(Feature image credit: Francesca Lasca)

You know, I’ve planned this post since 1 January after my thank you letter to 2022. I mean, it’s the day of a new year right? And you’d think I woud have had my acts together.

No, unfortunately, as it always is, I wasn’t ready to post. I had so wanted to re-start this blog for years but my half hearted efforts never motivated me to post more, but now, I think I am ready.

This year started off rather chaotically. In that, I mean, usually I don’t start travelling until March because I don’t generally cover winter travel, yet, somehow, I managed to get an assignment about skiing in a village called Sauris, and then Udine in the Italian region of Friuli Venezia Giulia.

Then, as fate (or luck?) would have it, a generous contact referred me to a major publisher, who has commissioned me to contribute to an upcoming book about great bike rides in Italy.

I mean, cycling AND Italy, I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect assignment!

So, a three day trip turned into a 12 days research journey, criscrossing from the north to Tuscany, all the way to Puglia down south, and ending in Naples. With hectic schedules, physical demands and constraint budget along the way.

I don’t mind. I love my job and would not have swapped it for anything else, but between sleeping in cheap rooms in the back alleys and squeazing in as much in a day’s travel as possible, the reality of working as a travel writer is never as glamorous as you think it is, I promise you.

I am however, always grateful for the opportunities, especially having been referred to the publisher, which has happened twice this year already, is a testimony to my career as a freelance travel writer, a compliment that I’ll never take for granted.

As for new adventures, this year I am doing something completely new – I am going to ‘lead’ a cycling tour! If you haven’t heard, I am partnering with a local company in Puglia called Yuniqly and we’ll be showing a group of guests around beautiful Puglia. I don’t intend to change careers and become a tour guide, but I am looking forward to taking it on and see where it might lead me. I am also grateful to Yuniqly for giving me the opporutnity to work with them!

Another news is that I am also taking on art commissions. A good friend of mine gave me the opporunity to draw her beloved cats, knowing my passion in drawing. By paying me for it, she gave me the confidence of knowing that I am good enough, that I can do this, on the side, when things get a little quiet on the travel writing front.

So you know now, I am also drawing pet portraits!

There really is so much to look forward to, that I hope this year can only get better and better. I also hope that for you too, when you read this, to know that while it is ok to be not ok, it is also ok to know that better things do come, if you will simply let it.

Happy travels.