My 2019 Year-in-Review: Navigating a Non-Traditional Career Path

Looking back on twenty-nineteen, it seems that my year was split into near-perfect thirds… geographically speaking, that is. I spent the first-third backpacking around Southeast Asia, the next-third exploring my home country of Norway, and the last-third (re)visiting cities across North America, mostly in Canada. While traversing eight different countries on three contrasting continents, I grew my blog readership and freelance client base, collaborated with tourism boards as well as international organizations, and got involved in both local and global communities wherever possible. As always, there were highs and lows, triumphs and tribulations, successes and failures, and a healthy dose of in-betweens… or so the story goes. I guess you’ll just have to keep reading to find out. But before you do, let me extend my sincere gratitude to all of you – for reading my blog, for commenting on my posts, for taking an interest in my life – because none of this would be possible without you. So thank you! Now let’s get into it.

January was set in motion by a memorable New Year’s Eve celebration somewhere above the Balkans as I journeyed from Oslo, Norway to Bali, Indonesia. Once on the so-called ‘Island of the Gods’, I checked into a local homestay in the town of Ubud, otherwise known as the cultural heart of the island. From there, I migrated to the Gili Islands, first to Gili Air and then to Gili Trawangan. All the while, I spent my days between yoga classes and vegan cafés, working on myself and working on my business. I wrote articles for a female entrepreneurship magazine, answered questions about life as an expat in Kenya, and poured my blood, sweat, and tears into a 12,000-word eBook on veganism and intermittent fasting – my largest assignment to date. When my thirty-day tourist visa for Indonesia was up, I jetted off to Cambodia in search of a new adventure.

February was an eye-opening month, as my travels brought me from Phnom Penh and Siem Reap in Cambodia to Hanoi and Sapa in Vietnam. While in Cambodia, I learned just how important the tourism industry is to the country’s economy, and I began writing about sustainable travel on my blog. For instance, I visited some of the amazing businesses in and around Siem Reap to educate myself on their various initiatives, which I then featured in a post titled Where to Spend Your Tourist Dollars, Beyond Angkor Wat. If you only have time to read one of my other entries, let it be this one… it’s one of my favourites, and also the sixth-most popular post on this blog. Aside from that, I wrote an article about the hosted buyer model for a freelance client in the event planning industry, and compiled a list of lessons I learned from my first year as a freelance writer, for any aspiring digital nomads out there.

March was hectic, to say the least. I continued my tour of Northern Vietnam, from Hanoi and Sapa to Cat Ba Island and Ninh Binh, then I flew to Malaysia, where I bussed from Penang Island to Kuala Lumper. Meanwhile, I acquired some interesting travel stories, like getting caught in the middle of a Vietnamese riot and being detained by the Malaysian police… but I’ll save those tales for another time. Being that I spent half of March in relatively remote locations with poor WiFi connection, my freelance work ultimately got pushed to the back burner, but I believe it was for the better. Given my packed travel schedule, this gave me a chance to prioritize friendships and experiences on the road, rather than my work. From dinner dates and festivals to sunrise missions and photoshoots – all the things that make my heart happy – I said yes to whatever came my way, and I made some incredible memories because of it.

April was soul-stirring, as I returned to Ubud for a month of writing and self reflection. It just so happened that my Bali bestie Hille was en route to the island as well, a lovely Swedish girl I’d met back in January, and we naturally became neighbours in adjoining homestays. What followed was a series of morning runs and yoga classes, breakfast dates and spiritual talks, scooter adventures and rice field photoshoots, live music and ecstatic dance festivals, and the list goes on. I think I can speak for both of us when I say that our time together was as enlightening as it was magical. Purely, simply, inexplicably magical… my mind, body, and soul have never felt so safe, yet so free all at once. With the expiration date of my second thirty-day tourist visa looming on the horizon, I reluctantly booked a flight out of Indonesia. This time to Saigon, otherwise known as Ho Chi Minh City, the capital of South Vietnam and the country’s most populous city.

May was more or less a transitional period, one in which I said goodbye to Southeast Asia and hello to my home sweet home of Norway. After two weeks in South Vietnam and three days in Taipei City, the capital of Taiwan, I returned to Oslo just in time for Norway’s national day on the seventeenth of May. Shortly thereafter, I joined the media team at the Urban Future Global Conference, an annual three-day conference that gathers passionate people from all over the world to drive change toward more sustainable cities. Seeing as Oslo was named the European Green Capital 2019 and UFGC is Europe’s largest event for sustainable cities, it was only by chance that I could attend the conference in my hometown this year. My participation in the conference allowed me to build upon my existing knowledge of sustainability, and I branched out from solely talking about sustainable tourism on my blog.

