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A year in the life of Deb’s World – the stats for 2018 made me smile!

“All the statistics in the world can’t measure the warmth of a smile.”

Chris Hart

Compared to my day to day real life in 2018, my blogging world was a calm sanctuary which brought me many smiles and delighted me in ways I never would have thought possible, (which is one reason why I chose the quote above).

The biggest accolade I received this year, was receiving the runner up in the Hidden Gem category of the Annual Bloggers Bash Awards in London.  For me, a little known Australian midlife blogger, this was a huge result!

My blog was also an outlet for my grief and my happiness throughout the year. It also allowed me to take you along on our 3 month Odyssey. 

It’s interesting that my top 10 posts, as you’ll see below, are a good mix of personal events in my life, family issues, interesting travel posts and education/midlife topics.  This is good to see, as my blog is based on Midlife, Travel and Adventure, as seen through my eyes!

2018 was another great year in my blogging world and the stats don’t lie!

Something I always like to do at the start of the new year (along with almost every other blogger it seems) is to take a look back on the year that was. It’s always fun to see what has gone on and I’m often surprised at what posts came out on top in terms of views and likes.  I don’t often dwell on the statistic side of blogging but this is one time of the year I delve into them, despite technically being on a blogging break!

So in 2018:

I wrote a total of 181 posts as opposed to 253 posts in 2017.

There were 42374 views of my blog

I welcomed 21230 visitors to my world

I smiled at 9190 likes 🙂

I received 5543 fabulous comments

These numbers are all slightly higher than my 2017 stats, but when you take into account the fact that I wrote fewer posts, the numbers are way better, so I’m a very happy little Vegemite!

I know to some people these are negligible numbers but to me, they’re brilliant.

Followers:

The number of people following my blog, liking and commenting on posts has exceeded my expectations again this year. I don’t promote my posts very much, although I am in a few Facebook groups which help get viewers to my blog.

I don’t have a newsletter or any pop-ups or ads on my blog, and I’m not involved in any affiliate programs.  I make no money from my blog, I like to keep it simple and don’t like bombarding people with unnecessary emails. I blog for pure enjoyment and as creative outlet.

Over the years I have slowly increased my followers and this year I finished with a grand total of 5002.  I also tipped over 1000 followers on Instagram recently, so it’s all starting to grow!

I’m so thrilled to have you all with me and thank you from the bottom of my heart.  I can honestly say I haven’t received any negative comments on my posts or even been harassed.  Thankfully the spam comments go straight into the bin.

According to the stats my most viewed posts, written in 2018, were:

  1. What I’ve learnt from surviving a school trip that went terribly wrong  – I wrote this post in May 2018, which was 40 years to the day after the event.  It was the first time I’ve ever written anything about this tragedy.  I’ve talked about it many times and told the story of my Bravery Award over the years but had never written it down.  It was good to finally do so.
    survival after a school accident
  2. How to save a sheep and other useful cycling tour tips – in June 2018 we took a week long cycling/barge tour through the countryside in Amsterdam.  We have done similar tours before from Paris to Bruge and in Croatia and New Zealand.  These are some of my thoughts and tips on joining a tour.
    Is a cycling tour for you? What you need to know.
  3. 10 reasons why you definitely shouldn’t visit Iceland  – This post was about just one part of 3 month travels, Our Odyssey, from May-July 2018.  It’s my attempt at reverse psychology! We really loved Iceland 🙂
    10 reasons not to visit Iceland
  4. Shooting from the hip – This was the prompt for Week 42 of our 52 week photography challenge.  I really think the word ‘shooting’ in the title, attracted all the attention, because it wasn’t one of my best examples of my photography skills!
Sunlight through the trees, photo taken from the hip
Taken from the hip
  • #6 Tips on how not make money or get a gazillion views in your first month of blogging– in April 2018 I wrote this post because I was sick and tired of seeing posts claiming all manner of benefits to blogging in such a short space of time.  Blogging is not a get rich quick scheme and it takes years and effort to gain followers.  I’m not into blogging for money and am not into any type of affiliate program.  This post was a bit of a rant, and fun to write! Another post I wrote in this vein is this one: Blogging isn’t for the fainthearted.
    Tips on how NOT to make money on your blog
  • The Odyssey begins – This was the start of our 3 month Odyssey in May 2018 and tells the story of our connection to Cheddar in Somerset, where our eldest daughter now lives. 
    Odyssey begins - a travel blog
  • Literary Food: Fiction and Non-fiction – In March and April 2018 I was involved in a discussion group with some friends – the course was all about food, Eating their Word: The Literature of Food. We met regularly and discussed the notes we’d been given and compiled our thoughts into a report each time.  I was encouraged by the group to write a post after each meeting. This session was all about cook books and food writing in both fiction and non-fiction.  It was a very interesting course!
    Food glorious food
  • An artistic toilet block on the tourist trail in New Zealand captures our imagination – Back in November 2017 we spent 3 weeks in New Zealand’s North Island and I finally got around to writing about these amazing toilets in January 2018.  They have to be seen to be believed!
    Hundertwasser toilets are a must see in New Zealand
  • The Literature of food – yes that’s a real thing! – As mentioned above this post was a part of the course Eating their Words: The Literature of Food where we basically discussed food and the question What sort of language is being used here to communicate about food?
    Midlife learning, food discussion group, eat to live or live to eat?
  • Thoughts on losing my Father – In January 2018 we lost my father, it was traumatic, not unexpected and yet so very devastating for our family. I wrote about my grief as it helped me and apparently it struck a chord with many of you as well.
    My father

