It’s that point of 12 months! A time once we sit again and replicate on the previous twelve months. I’ve been writing these “Trying Again” posts since 2012 and I’m unhappy to say that for numerous causes (a few of which you’ll examine right here), I missed writing about 2022.
Most of 2022 was superb and we had some very memorable moments – like celebrating our fifteenth anniversary collectively in Cyprus, an epic press journey to the Bahamas, residing and touring round Slovakia for nearly 3 months, and spending Christmas in Canada with our households.
Nevertheless, the tip of 2022 and into the primary few months of 2023 had been very rocky instances and we discovered ourselves flailing. Fortunately, the tumultuous begin didn’t final, and we transitioned our 12 months from questionable to superior!
Every year has a sense or theme, and for us, the phrase that involves thoughts for 2023 is transition and transformation: of who we’re, what we do, and the life we lead.
On this put up, I’ll begin with the craziness. Despite the fact that it was so messy at first, this was a implausible 12 months total, and I’m excited to share our wins and failures with you on this put up.
If you wish to learn our earlier 12 months’s roundups, take a look at 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, and 2012.
Flailing into 2023
For a lot of 2022, we had been engaged on the paperwork wanted to acquire residency in Bulgaria (extra about residing in Bulgaria beneath).
It’s a really lengthy story, however after months and months of gathering the (many) paperwork required to use for residency, our lawyer known as.
It was Friday night and we had been sitting on our sofa in the home we rented in Bulgaria. He was calling to tell us that we had 5 days to go to the Bulgarian consulate in Canada and apply for the long-stay visa, in any other case one among our paperwork would expire.
We knew we needed to go to Canada finally, however we must always’ve nonetheless had months earlier than we would have liked to use. How might this be taking place?!
Since every little thing took so lengthy to do (appointments, gathering paperwork, notarizing/apostelling, and many others.), the validity of one of many preliminary paperwork we had procured from our residence nation of Canada was about to run out.
If that doc expired, we wouldn’t be capable of apply for the long-stay visa, and in the end, residency in Bulgaria. All of our onerous work would have been for nothing.
Our lawyer known as us on November thirteenth and by November fifteenth we had been on a aircraft from Bulgaria to Canada – probably the most direct and solely cheap flight choice for an entire week. If one thing went unsuitable or we missed our connecting flight in Poland, we wouldn’t make it on time. There was plenty of strain on that flight!
Fortunately, we made it and on the morning of November seventeenth, we went to the Bulgarian consulate in Toronto with all of our paperwork to use for our long-stay D-Visa.
We utilized on the final day it will have been doable. The Bulgarian consular normal even advised us so with a humorous smile as we handed him our paperwork.
Now all we needed to do was wait and hope we’d be accepted. The consulate stated it will take round 5 weeks for the visa to be accepted (or denied).
Spending the Holidays in Canada
Since we had been already in Canada (thoughts you, on the opposite facet of the nation from our households), we determined to spend Christmas and New 12 months’s with our mother and father, siblings, and kinfolk. Somewhat than ready round in Toronto for five weeks for the paperwork to return again, this gave the impression of a way more fulfilling concept.
It was the primary time we’d spent Christmas at residence since 2013.
It was chilly, snowy, and oh-so festive! We went ice skating and tubing on the ski hill. We danced and mingled at three Christmas events. Nick went searching together with his brother, we went for snowy hikes and bowling with household, and we laughed, ate, and drank an excessive amount of!
We rang within the new 12 months with my household and celebrated Nick’s grandma’s eightieth birthday per week later with family members. It was a fantastic go to again residence and a very good approach to begin 2023.
At first of January, we heard again from the Bulgarian embassy and our visas had been prepared for pick-up in Toronto. We acquired our long-stay visa for Bulgaria! This was step one to acquiring residency, with extra to comply with as soon as we returned to Bulgaria.
Despite the fact that we had been so relieved the celebrities aligned and every little thing was accepted, we had one thing behind our minds…
The Rocky Begin to the 12 months
That is tough to jot down, and we haven’t shared this publicly but. However, on the finish of 2022 and into March of 2023, we had been contemplating promoting Goats On The Street (I do know, I can’t consider it both).
We had been feeling off and in a inventive stoop (which began through the pandemic), and with the entire new developments round AI, we had been feeling deflated and as if we most likely wouldn’t have a enterprise for for much longer.
