Bonjour, tout le monde! I wasn’t going to write down a 12 months in evaluate publish since I’ve completed so many sentimental ones previously, however right here I’m… in all probability with a shorter one than in years previous. Try final 12 months’s which options what I’ve realized in 10 years of running a blog or this one from 2021, a really laborious 12 months. I needed to maintain issues easy for this one. I’m betting about 10 of you’ll learn this, however nonetheless, it’s vital for me to do a recap of 2023.
Journey
2023 12 months kicked off with some private journey. We went to Lisbon in January in celebration of my birthday, which is New 12 months’s Eve. It’s a straightforward flight from Nantes and neither Tom nor I had ever been to Portugal. We LOVED it and hope to go to extra of Portugal within the coming years. To our shock, English was broadly spoken in Lisbon and we had a terrific vacationer expertise.
In Could, we went to Istanbul and skilled Turkey for the primary time. We had nice climate and meals and hope to go to Turkey once more quickly.
Then in June, my dad and I went on a really particular journey to Alaska to honor my mother who handed away in October of 2021. It was such a significant and exquisite expertise that I’ll at all times cherish. I made a YouTube video of our journey too.
Afterward within the fall, I spent Thanksgiving within the U.S. for a lot wanted time with my family members stateside. Household has at all times been vital to me however since my mother died, it’s turn into much more vital for me to spend as a lot time with my household as attainable and to get to know my little nephew who simply turned 5. As we head into 2024, I’ll proceed to make each effort to go to the U.S. at the very least every year.
Then it was again to France and we spent Christmas and New 12 months’s at house. For my birthday, I purchased myself an air fryer and I do know I’m late to the sport however I LOVE IT. To this point, I’ve liked how my zucchini and brussels sprouts have turned out, in addition to bacon, rooster and broccoli stir fry, and plain ol’ rooster breasts. I stay up for making an attempt out much more enjoyable recipes within the coming months.
Tom gifted me a Philips air air purifier that I had needed as a result of I’m truly allergic to mud mites (les acariens) and I’d heard good issues in regards to the air purifier so we’ll see if I discover a distinction.
Grief & private
The whole lot I let you know is 100% true however barely skims the floor of the entire image. I maintain my personal life personal though I needed to speak to you about grief as a result of it hit me so laborious and I knew it might be therapeutic for me to take action. Most of my life by no means makes it right into a weblog publish or YouTube video.
Personally, 2023 has been actually laborious for a number of causes. C’est la vie… There have been household points together with a falling out I had with somebody who was near me that isn’t resolved and will by no means be. Mates have let me down. It hurts to really feel your already small circle getting even smaller. However we do what now we have to to guard ourselves. Individuals near me have been struggling too and that weighs on me. Someway we discover a method to maintain going and attempt to invite moments of pleasure in as a lot as we are able to. For me, that was my journey, spending time with Tom, my largest supporter, and seeing household.
Grief has nonetheless been hitting actually laborious, particularly across the holidays and different particular days. I’ve tried to be light with myself. My mother’s birthday was Dec. 23 and mine as I mentioned was 12/31. Fuck most cancers. I attempted to distract myself with some retail remedy.
I’m at all times reminded that my two mainstays, Dagny and my mother, aren’t right here anymore. It nonetheless appears like yesterday. I don’t assume I’ll ever cease serious about them day by day. Whereas some facets of grief have gotten simpler, I don’t assume the ache ever goes away — we simply discover ways to carry it with us as we maintain going.
I don’t assume I noticed simply how laborious life may be till I misplaced a number of family members in comparatively fast succession. I had it “straightforward” by comparability for 3 many years of my life and that’s why it’s much more vital to me to cherish the great and attempt to search out the positives and enjoyable and pleasure once we can and give attention to the people who find themselves value it.
It sounds tacky however I discover peace in gratitude. And solitude. Anyway, I’ve written lots about grief previously two years, so I don’t wish to derail this publish with that.
The weblog
Running a blog on Oui In France was how I began and I find it irresistible right now as a lot as I did in 2012. The net panorama has shifted dramatically since then towards video and short-form content material, so I respect these of you who’ve been with me for years following the written phrase.
I’ll proceed running a blog so long as I’m alive whatever the panorama as a result of it’s one thing that I personally discover extremely fulfilling and grounding. Listening to from you that one thing I wrote resonated with you or helped you in your journey is the very best praise you possibly can give me and that’s all I have to maintain going.
However let me not get too sentimental on you. 😉
Listed below are a few of my favourite Oui In France weblog posts of 2023 in case you’d prefer to (re)go to them. In no specific order:
1. 8 Issues folks MAJORLY underestimate when transferring to France: This publish was actually standard with my readers and plenty of of you appreciated the fact test.
2. 11 Issues I miss most from the U.S. after a decade in France: A number of you possibly can relate and I liked listening to what you additionally miss from house.
3. No-BS information on what to put on in France: This one was a very long time coming and has plenty of no-nonsense recommendation and outfit picks.
4. What it’s like having my mother again with me in diamond kind: This publish was extraordinarily near my coronary heart.
5. 13 Issues vacationers try this get unusual seems from the French: This publish is a heads up in case you wish to slot in when visiting France.
YouTube
In 2023, I printed 28 movies, which included a few shorts. I lower my publishing schedule down this previous 12 months to a extra manageable stage for me and printed about 2-3 occasions per 30 days. That’s what I can comfortably deal with. I’m so grateful for these of you who watch my movies and know they’re reaching the precise viewers. I’ll proceed to speculate my advert income a refund into my channel.
My channel has grown somewhat bit this 12 months however I’m nonetheless not fairly at 100k subscribers. Hitting that milestone is a BIG one and can land me the coveted silver play button. That’s what I’m chasing in 2024. Once I get there, I feel I’ll really feel like a “actual” YouTuber, no matter meaning. It doesn’t get me something aside from a plaque however oh mannnn, that plaque will make all of it value it. When you’re a YouTuber studying this, you recognize what I imply.
However in all seriousness, YouTube is a ton of labor that most individuals don’t notice and though it’s not my full-time job, it’s undoubtedly work so right here’s to hoping I hit that milestone sooner slightly than later.
With every passing 12 months, I are likely to have a renewed sense of objective on Oui In France and this 12 months that’s very true. It looks as if so many individuals on the market have horrible opinions of the French and that was clearly evident within the loopy feedback part of my most latest YouTube video.
So many feedback had been about how impolite the French are and who cares what they assume (and it received far more aggressive than that), which simply goes to indicate me how vital and crucial cultural schooling is right now. Offering data on cultural norms on my weblog and YouTube is way wanted and goes a great distance towards serving to us to be higher vacationers in France and when interacting with the French.
Writing and filming content material on cultural variations and speaking about cultural understanding has turn into a ardour of mine, so I hope you’ll proceed to observe me into 2024.
With that, I’ll go away it there. Whether or not you’ve been following alongside for a day or a decade, thanks for being right here. Wishing you all a peaceable and calm begin to 2024.
–Diane