    • This post is a perennial favourite, getting visitors without me even trying to promote it, so it’s worth a mention here!

    1. Surprisingly there is a life after retirement – this post obviously still strikes a chord with readers, despite being written in March 2017.  I was very honest with my thoughts on retirement and I’ve enjoyed keeping track of my retirement journey.   I think this one gets found on Pinterest and was actually the most viewed post in 2018.
      Life after retirement. Having been made redundant, life is looking good.
    2. It’s all about me – my page is where I tell all!  I always look for a blogger’s ‘About Me’ page when I visit for the first time, as it gives me a sense of who I’m talking to.  Do you do this too? It’s important to keep updating these pages as they get out of date quite quickly!
      In my happy place in Fiji

    Photo Challenges:

    Sometime during the year the Weekly Photo Challenge ceased operations and I mourned the loss of this popular linkup. My sister and brother-in-law invited me to join their small family-oriented 52 week photography project  and this helped fill the void.  I enjoyed learning new skills and thinking outside the square each week. I also went from using my iPhone for my photos to using a real camera (shock horror).  Then later in the year I stumbled across Terri’s Sunday Stills challenge and started joining in.  I still enjoy my Wordless Wednesday posts, where the photo tells the story.

    My favourites:

    My favourite posts this year have been My Birthday letter to myself, Is beige even a colour? and Bloggers Bash Awards, where I was fortunate to be a runner up in the Hidden Gem category of the annual awards.  I was in England at the the time so went along to the ceremony in London and met many of my favourite bloggers in person 🙂

    I have enjoyed participating in several weekly linkups this year – Midlife Share the Love, #Lifethisweek and Sunday Stills are my favourites. These have reinforced my belief that bloggers are amazing, generous people who love to share their lives, their wisdom and their friendship, regardless of where they are in the world. I was lucky to meet a few of my favourites this year too 🙂

    I’ve also been fortunate to be a Guest on many of my friend’s blogs – this is always a thrill!

    Where are you?

    This year the USA has topped the stats for views, followed by Australia, UK, Canada, Germany, India, NZ, Japan, Denmark and Ireland.

    WordPress, Facebook and Pinterest were my biggest referrers – I enjoy sharing to Twitter, Mix and Flipboard but they don’t yield much in the way of visitors.  Instagram isn’t any good for bringing in readers either, but I must say I do enjoy it!  I actually got to over 1000 Instagram followers this year, which I’m quite chuffed about!

    Comments:

    Like every other blogger out there, it’s comments that make my world go round. Those who have commented the most during the year just happen to be some of my favourite bloggers  –

    Donna from Retirement Reflections,

    Jo and John from  J Walking,

    Sue from Sizzling Towards 60 and Beyond,

    Miriam from Out an’ About blog,

    Leanne from Cresting the Hill,

    Suzanne from Global Housesitters x2 

    and there are many more who regularly leave me comments, I really appreciate every one of you, so thank you xx

    Summary of 2018

    So in summary, in relation to my blogging world, I think 2018 has been about life, travelling (a lot), taking photos and connecting with like minded souls.  I really can’t ask for much more than that 🙂 It’s been a positive, creative time of growth and I’ve loved every minute of it.

    In regards to my real life, I’m not going to lie, 2018 was a year full of emotion, immense highs and desperate lows, light and darkness, a real rollercoaster of a ride. My blog reflected only some of this.

    Not only did we lose my father in January but we also lost my father-in-law, very suddenly on the last day of our big trip in July. We came home and tried to make sense of everything we’d experienced and the sudden loss of a wonderful man. All the ‘firsts’ that come with losing someone special was magnified by 2 this year and we are still trying to support our families through this time as best we can.

