Resolution Check-in: Maintaining This Blog

META BLOG.

I've saved this post for my 150th - Thanks for being my readers, everyone!! I LOVE YOU.

Let's hop back 8 months to the start of this year and the resolutions I made going into 2014...

(SIDEBAR: WOAH 8 MONTHS ARE YOU SERIOUS WHERE DID THIS YEAR GO)...

8. Maintain my blog and improve my writing 

I enjoy the 'every even numbered day' schedule so far, so I'm hoping not to disrupt it too much after my mini-hiatus. I know that for many people it seems like a very large commitment to read, so I'm here to tell you - don't bother! Pick out the things that intrigue you, and ignore the rest! I just have so much to say (are you surprised??) and there's so much to see, do, and learn that this goal shouldn't be a problem. My biggest question right now is: do I set the blog to update while I'm on vacation? I will write at least 150 posts in 2014, and these will help me grow as a writer and thinker.

In retrospect, 150 posts was pretty ambitious for a year. Even if I go for broke from here on out, one post every other day, that's ~60 posts... not near my ultimate goal. And frankly, that's a good thing.

The reality is that I've largely stopped stressing out over my blog. I update it when I do - lots of times I write a LOT in the span of a few weeks, and then stop for a few weeks, posting every couple days while I have material, and hopefully having more experiences in the meantime that I find interesting enough to write about.

This is a very therapeutic activity for me, and the very last thing I want to do is burn myself out on it. I get to try new foods, see new relaxing cafes and parks, check out the wifi at various restaurants (favorites and new-to-me), have a safe place to inquire about development and policy, and generally educate myself through being inquisitive about my surroundings and environment - and then digging deeper. I've learned a lot through this blog, about myself and about the world - which was my ultimate goal, after all.

So... that said... perhaps 150 was unreasonable. But the impetus behind it was solid - see, do, process... and learn. This is a very efficient way for me to talk to myself, while also maintaining some connection with my family and friends around the world.

So yeah - perhaps 150 posts was a lofty ideal. However, I'm digging this 5-10 posts/month thing. Let's see if I can make it to 75 high-quality posts in 2014, and I'll be very happy!

Resolution Status: MODIFIED and ACHIEVED

In honor of my 150th post... do you have any pressing questions about Vietnam, SE Asia, Vietnamese culture, or anything else? Please leave them in the comments... as always! 

(As for those of you who made requests last year... I'm working on them. I remember! I've got drafts! They're just such BIG questions...)