We had been being very “doom and gloom” and (because it seems) overreacting about the entire thing. On the time, nevertheless, we thought we must always exit our enterprise and transfer on whereas we might.
We deliberate to promote simply the web site itself, with out our social media accounts and Nick’s running a blog programs. I wished to maintain our reference to our readers on social media, and Nick wished to proceed instructing his college students. Two facets of our weblog that we each adore.
We had no concept what we’d do for a job and revenue going ahead, however for no matter motive, on the time it felt like the precise factor to do.
Goats On The Street had been our life for 10 years. This was an extremely onerous resolution to make and I used to be actually crying once we pressed the “submit” button on the promoting platform.
Had been we making the precise resolution?
We listed our web site at a excessive value and we acquired plenty of curiosity. We ended up doing 5 severe calls with enterprise capitalist corporations who had been curious about buying our web site and including it to their portfolio.
Of these 5 calls, we acquired 3 official provides. Financially, they had been wonderful, life-changing provides. However, the phrases of the agreements didn’t sit proper with us and we declined all of them.
Throughout the entire provide calls, we needed to checklist the superb facets of Goats On The Street to those patrons, together with viewers engagement, revenue, analytics, model power, and potential for the web site. What in the end occurred throughout these calls was that we bought our web site again to ourselves.
This entire course of reminded us of why we love Goats On The Street and it gave us an enormous push to maintain transferring ahead and ignited a spark inside us. We had a lot readability on what we wished to do going ahead with our enterprise!
We determined that we had been going to maintain our web site and we doubled down on it, investing our time, power, and love, implementing all of the greatest search engine optimisation practices we now have discovered over time – and inside 6 months, we doubled our visitors. Woohoo!
As quickly as we determined to not promote and eliminated our beloved web site from the itemizing platform, it was like an enormous weight was lifted. We might breathe once more.
We’re Residents of Bulgaria and Have a Base
I’m thrilled to say that in February 2023, all of our paperwork cleared and we acquired our ID playing cards. We’re formally residents of Bulgaria. We’ve transitioned from full-time digital nomads to having a house base the place we’ll journey from ceaselessly 😀
Your complete course of was tedious, disturbing, prolonged, tough, and stuffed with limitless quantities of forms, however ultimately, we succeeded and are so glad that our persistence paid off!
On this article, we listed one among our main targets, which was to have a base the place we might stay, and do small journeys from there. A spot the place we might unpack and make our personal. Someplace to have roots so we weren’t continuously transferring from place to put. Right here’s what I wrote in that article:
“Ideally, that vacation spot would have forests, mountains, seashores, and rivers. A spot with a lot of facilities, a group of like-minded folks, and delightful lodging for lease (oh, and Nick says he wants there to be fly fishing).
Our good place would have a wide range of eating places, implausible wine, and quite a few enjoyable issues to see and do. I’d prefer it to be inexpensive, snug, and have vibe. It additionally must be well-connected to different components of the world. “
Our new residence in Bulgaria checks all of these packing containers, apart from the group half. We haven’t actually discovered that but, however to be truthful, we haven’t been attempting. We’ve had so a lot of our superior nomadic mates come to go to and stick with us that we haven’t felt the necessity.
A giant factor that was sporting on us over the previous few years was understanding that we couldn’t keep wherever for greater than 3 months. Significantly throughout 2020/2021 when many borders had been closed and there have been many guidelines and restrictions on entry necessities.
Vacationer visas are sometimes legitimate for 3 months, or 6 months in some circumstances. And the complete Schengen Zone is a 3-month keep. So there was at all times this sense that we “have to depart quickly”, and we had been at all times discussing “the place ought to we go subsequent?”.
Now, we now have someplace we are able to keep for so long as we wish! Finishing this main life aim has remodeled our lives and our total psychological well being and well-being.
The 12 months Transforms!
By this level within the article, a lot has occurred and we’re solely in March of this 12 months. It’s unimaginable simply how a lot went on through the first few months of 2023. Fortunately, it was (largely) all downhill from there.
Settling In
The excellent news was we had already rented our home earlier than getting residency, so once we returned to Bulgaria from Canada, we didn’t have to seek for someplace to stay. Now that we knew we had been legally allowed to remain within the nation, we settled in and made the home extra our personal.
