It’s official: I’ve been blogging for one year!! On this day, December 1st, 2019 I launched this blog with five posts to begin sharing my experiences as an English teacher living in Korea. Cheers to blog number 44. Wanna know what I am most grateful for? My global readers! They represent over 40 countries. You’ve been with me during this entire journey. Your comments, likes, shares, encouraging words and curiosity motivate and inspire me to share more meaningful content. Thank you so much!

Nothing worth having comes easy. Two scriptures come to mind when I think of this blog.

In all labour, there is profit.

Proverbs 14:23

We shouldn’t consider our talents and gift as something small or insignificant. There maybe times when we want convince ourselves that what we’re doing has no value. If we don’t get the following or likes we hoped for, somehow we’ve failed. And this is why I love this scripture – it’s a reminder that there is profit, benefit or reward in all the work we do, even in the small tasks. Societal approval and monetary gains isn’t the determining factor of success. I’ve learned that just being faithful to your calling is enough. Inspiring one person is enough. Staying true to yourself is enough.

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31

Starting the process of anything is easy. Consistently pursuing a goal, making progress, meeting deadlines and persevering takes hard work. It’s easy to give up when things get hard. And this is why I love this scripture. I can remember days or weeks of procrastinating. Having writers block. No inspiration or motivation what-so-ever. But then I’d pray, sit at my computer, begin to type, and eventually I’d get into the groove again. Once I connect with what I’m writing, everything falls into place. I thank God for renewing my strength.

I am so proud to see how far this blog has come. Anyone who has a blog and/or website knows there’ll be times you’ll spend hours, maybe days doing quality assurance: testing buttons, pages, and posts, searching for codes for the right customization. The steps leading up to a launch and the weeks following are hectic. I had my share of challenges understanding WordPress (blog host) and Bluehost (website host). A few times my site randomly went down or a plugin started acting up, sending me to panic mode. After countless hours/late nights searching on Google like a crazy person, speaking to really helpful Bluehost customer reps, and emailing the theme designer, I found the solutions. 

In the end, I felt like I’ve become somewhat of a WordPress blog troubleshooting expert. I’ve learned so many things along the way from choosing to customizing my blog theme, photos, and even improving my headlines. Everything is by trial and error. Unfortunately, it’s the errors we learn the most from. Though I’ve taken breaks, I always knew I’d come back and start blogging again. This is my calling. I truly enjoy sitting at my computer typing away, editing pictures, uploading Eastern Standard Time for my family and friends back home, sharing on my social media platforms, reading and responding to your comments. I never thought I’d enjoy it so much.

With the help of WordPress stats, I’ve gained so much insight on this blog. To start, thank you to the 1,107 visitors who visited my blog!

I’m so amazed with the list of countries my readers are from. This blog’s readership represents these 43 countries:

The United States, American Samoa, Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, Cayman Islands, China, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Egypt, European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Haiti, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and Vietnam.

A big thank you to all of you. I am looking forward to expanding my readership to people all over the world. It’s always been my dream to share my passions with a global audience. This is why I love traveling; it’s truly the people who make every trip special. I miss traveling. Some of the countries listed are on my must-travel-to-again list. Looks like I also have to add new countries on my must-travel-to-for-the-first-time list. 

Here are some more insights:

Top 13 Most Viewed Posts

• 16 Ways to Cope with Stress and Anxiety
• 6 Challenges You May Face In South Korea and Tips On How To Adjust
• My First Dress, “Made in Korea”
• How To Guide If You Want LASEK/LASIK in Korea
• Two Brave Women And One Beautiful Journey In South Korea
• Fear Not. I Will Be With You – 8 Bible Verses About Fear That Reminds Us of God’s Promises
• Sabbath in a Rural Korean Church
• How Life Has Changed in Korea Since the Coronavirus Outbreak
• Psalms 23
• Fashion Masks, Structures and Landscapes
• Everything You Need To Know About Working In Travel Schools In Rural Korea
• A Typical Day as an EPIK Teacher
• I Learned These Six Important Lessons In One Year

Top 13 Least Viewed Posts

• Cry If You Need To, Be Honest About How You Feel, Then With A Joyful Heart Believe God Will Work It Out
• God’s Protection Provides What Human Effort Cannot: A Refuge and Fortress
• My Lucky Brown Cardigan
• 3 Ways to Wear a Turtleneck Sweater
• How I Got Rid of Bugs In My Apartment
• Gaji-namul (Korean Steamed Eggplant Side Dish)
• Spicy Korean Chicken Stew – Dak Bokkeum Tang
• Ori Jumulleok – Korean Spicy Marinated Grilled Duck
• Korean Bulgogi Beef Pizza
• EPIK Teachers Have Faced New Circumstances Since COVID-19
• Making Kimbap (Gimbap) For The First Time!
• How to Prevent Humidity, Mold and Window Condensation in Your Apartment
• 6 Korean Snacks You Must Try

What a beautiful journey it has been. I am grateful that I took someone’s advice and created a lifestyle blog. With topics like devotionals, fashion, food, lfe in Korea, EPIK and travel, there’s something for everyone.  Every visitor has their own unique interests. Neither did I want to box myself in. I hope to take you along with me on my journey after Korea. Until then, jeongmal gomabseubnida 정말 고맙습니다. Thank you so much!