Hi! It’s been a while since I last did a personal post, so now seems like a great time to update you. Life is going well. It’s been an amazing year so far, but time has flown by! My resolution to be more consistent with blogging hasn’t gone as planned. You can see that over at Make Money Your Way, where I’ve just published my income report for June, July, and August. Yes, I’ve been slacking a bit.
Despite that, I’ve managed to stay on top of things and am generally happy with where I’m heading. I even bought a fourth website! The URL is still a secret while we’re finalizing details, but I’m super excited about this new project and another freelancing gig I’m working on.
Recently, I attended the Financial Bloggers Conference in San Diego, which I was really looking forward to. FinCon16 deserves its own post! My inner introvert wanted to hide, but I was thrilled to finally meet people I had been interacting with online for over four years. It was great to brainstorm, motivate each other, and bounce ideas around.
After the conference, I rented a car and drove east to Denver, which I absolutely love. I think I might spend a few more months there soon. If you’re nearby and want to meet up, drop me a line!
What’s new on the home front? Well, my house is finally finished, and I’m just doing some preventive work on the guest house in case we get another hurricane. Hurricane Earl hit hard in August, so I’m re-thatching the roof and installing stronger cabinets in the kitchen. It’s crazy how wear and tear from Airbnb guests have taken a toll on the kitchen. Forks on non-stick pans, disappearing knives, and melted coffee machines are just a few of the issues I’ve dealt with.
On the bright side, Airbnb income has been great, so I can afford to make the kitchen nice again—sooner than I expected.
I haven’t been home much this year. I spent February and March in Patagonia, riding a bike to the southernmost tip of the continent. It was an incredible journey. Then in June, I visited Texas for the first time, which felt like exploring a new country. I was impressed with Texas; it seems like a great place to live and do business. I even considered starting a business there with a friend, but the investment laws for getting a business visa were too complicated.
In the summer, I went to France. Like last year, I biked around visiting friends and family in the Alps and Provence. It was awesome. The bike gave me the freedom to visit people on my own schedule and the much-needed time to recharge between visits. As an introvert, it can be intense to constantly talk to people before moving on to the next place. Seeing friends and cousins I hadn’t seen in years was fantastic.
Back home, things got stressful when a hurricane hit Guatemala. That same night, someone trespassed on my property and shot my dog, Napoleon! The man claimed Napoleon chased and bit his son. After some investigation, I learned this guy has a history of shooting animals that belong to others. I believe his son was actually trespassing to steal fruit from my garden. Long story short, my dog was injured, and I was in Europe. My staff took him to the vet, who confirmed the bullet wasn’t a threat without X-rays. Now, Napoleon is recovering but has to sleep inside the house, which he doesn’t like.
The dating scene has been pretty much non-existent for me. I even made a dating page—check it out for a good laugh. If you happen to meet my future husband, please share the URL! It feels vulnerable to put myself out there, but if you want something, you should work for it.
As for blogging, I’ve been quite active. Here are a few of my favorite pieces:
– “Money Lessons From The French” on Haven Life
– “How Much Money Should I Save Each Month?” on Investment Zen
– “I Saved $25k In College To Take A Year-Long Trip Around The Globe” on CentSai
– “Financial Independence Is Easier As A Couple” on Retire By 40
How was your summer? What are your plans for Q4? Want to meet in California?