Hey, everyone! I’m so excited for today’s post because it’s my first little life update on TWF. To be honest, I love reading other life updates that blogger’s post, but I never knew if people cared enough to read about what goes on in my life beyond the blog.
The full moon had me in a total funk, but today I woke up feeling like a new person! So I decided to kick the worry away and just share a little bit of what’s been going on in my life over the last few months.
Blogging Life Update
Shoutout to Amanda with Flytographer in NYC <3
I’ve been working full-time on the blog since January and even though my “full-time” might be a little different than other full-timers (I only post once a week right now), it takes up a lot of time, energy, thoughts, and planning. It’s a rollercoaster every single week and I’m still taking my time to figure out my own routine. I’m the kind of blogger that has to feel really motivated and inspired to feel like sharing something, but I’m hoping to start utilizing my bursts of inspiration and energy to get ahead.
I absolutely love what I do, but there are a lot of lonely days, feelings of defeat and unworthiness, and then sometimes just straight up depression. I was thrown into full-time blogging when the “family” business sold and I had to make a decision on pursuing my dreams or jumping into another office job. Because I went right into the blogging world after losing my job, I never really allowed myself to grieve and recover. And then going from a guaranteed paycheck to self-employment has been a major struggle for both my bank account and psyche.
Thankfully, the little wins keep me going and remind me of why I’m pushing forward with this dream. For example, this year I had a post go pretty viral that has boosted my confidence. The blog has reached over 100,000 views and I’ve heard, “yes, we’d love to work with you” from companies that I reached out to before our travels. Heck, I’ve even turned down collaborations (gotta stick to my gut on what feels right)! My first sponsored payment from the blog has come through and I’ve made multiple affiliate sales. Most of all, I’ve had friends and strangers reaching out to me to just give me praise, encouragement, and kind words. That is everything.
And just so you know, if you’re reading this, you’re making my whole day. I can’t thank you enough for joining me on this journey.
The Weekend Fox Travel Update
This, my friends, is the infamous carpet of Daytona Beach International Airport. My favorite.
We have had some really fun travels in 2018 and I am so grateful that I have this little platform to share it with you all. You may or may not know that my husband, Marc-André, gets 2 weeks of vacation a year along with some floating days. That can make things difficult for a travel blogger. However, from skiing for the first time in Steamboat Springs to a dozen Disney days and more, we make the most out of Marc’s limited time off and our weekends. I also make up for it with fun girls getaways, and on top of that, I’m planning some solo travels.
I may not be a digital nomad or a globe-trotting model, but I’m a travel blogger because I’m obsessed with experiencing new places and sharing it with you. If I can convince one person to go somewhere new, embrace a different culture, or spoil themselves to the wonder of travel, then I’ll consider my travel side of this blog a success.
You don't have to be a digital nomad or globe-trotting model to be a travel blogger. You just have to love experiencing the world and sharing it with others.Click To Tweet
Where To Next?
Tomorrow we leave for Iceland! Dream. Come. True. I remember wanting to travel to Iceland years ago and suddenly it’s become the “it” place to travel. We have 4 full days in Iceland and it was another spontaneous booking so my plans aren’t as firm as I usually prepare. All I know is rain, snow, or sunshine, we’re going to soak in everything that beautiful country has to offer.
After some big expenses, some planned and some not, we’ll be taking a breather this summer. That means you’ll get to see more of our hometown, some nearby day-trips, and more. All the while, I’ll be planning our exciting European trip coming up in September.
But hey, stick around. I’ll be taking the summer break as a time to open up about money, our home, style, and more! With an increase in lifestyle posts, let me know if you have anything in particular that you’re interested in reading about. I love hearing from you!
Side note: What are your thoughts on a vlogging series for TWF? Yay or nay?!
Personal Life Update
As I mentioned above, figuring out what works for me on a day to day basis has been rough. I’ve decided to start scheduling blog work, fitness, appointments, and more just as I would have at my office job. Blogging can feel like I’m “on” 24/7 and I think that’s what leads to the increase in exhausting/defeating days. If you work from home, send me an email to let me know how you figured out the balance.
I’m also making my health and fitness a priority again. When I worked my 9-5, I was up nearly every day before work to get in a solid workout and eat a healthy breakfast. What happened?! Working from home happened. It became so much easier to push it off to “later” which became “tomorrow”. Truth is, I always feel 100 times better when I make a daily sweat sesh a priority and I’m really looking forward to enjoying it again.
What I’m Loving
What’s a life update without confessing what I’m loving lately?
- Girl time. A weekend getaway to NYC was the perfect mood-booster for this season. I’m so thankful for friends that share a passion for traveling (and eating and drinking)! My girls are my therapists. 🖤
- Speaking of NYC, I registered for my first ever blog conference, BlogHer! See you in August, New York! (Bloggers, let me know if you’re going!)
- Vanderpump Rules is my guilty pleasure. Anyone else?! Season 6 is over and now we get to look forward to the dramatic reunion shows! And yep, Bravo confirmed a season 7!
- Surfrider Secretary. That’s me! 🙋 With a more flexible schedule, I’ve become our local chapter’s secretary and it’s just made my passion for our beaches and oceans skyrocket. I love being able to make a difference in our community and the world.
- Cooking with Hello Fresh. It’s our life-saver during busy weeks. We just switched to the Vegetarian plan and we’re looooving the meals so much. I’ve never posted about Hello Fresh, but if you’ve been thinking about trying it – do it. We’ve tried Blue Apron, Green Chef, and Home Chef, too, but Hello Fresh is our favorite. Here’s $40 off!
- The Confused Millennial Podcast. I don’t know if my little blog would even exist without Rachel guiding me through the ropes and encouraging me to keep chasing after this dream. I’m obsessed with her new podcast and you totally need to listen, too!
- Our new pool! You can find me here all summer. As I mentioned, we had some big expenses lately, but we are so excited about the plunge pool we added to our backyard. It took nearly 6 months from signing the papers to swimming, but it was worth the wait. I’m also hoping I can go back to working in my home without being freaked out by random men in my backyard all the time. 😂 Stay tuned for some outdoor style ideas, pool parties, and my favorite summer cocktails!
