2018 has been an astonishing year and I’m not sure where to start. So much has changed in my life and a lot has improved on this blog. If you follow my personal series this is a sequel to my post: Since We Will Soon Be Having Coffee.

2018 Blog Recap
Our blog’s overall performance this year has been fair, seeing how I was unable to meet a number of targets while exceeding others.

I wasn’t able to post more frequently or regularly like I had hoped. I barely managed one post a week in addition to my school schedule.

I also replaced the idea of an online store with my Book Club. Online stores work better for well-established bloggers who have products or some personalised merchandise their dedicated blog community might benefit from purchasing. I don’t, and my posts are a bit too diverse and aren’t exactly designed with community building in mind.

Finally, advertisement spaces on our home and single post pages didn’t work out either. Turns out I just don’t have traffic worth paying for and Nigerian Entrepreneurs who think that I do, don’t want to pay. They want me to eat their food or use their product and write about it. I’m tired of explaining that it doesn’t work that way.

On the bright side, blog traffic doubled this year. From 60,000 views and 30,000 visitors, we are at over 110,000 views and almost 56,000 visitors this year. As usual, 80% of these viewers were from direct Google Search which means I provided some information relevant to a concern or topic of interest.

To crown it all, our blog brought in its very first pay-check this month! Yes, this blog now pays for its domain name and annual hosting! Whew! That took a long time coming. Hopefully, it will pay me a monthly wage in the near future. Who knows?

Photography
This time last year, I was on the poultry farm picking fresh eggs and shooting noisy hens who eyed me suspiciously. With a camera and 400 images in my portfolio, stock photography was just a hobby. I couldn’t have imagined that in the following 12 months and with some dedication, it would break-even and become a regular source of income I now depend on as a student here.

I’ve listed a number of posts with respect to my photography journey

• Food Photography: Rice and Stew
• Food Photography: Okra Soup
• Food Photography: Ewedu and Yellow Pepper
• Photography Resources I learn From

If you’d like to try stock photography sign up here: Shutterstock

Reading Living
It’s winter and adapting to the weather here hasn’t been easy. At first, I had to use my hair drier to keep warm since the room radiator didn’t seem to know its job. I’ve got a hot water bottle now and it makes a world of difference. So, if you are an international student coming here, I recommend you get one.

I’ve had to update my wardrobe and learn to layer clothing. Coats, Parkas, scarves, beanies, socks and boots are a necessity. It’s cute but then it quickly gets tiring to have to wear so many clothes just to go to the mall. I’ll probably do a full lifestyle post on that in the new year.

I’ve detailed much about my first semester as an international student in the following post but if there’s anything you’d like to know, ask away in the comment section.

• Reading Living: First Semester Summary
• Reading Living: Greenow House Flat and Room Tour
• Reading Living: Finding Greenow and McCombie House
• My Tips to Get You Through A Boring Class
• Book Review: Books I’m Reading For School

Summarily, it’s been quite a busy and challenging year defined by a lot of learning and growth academically, personally and business-wise. Entering the new year with multiple income streams means so much more opportunity and I am learning that with time, dedicated effort and love, everything grows and even slow progress is progress worth celebrating. Success isn’t just about big wins, it is the journey and perseverance.

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Now tell me, how was your 2018? Learn anything exciting about yourself?
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