Right this moment is my thirty eighth birthday. I’m celebrating in Prague for the second 12 months in a row.
Every birthday, I write a publish going over the previous 12 months. I write a lot in my month-to-month recaps that you simply guys know what I’ve been as much as the previous 12 months — visiting my last three Italian areas; spending one other winter in Mexico; falling head over heels in love with Naples, Italy; welcoming a brand new might-as-well-be-a-nephew; canceling a street journey in Iceland as a result of I can’t drive a handbook automobile.
I additionally managed to keep away from COVID, regardless of two very shut calls this previous 12 months. Nonetheless haven’t had it. (I attain down and knock my hardwood flooring each time I say that.)
However there have been two massive issues that I didn’t point out right here but.
Charlie and I are engaged!
Charlie requested me to marry him after we had been in Lake Como in July! And I mentioned sure!
I share bits and items of life with Charlie right here, however I preserve a lot of the private relationship stuff non-public. We’ve been collectively greater than three years now, and I don’t assume I’ve talked a lot about how we received collectively.
Charlie and I met on-line in 2017. Charlie reached out to me saying that he noticed I used to be planning a visit to Ukraine, and whether or not his firm, JayWay Journey, might sponsor my journey there. I agreed and I ended up with a beautiful journey to Odessa, Kyiv, and a memorable day in Chernobyl. I cherished Ukraine a lot, I named it my favourite vacation spot of 2017.
Charlie and I turned Fb mates and sometimes commented on one another’s posts, and we additionally had a ton of mutual mates. We lastly met in individual on the Traverse convention in Trento, Italy, in 2019. And we hit it off immediately! A lot that Charlie flew BACK to Italy just a few days after getting dwelling so we might journey extra collectively.
That summer time I ended up subletting my New York house for just a few months; Charlie purchased me a ticket to Azerbaijan for my birthday and deliberate a Georgia weblog journey for us and our mates. That was the start of touring to 14 nations collectively up to now, two winters residing in Mexico, and visiting 17 of Italy’s areas collectively.
Issues received tough when 2020 hit. Instantly we needed to take care of a pandemic, getting banned from one another’s nations, and wading by means of crimson tape and ever-changing border closures to get again collectively. To not point out the obliteration of the journey trade and our two companies, all of the monetary stress that brought on, and painstakingly constructing them again.
I received to Prague in September 2020, and we adopted our kittens Lewis and Murray in November. A month later, we came upon Lewis was dying from FIP. Charlie discovered the lifesaving FIP therapy on Fb, and we saved Lewis, giving him 12 weeks of painful day by day pictures till he was totally cured. That was a very troublesome time, to not point out costly, however Lewis being joyful and wholesome is so extremely value it.
I do know that going by means of these challenges will give us power after we inevitably hit robust instances sooner or later.
Life has stabilized a bit extra up to now 12 months because the journey trade and our companies continued to get well. I really feel like our life in Prague is cozy, enjoyable, and full of the issues we love.
And I really feel so joyful and fortunate to have discovered Charlie. I’m so excited to GET married to him and so excited to BE married to him!
We can be having a giant marriage ceremony in Prague within the spring and a really small marriage ceremony in New England.
And as for the honeymoon — we’re aiming for December 2023, and wish to go to a rustic that neither of us has visited earlier than (so nowhere in Europe, Southeast Asia, or Central America). Someplace extra far-flung, possibly a bit of beachy however not all beachy, with very nice lodging. Any concepts?
I began a brand new enterprise!
Over the previous few years, a number of journey bloggers have began vacation spot area of interest websites as aspect hustles. You are taking all of your abilities from years upon years of running a blog and throw them into rising a model new website targeted on only one vacation spot.
I’ve wished to do that for awhile, however I had bother discovering a great vacation spot. You have to hit the candy spot of someplace effectively that has lots of demand however isn’t lined to demise. Prague, for instance, wouldn’t work as a result of it’s a reasonably slim area of interest and there are already tons of Prague blogs.
Then after months of pondering, it hit me on August 11, 2021.
New Hampshire Approach. A website all about New Hampshire journey.
My sister and I might make up a tune we known as, “That’s the New Hampshire Approach,” every time we drove into New Hampshire as youngsters. The second that phrase entered my thoughts, I had 100% readability. This was what I used to be ready for.
I purchased the area instantly.
I spent all of my childhood summers in New Hampshire, and I nonetheless journey there typically to this present day. I do know the state backwards and forwards, particularly the White Mountains, Lakes Area, and Seacoast. And my data goes deep, too. At election time, I’m the one explaining the nuances of why Granite Staters vote otherwise than most New Englanders.
Is there demand for New Hampshire journey? YES. Do you know that New Hampshire will get extra vacationers than both Vermont or Maine? Severely!
Past that, nearly all of New Hampshire’s guests are from the US, particularly New England. Some Canadians come down by way of Québec, and a few worldwide vacationers come throughout foliage time (often as a brief a part of an extended New England journey), however that is largely a US journey vacation spot for US vacationers.