We made enhancements to the yard: purchased an inflatable sizzling tub, a BBQ, a fireplace pit, and a hammock, and we even planted a small backyard. Inside the house, we embellished some extra and added some private touches.
We nearly adopted a canine, rescued 3 kittens from sure dying (and adopted them out), and purchased a brand new automobile as nicely – heaps has occurred!
Exploring our New House
We first got here to Bulgaria again in 2016, so we had seen among the nation, however there was (is) much more to discover.
We headed north to the historic metropolis of Veliko Tarnovo, taking in among the huge communist-era monuments alongside the best way.
Subsequent, we went southwest to the mountain city (and fashionable digital nomad metropolis in Europe), Bansko. We’d been right here earlier than, however this time, we had been assembly up with entrepreneurial mates outdated and new.
It was such a beautiful go to with this group of like-minded folks, and after many chats with them, it solidified to me that we made the precise resolution in maintaining Goats On The Street. We additionally had another running a blog mates come to go to us and had a good time exhibiting them round – this was a really friend-focused 12 months as nicely!
Lastly, we went northwest for a number of days of fly fishing. Aside from these three longer journeys across the nation, we did many journeys about an hour from our residence – hikes, fishing spots, wineries, and little cities.
Travels Overseas to Seven International locations
For us, the purpose of getting a base isn’t in order that we stay there year-round. The purpose is that we are able to go on journeys and know that we now have someplace that we’re trying ahead to returning to. This 12 months, we managed to journey to 7 completely different nations.
Grenada
First up was a 5-week journey to Grenada, our residence away from residence. As at all times, we had an unimaginable time catching up with our shut mates, island hopping across the Grenadines, visiting Carriacou, and many liming. My birthday was spent on a non-public sundown sail, whereas the very proficient artiste and buddy, Akheem, serenaded us. It was superb.
Our flight stopped off in England on the best way residence, so after all, we needed to meet up with our good buddy and journey buddy Jason for some shenanigans round London.
Scandinavia
This might be our first time visiting any of the Scandinavian nations! Our shut mates, Tom and Anna, got here to stick with us in Bulgaria for per week and after that, the 4 of us flew to Copenhagen, Denmark.
The journey was stuffed with consuming, exploring, laughing, consuming…and witnessing the 2 of them getting married.
We fell in love with Copenhagen. The quite a few parks, colourful buildings on the water, and pleasant folks had been among the highlights. We additionally met up with a Danish buddy of ours, Kristine, whereas we had been within the metropolis who confirmed us round!
After Copenhagen, we parted methods with our mates and took the practice to the town of Malmö in Sweden. This scholar metropolis was plenty of enjoyable. Whereas we had been solely there for two days, we discovered the town very fulfilling. It was picturesque, walkable, and had some nice eating places and wine bars.
From there, we continued to the capital of Sweden, Stockholm. Right here we joined a strolling tour, and explored the outdated city and some different areas – Östermalm, Södermalm and Norrmalm. We spent 3 days and solely scratched the floor of this gorgeous metropolis.
Greece
Whereas not a brand new nation for us, this 12 months we returned to Greece to go to a brand new island within the nation, Paros. We had been there for Tom and Anna’s second wedding ceremony! Along with 33 of their closest household and mates, we celebrated their union.
Paros is a beautiful island and our 8 days there have been spent hanging out with new mates, wedding ceremony festivities, and exploring the island by automotive. Nick and I had 3 days to ourselves earlier than anybody arrived.
We based mostly ourselves in Naousa and zipped across the island trying out completely different coves and seashores, quaint villages, bars and eating places, and coastal walks. This journey to Greece for our buddy’s wedding ceremony was a particular spotlight of the 12 months.
Mexico
Nick’s dad was within the hospital, so with out hesitation, we booked a last-minute, 3-week journey to Puerto Vallarta on the finish of September.
Inside 3 hours, we had deliberate, packed, and booked flights, lodging, journey insurance coverage, and a taxi to the airport. We had been on our method: Sofia -> Frankfurt -> Mexico Metropolis -> Puerto Vallarta.
Fortunately, every little thing is okay now and he’s recovering. However, it was an extremely disturbing time.
Romania
To spherical out our worldwide travels this 12 months, we headed on a street journey north to Romania for Nick’s birthday. Not solely had been we celebrating Nick’s big day, nevertheless it was on at the present time precisely 15 years in the past that we give up our jobs, bought our possessions, and headed off on our lifetime of journey.