    On top of that, or maybe because of it all,  I became quite sick and have since changed the food I eat, cutting out sugar, processed foods and many carbs.  I am feeling much better now as a result and the blood tests tell the same story.

    Shortly after our return home one of our daughters had her first baby, our first grandchild, and she, plus our three daughters, have been the light keeping us going in recent months.  Emilia is just delightful and makes me smile every time I think of her.  I must say it’s so different being a grandmother.

    And then there was this bombshell just before Christmas – it was a dreadful way to end of the year –  My sister’s story in her own words

    This quote says it all so well – just perfect in fact!

    Life quote
    Life quote

    Wishing you all the best for 2019 with many breathtakingly beautiful moments ahead.

    What about you?

    How has your blogging year been – good, bad or indifferent? Let me know, in the comments below, what your fave post was for the year and I’ll stop by and have a read.

    Thanks again to everyone who has connected with me during the year. I come back to the quote at the top of my post – all the stats in the world can’t measure the warmth of a smile 🙂

    All the best for 2019, I do hope you’ll stick with me!

    Deb xx

    A year in the life of Deb's World

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    76 Replies to “A year in the life of Deb’s World – the stats for 2018 made me smile!”

    2. Congratulations, Deb, on having done so well with your blog. I can understand why as you speak to your readers from the heart. I’m not that popular yet but I’m going to focus on my content in the year ahead. I wish for you much happiness in 2019. I’ll be sharing your post to FB.

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      1. Thanks very much for your kind words jan, yes it was a big year in lots of ways! I really enjoy the engagement of our blogging community and have found many like minded bloggers, such as yourself, to mix with. It’s always refreshing to see the world through someones else’s eyes isn’t it? All the best for your continued success in 2019 too 🙂

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      1. Hi Pat, I always like to take a look back over the year’s stats and it’s often a revelation. I’m not one to pore over stats generally but as you’ve noted with your comment, sometimes it’s surprising to see what’s made the most read or viewed list. I hope you enjoy the process and thanks for visiting and leaving a comment from #mlstl

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    5. Your blog is one of my favourites Deb, it was lovely to meet you last year at the Bloggers Bash and have you as a guest on my blog too . I know you’ve had your ups and downs last year, and your blog continues to be such an interesting and lovely read throughout it all. You certainly have a follower here and a big congratulations on a fabulous blogging year 🙂 Here’s to 2019 xx

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      1. That’s so sweet of you to say Sam, I always enjoy seeing what you’re up to as well, especially as we got to meet in real life! I wish you well for 2019 and many more adventures on the bike 🙂 Thanks again for all your support and encouragement.

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    7. What a year and what a lot of connections you make. It is indicative of the way in which you write and share. I am in awe of your success. And it is rightly deserved. Go Deb! I have enjoyed getting to know more about you in the past year and thanks so much for those connections.

      Thank you for linking up to the first week of 51 for #lifethisweek in 2019. Next week, the optional prompt is “Word, Intention,Nothing” …I have all three (joke!) and will blog over the weekend about why. Denyse

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      1. Oh Denyse, I really appreciate your thoughtful and encouraging comment about my blogging. It’s been so good to meet others during the year and link ups like yours have been so rewarding, so many thanks go to you. Your blog is always interesting and encouraging and I am in awe of what you have accomplished!! I have just the post sorted for next week’s linkup!

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    8. Hi Deb – I seem to be late to the commenting party! What an awesome year you had (the good parts certainly helped make up for those sad ones). Nice to know that I was one of your top commenters – can’t help myself because I always enjoy your posts! Looking forward to seeing where 2019 takes you and congrats on your blog growing and becoming all you want it to be. I’m not sure where mine is going atm, but I discovered that I can’t NOT blog, so it will keep on keeping on!
      Thanks for linking up with us at MLSTL and I’ve shared on my SM 🙂

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      1. Many thanks again Leanne for all your lovely comments. I’m so glad to see that you have realised that you can’t NOT blog, we’d be lost without you! It’s always a great pleasure to link up with your highly successful and fun #mlstl party. Thanks for sharing 🙂

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    9. Congratulations on a brilliant year of blogging! It sounds like you have had a rollercoaster of a year – hope 2019 is a healthy and happy one!

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    10. Happy New Uear Deb. Your stats are wonderful and show a great year of blogging. I haven’t given thought to my favourite post but will do so thanks to your prompt. Yours is always a must read blog for me Deb. Looking forward to hearing about more of your adventures in 2019

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      1. Thanks Laura, I hope you enjoy getting back into blogging again. I love that you think I’m an inspiration, you’ve made my day with that comment 🙂 so thank you. Enjoy the year ahead and I look forward to visiting your blog.