That’s good for enterprise for 2 causes: Individuals earn the very best charges on show adverts, and native locations are safer than worldwide locations in instances of pandemic, inflation, and recession. I’m doing this to offer myself extra safety long-term. (Similar purpose why I’ve been writing a lot about Massachusetts right here currently.)
So how did I get began? Effectively, you would possibly recall that final 12 months I did the mom of all New Hampshire analysis journeys, criss-crossing the state, packing in actions from sunup to sunset, photographing every thing, taking copious notes.
I revisited previous favorites just like the Flume Gorge and White Lake and did new issues just like the Mount Washington Cog Railway and the M/V Sophie C mailboat on Lake Winnipesaukee. I visited 26 breweries (!!). I fell in love with the Monadnock area, the southwest a part of the state I hadn’t explored a lot earlier than.
After the journey, I set to work: organizing, writing, and link-building. I discovered three terrific New Hampshire writers who’re consultants on matters I’m weaker on — Bekah wrote about mountaineering the Appalachian Path in New Hampshire, Jeff wrote in regards to the greatest eating places in Portsmouth, and Katie wrote about one of the best New Hampshire ski resorts.
Guys — I’m LOVING constructing this website SO a lot. It seems like coming full circle to my childhood.
My favourite posts I’ve written up to now: my information to the Kancamagus Freeway, essentially the most beautiful drive in New Hampshire. New Hampshire Winter Getaways is a candy little publish on so many alternative sorts of winter journeys you may have. I’m happy with my information to one of the best New Hampshire breweries, ceaselessly a piece in progress.
And when you have no clue what New Hampshire has to supply, take a look at my publish on one of the best issues to do in New Hampshire. I labored laborious on this record to make it genuinely fascinating and various, and it’ll most likely shock you!
To date the positioning has earned me about $50 up to now. Woohoo! However site visitors is rising very quickly, and I hope to be on the identical show advert community as Adventurous Kate by the tip of the 12 months.
What’s subsequent for age 38?
Getting married! That’s the large factor, and nothing else comes shut! Charlie and I’ve a lot to do, and we’re wanting ahead to all of it! Our massive objective is to throw an incredible multi-day expertise in Prague for our mates and family members.
We’ve really already booked the band however have but to safe a date or venue. Ha. That can be this week, most likely. Fortunately, weddings are way more chill in Prague than within the US, the place that you must lock down distributors a 12 months prematurely.
However first — I’m taking Charlie to New Hampshire! Haha, sure, I lastly get to mix the 2 greatest issues in my life within the final 12 months! Charlie is already a giant fan of New Hampshire’s tax-free purchasing however he must go someplace that isn’t an Apple retailer!
We’re going to the White Mountains throughout peak foliage and doing a number of the greatest fall actions: the Conway Scenic Railroad, driving up Mount Washington, the Kancamagus Freeway. I’m excited to remain on the Sugar Hill Inn, among the finest inns within the state in one in all my favourite cities within the state.
We can be round for NH Brewfest in Portsmouth, and I’d like to complete visiting the breweries in Portsmouth and Manchester so I can do a publish on every metropolis’s breweries. I additionally wish to take Charlie to a few of my favourite breweries, like Schilling in Littleton and Rek-Lis in Bethlehem. (Schilling actually has a Czech Pilsner named after a neighborhood down the road from us, Palmovka!)
Proper now New Hampshire Approach has 39 posts stay. What number of do you want? I’ve heard 50 is an efficient quantity to intention for within the early days, and 200 is a superb long-term objective. We will see!
Different stuff arising for age 38? It has been a very long time since I’ve visited a brand new nation — the final one was Cuba in December 2019! It could be good to go to a brand new nation this 12 months. No concept the place or when, although.
Charlie and I’ve determined to spend a quiet winter in Prague this 12 months as a substitute of going to Mexico. Final 12 months we missed the cats an excessive amount of, and we realized that January is our massive work-work-work month and it’s not a perfect time to go away.
We would make a journey someplace heat for every week in February or March.
Past that, I’d like to get again to Paris this 12 months. I miss it. Charlie and I’ve talked a bit a couple of weekend in Rome (I haven’t been since 2006, pre-blog). I’ve my 20-year highschool reunion round Thanksgiving however am going backwards and forwards on whether or not to go — it’s a good distance for a visit.
I’ll be talking at Traverse in Brno, Czech Republic, in September, speaking about the way to weblog within the age of TikTok! If you wish to attend, you will get 20% off with the code AK20.
I’d prefer to get a Czech tutor this 12 months. I took Zoom classes with a gaggle earlier than, however hated the breakout classes side as a result of everybody was shy and I felt like I needed to be the instructor. I feel a tutor could be significantly better. I must say my marriage ceremony vows in Czech, in any case!
And simply extra time with good individuals. Extra time in good locations. Extra time residing life to the fullest.
Thanks for being right here for me, each 12 months. I really feel so fortunate to have you ever as readers. Cheers to you all!
The publish Turning 38 and Two Thrilling New Developments appeared first on Adventurous Kate.
