Tanned, Rested and Ready to Blog Again

Posted on by Laura & Brett

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Thanks for letting me have a little time off! I spent my “vacation” reflecting on the blog, and how I saw it going forward or at times, or if I even wanted to continue. I honestly felt that I was drifting further and further away from the direction I had intended for The Occasional Nomads when I began it last year, as well as dragging myself into a rut I wasn’t going to be able to climb out of. I wasn’t sure if the ennui I was experiencing was because I had lost interest in blogging, or because I had somehow headed off in the wrong direction.

What I did figure out was that I didn’t want to stop writing, but some changes were definitely in order.

Some things around here are going to stay the same, but others will be eliminated, combined or changed. For example, aspects of Feel Good Friday, which I loved writing each week, will now be folded into the Sunday Afternoon post. That has always been my favorite post to write each week, and I’ve always gotten good feedback about it. The Weekly Menu Plan will continue as well, but I want to incorporate more recipes, thoughts about healthy eating, and a bit more about food shopping here on Kaua’i rather than just listing what we’ll be eating for dinner during the week. I’m going to shift the day for the menu post from Monday to Wednesday though since that’s the day Brett and I shop at the farmers’ market, and our weekly menu is somewhat based on what we find there.

I’m also going to be adding some new, occasional features to the blog. One will be A Postcard From: XXX, small photo vignettes and write-ups about a particular place or site we have visited on our travels. As Brett and I continue to get out and travel more, I also want to include more information about how we bring it off, from saving to buying airfare to finding lodging, restaurants, local transportation, and so forth. We’re not travel experts by any means, but I’m hoping some of our experiences can be helpful for someone else.

I’m also an unabashed collector, and also fascinated by what others collect, so I plan to occasionally post pictures and information about some of the many things I’ve gathered over the years (and that made the cut to move with us to Kaua’i). I hope they’ll help give you some additional insights into who I am and what I like.

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Finally, I am super excited that my good friend, Mary Bartnikowski – photographer extraordinaire, world traveler, writer and educator – will begin contributing to the blog as well. Mary is the author of four books, is an award-winning photographer in both the Silicon Valley and worldwide, and has led programs at Stanford, Apple, Intel and other global sites. She has traveled solo to 32 countries, and circled the world twice, buying one-way tickets along the way (and was almost crushed to death by elephants in Nepal, but thankfully survived 🙂 ). Along with her gorgeous photographs, Mary will writing about her Kaua’i experiences and insights, as well as educating us about what she does here on Kaua’i. Mary, Brett and I will all be posting to a new feature we’re calling #Kaua’i. These posts will highlight different aspects of our beautiful island, from sunsets to hiking trails to beaches to restaurants and other goings on. Mary will also be offering photo and travel tips along the way.

So, here we go – I’m looking forward to writing and sharing again!

Published by Laura & Brett

Slow traveling the world with a sense of adventure!

23 thoughts on “Tanned, Rested and Ready to Blog Again”

  1. Glad you’re back and continuing the blog – I would miss you, even though we’re friends 🙂

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    1. Thanks, Joy. Changes were needed. More Kaua’i, more travel. And, I’m super excited to have Mary contributing.

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      1. Mary’s amazing. I’ve read her stuff and watched her videos for about a year or so.

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  5. So excited you are continuing and love the new ideas. Kauai is somewhere I really want to visit and is on my bucket list for a 3 month stay in the next 5 years. Australia is a long way from you but I want you to know that you are inspirational and I love your blog.

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    1. Thanks, Lisa! I’ll try to hold up my end, but I think you are really going to enjoy Mary’s posts about Kaua’i, and her photos are going to make you want to come even sooner (and maybe stay longer)! Be sure to let me know whenever you come so we can arrange a meet-up!

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  6. Awesome to hear you are back in the saddle (so to speak) and you are adding another writer to the mix. On a side note, my parents live on Kauai (still after 30 years) and my wife and I just returned from the Big Island on Sunday. Anyway, looking forward to reading more!!

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    1. Thirty years on Kaua’i! Your parents are blessed. I hope to be able to live here as long as possible – this island is very special. The Big Island is on Brett and my bucket list, maybe in a couple of years. LOTS to see and do there, and a totally different vibe from Kaua’i.

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      1. Yes, the Big Island is very different. If I moved back to Hawaii, I would seriously consider the Big Island. Plus I have friends from Kauai on the Big Island so it was a fun trip there.

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    1. It seems I can never have just one of anything. I was honestly shocked when I made a list of the different collections of things I have around here, how many there were. And then the girls and Brett came up with a few more!

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    1. Thanks, Ellie! The Sunday Afternoon post will contain most of the daily life stuff, but I’ll still be posting bits of our life and what we’re up to here and there.

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  9. Yay! So glad you decided to keep blogging. I love your voice, it’s refreshing, grounded, and inspiring. I’ve been following you since “I’m Losing it Here” (or maybe before, can’t remember if you had a blog before that one…lol). I’ve always loved your recipe posts, glad you will be incorporating more recipes 🙂

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    1. Wow – you have been following for a while – I started “I’m Losing It Here” back at the end of 2009, so I’ve been blogging for six years. I will try to post more recipes, or at least links to what I’m fixing around here. My “going vegan” has inspired me to look for new recipes or different ways of preparing old favorites.

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    1. Thanks, Jan! I’m am glad to be back. Changes were needed, and I’m feeling inspired again about writing. I’m so excited Mary will be blogging with me as well (and Brett from time to time as well).

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