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    14. Hi Debbie, so glad to be following along in your wonderful journey of life! I remember those posts. Your candid and positive writing style is refreshing to read and exudes your happiness and the zest for life. Plus you’re a dang good photographer! Congrats on your fab stats and if I haven’t wished you happy new year, well…Happy New Year (from Las Vegas, Nevada). My Arizona trip did not go as planned during to weather and US government shut down, but we are having a great time! More about this on the blog later this month!

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      1. That’s a shame about your trip Terri, but I’m glad to hear you’re having a good time anyway 🙂 I look forward to reading more later. I also appreciate your kind words about my blog, it’s a creative outlet for me and I just love all the connections we make along the way. Happy New Year to you too!

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    15. What a great year 2018 was Deb. Thanks so much for mentioning us in your post, we love connecting through our blogs. So pleased to have found your blog and to follow you. Here’s to an even better 2019.

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    16. I love these sorts of round-up posts. Those numbers are great. You’re a great example that doing your own thing & doing it because you love it rings true and touches people. Happy New Year.

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      1. Thank you so much Suzie, it’s been a huge year but I made it through and I’m still smiling! Your help during the year was fabulous and got me going in the right direction with Pinterest 😊 Wishing you and the Bloke a happy year ahead xx

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    18. Happy New Year Debbie!

      What amazing stats! I am so impressed with your blog. I mean over 40,000 views in a year is amaaaaazing!! ❤ I hope 2019 goes even better for you!!

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      1. Really, is it a lot? I have no idea what to expect and what’s a lot of views!! I was ust pleased because it’s 2 years in a row I’ve managed that many views and I’m happy to maintain that level with fewer posts this year. It’s something we don’t usually talk about so I don’t know how it compares. I am very pleased and as I said in my post I don’t go a lot on what the stats say except this one time of the year when I look more closely. I don’t understand SEO or any of that stuff, so just do my own thing 🙂 Thanks so much for your comment and for your support. All the best for the year ahead for you too 🙂

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        1. I think doing your own thing works best. I mean, we all keep popping back to read your posts.

          I seem to prefer the writing of blogging friends that do this all for fun, rather than for SEO!

          And yeah, that is super impressive!! 😀

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    21. Congratulations on your continued success in blogging, Deb. It is all VERY well deserved.
      Thank you for your shout-out on my comments. I can’t help myself. Your blog is always so inspiring and thought-provoking that it gives me lots to say!!
      Wishing you a wonderful 2019 ahead!

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    24. An interesting year! Having joined you part way through it seems I have a lot of catching up to do. I’ll try my best! I’m planning a review of my own blogging year so I’ll save my thoughts on my own favourite (or least unsuccessful) posts for that. I know, I’m such a tease 😂

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        1. It will be based on much smaller numbers than yours! I’ve enjoyed connecting with you too – those connections we make are, for me, one of the main benefits of blogging 😊

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    25. Hi Deb,
      You bet I will stick with you!!! I enjoy your blog so much and can relate to all the ups and downs you’ve experienced, as well as using the blog as a way to work through this retirement adventure.
      Thank you for being there for this newbie and here’s looking forward to a great 2019.

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      1. My pleasure Nancy, it’s been great to connect with you. I’m so happy to hear you enjoy my blog, it’s great to get feedback on what we do isn’t it? All the best for 2019 as you settle into retirement proper.

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    26. Like you, Debs I was chuffed to bits to receive the 2nd place in the Hidden Gem category at the Bloggers Bash awards especially as I am heading towards the big 70 in a few years time ..Where do the years go? …x

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    28. What a roller coaster ride of a year you had Deb, so many highs and the heartbreaking lows. I guess that’s the joy of blogging and sharing ourselves with like minded writers. I love your blog and look forward to journeying with you again this year.
      Happy New Year and keep smiling lovely lady. xx 🙂

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    30. I’m a fan Deb as you know and congratulations on a wonderful year of blogging. Personally, your life has certainly been a roller coaster ride and many times I have wished I lived closer so I could give you a hug. I love our online friendship and truly appreciate your support of my blog. My stats are no where near yours but I enjoy what I do and when I don’t enjoy it anymore I will stop. Thank you for Deb’s World and I wish you continued blogging success mixed with many cuddles from Emilia. Xx

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      1. We are a great blogging communinty and I wish you lived closer too, I could do with a hug every now and again. Your friendship has meant a lot to me and your thoughtfulness is much appreciated. I’m quite surprised with my stats this year but pleasantly so!!

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