2018 Wrap Up

Yes, I know it’s almost the end of January. But I figure as long as we’re still in the first month of the new year, it’s still a good time to talk about last year.

A lot happened in the last year. I did a lot of things and learned a lot about myself.

The thing: Early in 2018, I accompanied some friends on their family vacation. We drove 14 hours from mid-Michigan, up through the U.P, and to Minnesota, where we spent a week.
The take away: Riding 14 hrs in a car with a total of three adults and two kids and a lot of luggage is not something anyone should do, ever. But whad a lot of fun and saw The Mall of America, went to the zoo, the aquarium (I’d never been to one before), and an indoor kids’ playground, we went swimming in the warmest hotel pool ever. I also got food poisoning, but it gave me a day to myself in the hotel to regroup, so whatever.

The thing: I read 12 books! I haven’t read that many in one year in a really long time.
Take away: I like ebooks more than I thought I did, because some of those 12 I could read on my phone any time. My buddy book club failed after one month (insert grumbling sounds) but I was able to beta read an amazing book and I read and reviewed several ARCs!

The thing: I learned how to say no.
Take away: I’m happier. I don’t have people depending on me when they are perfectly capable of caring for themselves. I’m not so bloody tired all the time.

The thing: I stopped watching mainstream news. I do still watch the news; I am aware of what’s going on in the world.
Take away: I’m SO much happier! If you listen to fear-mongers every single night, yes you’re going to start hating life and questioning existence. So I’m limiting my intake. Disclaimer: I totally think it’s important to know what’s going on in the world! But I’m taking smaller doses and I’m not relying on mainstream media. Instead of the CBS Evening News, I watch TCT more often and actually see that there are some good things that happen every day. Or I read articles online.

The thing: I put my book aside.
Take away: My book is on hold indefinitely, while I figure out how to make a day to day plan to make income. I’m looking into freelance writing, proofreading, transcribing jobs, and most of all travel writing. I’m taking online classes through Udemy. And since the end of October, I’ve been working on a fan fiction that is now at 50k words and I’m editing and getting ready to post the first part online.
The thing with the book was I no longer wanted to work on it, to the point that I was starting to hate writing. I’m not saying Kya will never be published; I’m just not ready for it right now. And I do still plan to write fiction, but right now I need to start making writing into a real job and start planning. Because I’m 29 and I need goals.

The thing: I had to deal with car problems several times this year.
Take away: I might possibly be an adult now. Patches had to get towed three times this year, I safely pulled into a parking lot after navigating roughly a half mile of city traffic after my brake line broke, so I had no breaks, and my wipers stopped working right when I needed them so I went to an auto parts store on my way home all by myself and got them replaced. I also got my windshield replaced. Thankfully, my dad was able to do most of the repairs on my car so I only had to pay for parts, and my grandpa let me use his AAA Membership to have my car towed because my insurance would only pay for 5 miles and home was 40 miles away on all three occasions (starting to think Patches doesn’t like the city).
On that note, I bought myself a AAA Membership card, which I highly recommend! I paid $117 for a one year premium membership. Some of the things my plan covers is: free gas delivery, roadside assistance, roadside medical assistance for me and my passengers, (1) hundred mile tow, and up to I believe (2) 400 mile tows. If you want more info, definitely check out their website, this is a great addition to my car insurance, for when I’m far from home or need a little extra help!

The thing: As I mentioned above, I am taking some online courses through Udemy, though I plan to use some other sights as well. I know SkillShare is a great place, but what I was looking for was a site that lets me pay once per class. For me, this makes way more sense than paying a monthly subscription and trying to do as much work as possible per month. On Udemy, I pay once per class and have a lifetime access to it — this seemed like a way better deal. Their class prices vary, but keep en eye out for sales! I bought three classes at their New Year’s sale, when everything was 50% or more off! Most of the classes in this sale were $10 each, so I scooped up the three most expensive classes that I wanted all at once: a value of  $380 for just $30!
Take away: Obviously, if timed right, this is a huge value. Plus the lifetime access means I can visit these classes and instructors at any time in my writing journey. I’m loving my first class so far and I plan to do a review on it as soon as I’m done.

The thing: I made a lot of new writer friends this year!
Take away: I was able to interview some exceptional writers for my Author Spotlight posts; and because we were communicating much more than usual, I was able to become friends with a lot of them.

The thing: I started an Etsy shop!
Take away: I’m very excited to be sharing my love of nature and photography! All income from the photos will be used to further my writing, be it retreats and conferences, or my new laptop fund, or travel expenses or classes. I made my very first sale last week and that was very exciting for me and I’m happy to see that someone enjoys my work! At this point, I’m selling them only as digital downloads. You can check out my shop here and follow me on Facebook.

The thing: Beta read for the first time!
Take away: Beta reading was a lot of fun and I learned how to be a better reader and writer. Mostly I learned how to communicate better. PS, Critter Haven is now available, check it out! I loved this book!

So that’s my year in a nutshell! I also went camping with my best friend (in a tent) for the first time, I got my old job back at the library where I work with some awesome friends, I’ve recently been offered publication for one of my stories (more on that later), and I sent out fan mail for the first time. I have plenty of goals for 2019 to keep me busy.

What were some highlights of 2018 for you?