Happy birthday to us! Today marks four years of Coves to Cliffs and I couldn't be more proud of this little slice of the internet that I've created!
On October 18 2020, I published our first blog post: Finding Peace in a Pandemic. While travel was disrupted during the pandemic, Brett and I spent a lot of time exploring local stretches of the South West Coast Path. The trail took us down to picturesque coves and up to dramatic clifftops. And so the idea of 'Coves to Cliffs' was born. The name of our blog, but also an outlook on life: you can't always see what's around the next headland, but more than likely, there will be both coves and cliffs – periods of rest in between challenging climbs. You've just got to keep on moving.
Since that first post, back in 2020, I've published a further 77 posts – sharing stories and photographs from our countless adventures: from road trips in California to bikepacking in England. I'm very good at starting projects and not seeing them through, which is why I'm extra proud of myself for keeping this blog going over the last four years, even as I went back to university, did another master's degree, and started my PhD. (Although, having said that...I've published 78 blog posts and currently have 77 sitting in my "drafts" folder...so I'm not always good at finishing off blog posts!).
Perhaps I've been able to be more consistent with this blog because photography and writing are part of who I am. I have a bit of a toxic relationship with Instagram, so this blog has been a much healthier place to share our adventures and my photography in a way that feels more authentic. I'm beginning to realise that no matter the other hobbies I dabble in for a couple of months (life drawing, collage, and watercolours, to name some of my recent endeavours), I will always return to photography and writing as ways of expressing myself.
My goal is not to make blogging a full-time job or a source of income. I despise the idea of flooding these blog posts with sponsored content or, god forbid, actual advertisements. Instead of making money, I write about my adventures as a way of remembering them and sharing my love of the outdoors with others. With that being said, however, it's still exciting to reflect on how much the blog has grown since the post I wrote on our first anniversary. Back in 2021, I was thrilled that the blog had reached 600 unique visitors in the first year. Now, we're reaching that number of visitors every month! In the past year, Wix Analytics has recorded 19,246 visitors with over 26,000 post views from cities across the world!
Our most viewed blog posts over the last year:
And some of my personal favourite blog posts from the last four years: |
After going for my first solo bikepacking trip in August, I shared the blog post I wrote on some cycling Facebook groups for the first time. I was overwhelmed with the incredibly kind comments complete strangers left after reading the post. Multiple people commented that my blog post was inspirational – the highest praise you could possibly give me! It made me even more determined to do my big PhD cycle ride next year: if this one-night trip could inspire others, imagine the people I'll be able to reach during a three-month trip across England!
So, thank you, anyone who has read the blog and messaged me to say you like a post – it really means the world to me knowing you've enjoyed my ramblings!
I also wanted to take this opportunity to say 'thank you' to Brett. I feel so incredibly lucky to be with a partner who not only shares my love of outdoor adventure, but who actively encourages me to pursue new adventures (and to write about them here on the blog). Being in a long distance relationship isn't always easy, but our relationship makes me stronger in so many ways. Below, you can see a picture from our very first outdoor adventure together (backpacking in North Devon, October 2019) and our most recent adventure together (bikepacking in Devon & Cornwall, July 2024). I look forward to more adventures together in the future, wherever they may be.
Thank you, also, to my parents, for instilling in me a sense of adventure from a young age, as well as a deep love and respect for nature. And a special shout out to my mum, for inspiring me with her long-standing blog, which will celebrate its 19th birthday in December! Through documenting our lives, her blog has proven to be an incredible resource for my family. Thank you for raising me as one of the Suitcase Kids!
Here's to the next year of adventure – if everything goes to plan, it's certainly going to be a year to remember! Make sure you're subscribed to the blog to be updated about future posts!
Thank you, as always, for following along and supporting me in this endeavour.
All my love,
Veronica
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