After writing my year in review for 2025, Part 1 and Part 2 I figured it'd be nice to write something more positive rather than all the obstacles we've had to jump, cross, tuck and roll over...
So here it goes...

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Kicking Myself and the Need to build Something solid

Last year, I had exactly the same issue as this year: no work for weeks. Last year it was six weeks to be precise, and this year (2025 up until now) it's been 10 weeks so far and counting.
10 weeks of no income is too much for me.
I think to myself: "could I have saved more?" Well, I was trying the hardest to do so, but money has been flying out the door. Family visited us, we went over there, residencies for two children, pocket money and more for one child in the US/abroad...It all adds up. And to be honest, life where we live in Mexico is pretty expensive. Not USA or Netherlands expensive, but not cheap either.
Part of me wants to move to Asia...but that's an undertaking not easily taken.
The other part wants to find a cheaper area right here, but where? Mexico is huge!

Anyway, my lack of being able to choose AND not having the funds to do so even if I choose something had me kick myself into discipline. Last year I told myself the same damn thing: I never want to be in this insecure position again. Last year I didn't listen to myself and nothing has changed. And because of it, I got kicked harder this year with all my funds completely drained. All of it. It sucks more than I can say. So this year will be the one where I turn everything around. Where I build something solid. So next year, I'm not stressing about finances, about how to pay the rent, etc. And I need to do this without making too many different plans. That's one of my issues. I get ideas, too many ideas and then because I am only one person, those ideas get picked up, thrown around for a bit, and then either half-assed or not done at all. THIS STOPS NOW!

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Change of Direction

For a little more than a year, I've had my travel website. And a little more than that, I've had plans to make a travel website that would be different from others. I still believe it was a good plan, and I started out OK, but after a while, I realized that the plans I had for it would take up a LOT of my time. Of course, I am well aware that creating something from scratch, and especially a business, will take time and take a lot of time, but the problem is that I simply don't have that kind of time to spend on it.
Even though my job is now on the low low, this isn't always the case, and when there's work, it just makes more sense to do it, because it pays well.

So instead of travel, I am going to re-haul my website and turn back to real estate. I have done it once, I can do it now.
I will be working with a great company that doesn't just have properties here in Mexico, but also in other places, and it's all great places...
So instead of holding on to a website for travel, when my own family doesn't even want to book with me (what's the point, right?), I'm much better off to focus a few hours a week on a website and social media for real estate. I mean, at least when that pays, it pays!

I can slowly work myself into it, and once there's a sale, start to move into it full-time.
And since some of the housing markets in several countries aren't that stable right now, people are looking elsewhere. So if not today, then when?

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More Plans, but not now

I wouldn't be me if I didn't have another plan or two on the shelf somewhere.
Yup, I do. And I know, I can definitely work on one more plan right now. But then, again, I would feel like I'd spend too much time on just work. So for now, I am leaving it on the shelf.
One step at a time. This will be my motto this year.

ONE STEP AT A TIME

Images made in Leonardo.ai