Romania was a brand new nation for us, and we loved our 5-day journey to Bucharest and a few surrounding areas. We ate at fabulous eating places (each conventional, and upscale), did a day journey to the Delau Mare wine area, soaked within the spectacular Therme Baths, and walked everywhere in the metropolis. It was a fantastic journey!
Enterprise Plans
Aside from now having a house base, the opposite main transition for us this 12 months has been how we have a look at our enterprise and what we wish for it.
By way of visitors to our web site, it wasn’t the place it ought to have been – the place it deserved to be after 10+ years of onerous work! The truth that we had been simply “maintaining it afloat”, merely wasn’t acceptable to us.
As soon as we knew in our hearts and minds that we had been maintaining Goats On The Street, we went for it! We employed a big staff of knowledgeable writers on numerous matters, two digital assistants, an editor, and a supervisor and we each spent much more time giving the weblog the find it irresistible deserves.
We made build up our model and web site a precedence and between the time that we deliberate to promote, and now, we had been in a position to double our guests to the positioning.
However, that’s only one small a part of what we did. We each wished (need) to be extra inventive and have much more of a group connection.
Nick has been working onerous on updating and creating new content material for his Running a blog Kickstarter Course and his Superior search engine optimisation Made Easy course as nicely. He’s additionally been attempting to construct up our YouTube channel once more.
I’ve been managing our groups behind the scenes, but additionally sharing much more on social media and brainstorming our subsequent enterprise for the brand new 12 months.
We’re placing a deal with our group (that’s you!), and are engaged on a program to assist digital nomads and aspiring digital nomads discover methods to become profitable on-line, spend much less whereas build up their companies, and stay and journey overseas.
We’re very enthusiastic about this…keep tuned! And, if it’s a program that you simply suppose you’d be curious about, ship us an e-mail and tell us what you’d wish to be taught in regards to the location-independent way of life.
Targets and Ideas for 2024
Heading into the brand new 12 months, there are a number of foremost targets and issues that we wish to accomplish.
Investing in Ourselves
By this I imply, investing in methods to enhance ourselves – mentally, bodily, and business-wise. We’ve taken the primary steps even earlier than the brand new 12 months has arrived, and we’re at present concerned in a training course to learn the way we are able to create the very best provide for our college students, and be the very best coaches and mentors doable.
I’ve additionally signed us up for Bulgarian language classes (want us luck!), and there are a number of attention-grabbing conferences that we’re planning on attending within the 12 months. We wish to proceed to develop and evolve, and never be afraid to spend cash on issues that may assist us try this.
Touring to New International locations
This previous 12 months, we solely visited three new nations and the others had been repeats. This 12 months, whereas we do have a few repeat favorites deliberate, the aim is to go to some new locations to see attention-grabbing cultures and sights, and to have some memorable experiences.
Well being & Wellness
Since I didn’t do the 2022 roundup put up, you didn’t examine us shedding plenty of weight – Nick dropped 40 kilos, and I misplaced 20 kilos. We obtained impressed by the 4-hour physique by Tim Ferris and after shedding the burden, we began to work out with weights and HIIT packages.
I’m proud to say we’ve maintained our weight for greater than a 12 months now and can proceed specializing in our bodily well being as we head into 2024.
Shopping for a Property
This can be a little bit of a lofty aim, however not out of attain. The primary factor is that we’re unsure precisely the place to buy the property and whether or not it’ll be an funding property or our major residence.
Due to Our Tribe
As at all times, however much more so this 12 months, we wish to thanks for being part of our tribe. In case you don’t know, a gaggle of goats is commonly known as a tribe 🐐 – how good is that?! (They’re additionally known as a “herd” however that’s not almost as cool)
As we’ve transitioned our lives from full-time digital nomads to having a house base, we’re feeling much less confused and extra impressed and able to creating impactful content material for you. This 12 months you may anticipate a lot of thrilling issues from us!
Our enterprise goes to be branching off in numerous instructions to be extra of a group – we wish to work extra intently with the individuals who learn this weblog and comply with us on social media and who’ve goals of a affluent, digitally nomadic future.
Should you haven’t already, be certain to subscribe to our e-mail checklist, Instagram, YouTube, and Fb.
Wishing you a cheerful and wholesome 12 months forward!
Dariece & Nick (the “Goats”)
