A Year in Review - 2023
A summary of the past year
Note: This post is too long to read the whole piece in your email inbox, so if you want to read all of my year-in-review, you will have to open it on the web.
I feel really sheepish saying this, especially after every year from 2019 on has seemed to get worse, but for the first time in a long time, I can say that 2023 was a good year. Sure, we had some glitches, like the seven hours that we spent at Riley Children’s Hospital waiting for an ER surgeon to decide if they were going to operate on our son’s lacerated spleen and then the eight weeks of required healing for an active 12-year-old, but overall, professionally and personally, our whole family had a good year. I keep waiting for another curveball to get thrown our way and trying to not be superstitious, but I’m thankful that we’ve hit some calm waters after several years of turbulence.
Still, a lot has happened over the past year, and I’ve more than doubled my number of subscribers, so here is a full year in review for all of my readers so that you can get caught up on what you missed.
On the Journey
Compared to the mere eight campsites that we explored in 2022, we did so much more in 2023. We tried Harvest Hosting on our way to Galveston for spring break and on our way to Orlando for our summer vacation.
We broke from our traditional national parks tour to spend our summer vacation having fun at both Disney and Universal.
And then we brought back Campsgiving.
Here are the links to our primary trips for the year.
I Published a Book 💻
There’s been a learning curve and I have the new links below after I unpublished and republished through IngramSpark and KDP, but I’m proud of the project and I hope it continues to inspire people. The book will continue to be available on Kindle Unlimited through February and then I will be removing it from the Unlimited library so that I can make it available in new ways. Stay tuned!
My Word for 2024
I have completed this practice for the last four years, and while every year there has been some kind of irony to the word I have chosen, I have been able to reflect on each past year and see that word at work in nearly everything I have said or done. Next year my word is “Intentional.”
My 2023 in Books 🎧📚
I may have set a new record for myself this year by hitting a record 75 books read and listened to during the year. (We can thank training for my first-ever half-marathon and novels in verse and graphic novels during Silent Sustained Reading time for that.) You can follow me on Goodreads to see my favorites.
What Is Coming Up in 2024
I’m finally finishing my camping memoir, a six-year work-in-progress. Make sure you are subscribed so that you get updates on how you can support and participate in my efforts to get the book published. And if you are a paid subscriber, you can read the beta draft before it underwent significant revision.
I will also have news about my first book as the first birthday approaches, so stay tuned for new ways that you can enjoy Embracing the Journey.
And please consider following us at litthinkpodcast.substack.com. We’re putting together a lot of really great content in our current season and we have some exciting plans for 2024.
Keep following me on Instagram, Facebook, and Threads for additional updates.
Support my writing
While most of my work here is free for all subscribers, it is still a labor of love that I fit into the few hours I have when I am not teaching or being an attentive wife and mom. If you would like to support my writing but you do not want to commit to being a paid subscriber, please consider one-time donation.
You can also support me by ordering my book or books from my favorite book lists at my Bookshop.org affiliate page.
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And thank you for supporting my journey 💗
Thanks Sarah. I enjoyed reading your review of 2023.
I like your 2024 word 'Intentional', gives me plenty to think about it and my actions for this year.
I wish you all the best for your upcoming memoir.
Cheers,
Waqar