We made it, you should all be proud of making it to the end of 2020. What a strange year this has been. I’m not going to share my challenges and frustrations, as we all have experienced those. I want to share what I’m most proud of coming out of 2020 and what I hope 2021 will bring.

Looking back at 2020

This year has allowed me more time, which I am truly grateful for. This was the chance for me to focus all my energy into my coffee blog. Some of you may not know this, but I redesigned and restarted my website and Instagram account on the 28th of June 2020. I spent the entire weekend picking a preset and learning about Lightroom. My current presets are from an Influencer I follow and love – @thebirdspapya. Love her!

I researched which hashtags to use for my posts and started adding a selected set for every post. To get myself orgainsed, I downloaded an app to plan all my posts. Planoloy is the App I used, and recommended by one of my fav coffee bloggers – Ahleigh (@coffeeenut) on her blog which you can read here. It really helped me to visually see how my Instagram feed would feel and look like.

What I’m most proud of in 2020

I first started my blog and Instagram account on the 2nd of April 2019. It took me 15 months to reach 171 followers, and I ended 2020 with 578 followers after I decided to rebrand. It’s insane to think that my account has grown by 338% in 5 months.

It’s honestly amazing, and I’ve made some incredible connections, in a year that has truly been lonely. This space has been my saving grace. From there, I’ve become more confident in writing weekly posts and I’ve even started sending a weekly mailer to a handful of subscribers.

I have also moved to a new city, co-launched Future Females in North America and finally got my US drivers license. I’m truly proud of myself and what I have achieved this year. Oh and I’m now trying to learn how to ski.

What I hope 2021 will bring

I’m writing this part after watching Disney’s Soul, if you haven’t watched it, do yourself a favor and watch it as soon as you can. I’ve definitely taken life for granted. I always get wrapped up in my own thoughts with how I want things to pan out.

I’m hoping for myself that I can have a little more fun, and appreciate the small things. We are always rushing to improve ourselves, to do better and be better that we pass life so quickly. One thing I have taken away from 2020 is to value time spent with loved ones. And if all things go to plan I will be traveling back to South Africa in January. 

I want to continue growing my love for coffee on my blog and Instagram, and hopefully with the new year brings about safe travel. This space has kept me going this year and I have loved every moment. I’m so excited to see what 2021 brings and all the new coffee I will try!

Some of my top posts of the year

Atlanta Coffee Guide

Single Origin versus Blend

Scottsdale and Phoenix Coffee Guide

Published by Freckles and Flat Whites

In November 2018, I moved to San Francisco. I'm a Cape Town girl, trying to figure things out on the West Coast. This blog is about my experiences here and how I'm still trying to navigate a new country and new culture.

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