs started life as primarily on-line diaries in any case, and mine was no exception. Regardless that I hardly write any private posts anymore, and have primarily been targeted on my freelance writing profession this yr, it’s nonetheless good to have these end-of-year round-ups to look again on.
So I made a decision to bung collectively a fast 2022 evaluation, with a few of my favorite (and most ridiculous) photographs of the yr, to provide Future Emily one thing to recollect all of it by. As a result of it has been a VERY good yr!
This yr, I’ve labored with one in all my dream manufacturers, researched and written half a e-book (extra on that in a sec), visited 11 nations, and squeezed in plenty of adventures!
Profession-wise, that is the toughest I’ve ever labored: I’ve felt burnt out loads, particularly over the previous couple of months. In between, I’ve had some superb adventures – and partied maybe a bit of too laborious to make up for some lengthy weeks locked up writing! However it has all been price it.
So, with out additional rambling, right here’s my 2022 evaluation journey weblog evaluation…
This yr’s large achievements…
✨ I used to be employed by Lonely Planet to put in writing HALF of their new Devon and Cornwall guidebook! Spent about 2 months visiting each inch of Devon, researching and writing over 40,000 phrases. Barely left my flat between analysis journeys, poured my coronary heart and soul into it, and completed the entire thing exhausted and so, SO happy with myself!
✨ Additionally wrote the Southwest England chapter of Lonely Planet’s new Expertise England e-book (coming in February 2023) – and wrote 5 articles for his or her web site.
✨ Lonely Planet’s Expertise Nice Britain, which I labored on final yr, was printed this summer season. This was a real dream come true second for me – one of the thrilling issues in my total profession.
✨ Had my first-ever viral social put up when a reel of me getting jump-scared by a dinosaur in Common Orlando received 4.5 million views!
✨ My Dorset Journey Information weblog grew by 52.21% in comparison with 2021, with over 800,000 pageviews in whole. My purpose is to interrupt 1 million in 2023 – watch this house.
✨ This website grew by 33.21% vs final yr! Additionally simply noticed that it’s up greater than 996.59% because the first yr I began monitoring pageviews (2015), in order that’s good!!!
2022 Journey Highlights
I’m far too lazy to enter particulars about all my travels this yr. So listed here are a few of my favorite snaps from the yr…
January: Hiked a part of the Offa’s Dyke Path in Wales. Additionally headed to Lisbon to eat about 100 pastel de natas in a single weekend!
February: Assembly elephants, climbing Sigiriya and hanging out with these three babes in Sri Lanka…
March: London for just a few nights – made a dream come true by lastly watching Les Mis stay on the West Finish.
April: Consuming ALLLLLL the meals in Bologna with the legend that’s Wanderlust Chloe!
Could: Chilling within the UK – together with Chelsea Flower Present with my sister.
June: Orlando for IPW (an enormous US journey convention) with some epic events (together with the opening celebration at a Disney’s Epcot). Additionally a number of days going geek-crazy within the three Common Orlando parks
Then went to Puerto Rico for every week of kayaking, jungle hikes, zip traces and highway journeys…
Additionally received caught in NYC for 2 nights after a delayed flight led to me and Teresa lacking our connection… which led to us spending a day on the Coney Island Mermaid Parade with some superior bloggers!
Additionally June: Took my sister Cheryl on a press journey to Cheltenham and Gloucester – which included a tour of Gloucester jail…
July: A month of paddleboarding adventures in Dorset, and a weekend glamping in Dartmoor.
August: Mountains, journey and cheese within the Swiss Alps with a summer season journey to Verbier. Took a trip on the world’s highest zipline – watch the reel right here!
September: Seals and seaside cities in North Devon adopted by a weekend of meals and wine in Vienna with Lisa.
Additionally September: Traverse (journey running a blog convention) in Brno, CZ – fab week of events, classes, networking, and catching up with a few of my FAVOURITE bloggers, adopted by a brief press journey exploring the South Moravia area within the Czech Republic (with a few of my fave folks!).
October: Exploring what felt like each final inch of Devon for the Lonely Planet guidebook analysis – and attending to strive some critically cool experiences!
November: A month of extremes: from carrying sweatpants 24/7 and barely leaving the home while hustling to complete the Lonely Planet guidebook, to every week of journey and leisure in Aruba with Monica (The Journey Hack).
December: In a single day journey to Calais with my dad… then a Christmas filled with household time and the start of my eleventh (yep, ELEVENTH) nibling*, congratulations to my little bro Aidan!
*(collective time period for nieces and nephews. I really need it to catch on!).
What a yr
And right here was me considering I may whistle by way of that rapidly! I find yourself saying this yearly… however WHAT A YEAR!!
In the beginning of 2022, I didn’t set a decision. I simply wrote an inventory of all of the locations I’ve at all times wished to go, and all of the issues I’ve at all times wished to strive, and determined to spend my yr attempting to go to, see and do as a lot of them as I may. The outcome has been a yr of wonderful reminiscences – and I can’t wait to repeat the identical factor subsequent yr!
Wishing everybody a fully incredible 2023 filled with journey, journey, and pleasure. Let me know your highlights of 2022 within the feedback!