Birthday

Happy birthday, blog! It has now been one year since the launch of my first book, this website, and my first blog post. How time has flown by.

In January, I wrote about what to expect for in the upcoming year 2024. In that same spirit, it is now time to recap the 365 days that have passed since the start of this website. If I had to name the key events of those past 12 months off the top of my head, I wouldn't be able to. Instead, I will now at the time of me writing this post have to pause for a while to think about it and write a list:

• I started, finished, and launched my second book successfully
• I have tried various marketing campaigns for my books – with some having been more successful than others
• Got my old home sold and we moved to another house on a strictly temporary basis
• In general, people seem to be struggling more financially. A huge trigger for this has been ever-growing numbers of unemployment (at least from my perspective – this is not based on any official statistics, even though I'd be willing to bet that they would agree with me)
• Then again, inflation rates and interest rate hikes have begun balancing out, plus economy in general has entered a full recovery and even growth mode
• There have also been a few professional achievements for me at my workplace
• I continued to practice German language again
• On the downside, physical exercise has become much more of a struggle for me personally, especially when lifting weights. There are more and more days with aching and pain in one or more parts of my body, and simply ones when I am so exhausted that the workouts won't end up being all that effective
• Still not working on a third book

That list is not even close to being an exhaustive one, but I guess that's something. Despite time passing by quickly, things do still keep happening in our lives and all around us. Strangely, I am feeling quite positive about what the future might have in store. It is not so much about hitting a rock bottom since we definitely are not there, but just a feeling that the world might in some ways actually be in the process of healing from some of its madness. More thoughts on that coming later up, right now I need to go to hang some sheets out to dry.