June was particularly adventurous, in large part because my college roommate Olivia and I set out on a wild camping road trip, from Oslo to Ålesund. In spite of the less-than-ideal conditions we encountered, I have fond memories of our challenging yet unforgettable journey through the mountains of Jotunheimen, Rondane, and Dovre. Some of the highlights include driving along the Norwegian Scenic Route Valdresflye, hiking the Besseggen ridge from Memurubu to Gjendesheim, and exploring the colourful port town of Ålesund. Prior to our departure, I shared some of my ideas for a more sustainable summer in Oslo, inspired by my involvement with the Urban Future team. Then upon our return, I signed a long-term contract with a freelance client in the healthcare sector who I’ve since written forty articles for, making it my highest-paying job to date.

July was, um, confusing. My Bali bestie Hille visited me from Sweden, and we spent a week at my cabin, followed by a weekend in Oslo. It was during her visit that I began to contemplate my future and I felt this overwhelming urge to make a post-summer plan, so I did. I remember being torn between backpacking across South Africa or applying to a journalism program at the University of King’s College in Halifax… and yet, somehow I ended up with a one-way ticket to Vancouver for the end of August. Typical me, but at least I had a seemingly solid plan, come autumn. With that now set in stone, I signed a new freelance client in the financial sector, which kept me busy writing articles about small cap stocks, TFSAs, and RRSPs. Then on the twenty-seventh of July, I ‘celebrated’ the two-year anniversary of my dad’s passing with a solo hike to Gråfjell, the tallest peak in the Norefjell mountain range.

August was mostly spent in the mountains, both with friends and with family. First I went with my childhood friend Sofie, we spent the weekend at my cabin and hiked to the top of Høgevarde. Then my high school friend Therese flew in from England, and we hiked from Tempelseter to Ranten during our five-day nature getaway. Next up was a sort of farewell trip with my family, on the occasion of me leaving for Vancouver the following week. Finally, at the end of August, I flew from Oslo to Vancouver via San Francisco. I spent twenty-four hours in the Bay Area, tying up loose ends and visiting my friend Eliza, then I continued onto British Columbia where I reunited with Simran, one of my former Vancouver roommates from last summer. Apart from hiking and travelling, I joined the Impact Travel Alliance, a global community aimed at improving the world through travel, which allowed me to connect with individuals who share my passions for ethical tourism and sustainable living.

September was an exciting time… up until the novelty of moving (back) to Vancouver wore off, that is. I settled into a charming studio apartment on Commercial Drive, otherwise known as the cultural heart of East Vancouver, and I took a liking to both the space and the neighbourhood. That being said, I spent most of my days writing at the kitchen table and nearby coffee shops, unaware of just how isolated I was becoming. I published a local’s guide to eating vegan in Oslo, a list of things to see and do in San Francisco, and a long overdue post from a trip I once took to Portland. On the freelance work front, I signed a client in the luxury aviation industry as well as a Vancouver-based photographer, for whom I wrote articles about air travel and family photography, respectively. Toward the end of the month, I was faced with the decision whether to stay or to go, of which I chose the latter.

October was primarily spent on the road, as I embarked upon an unforgettable train journey across the Great White North, from Vancouver to Montréal. During my month-long rail adventure, I covered over 5,000 kilometres by land, crossed four different time zones, travelled through six Canadian provinces, and spent just shy of 100 hours on the tracks. As I made my way from west to east, I explored Jasper National Park on foot, celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving with family in Toronto, and experienced the glorious fall foliage in Ottawa. I also collaborated with Hostelling International Canada, Ottawa Tourism, and Parkbus along the way, sharing my tips on travelling both affordably and sustainably. When the month came to an end, so too did my cross-Canada adventure, and I flew back to Vancouver for (what would become) a last hurrah.

November was an emotional roller coaster, to put it simply. I moved into a one-of-a-kind studio apartment in Strathmore Lodge, a heritage building situated in Vancouver’s leafy West End neighbourhood. From there, I set out on a social mission of sorts. Realizing that September had more or less been a flop due to self-imposed isolation and loneliness, it seemed only fair that I give the city a proper chance this time around. By this I mean that I filled my calendar with social activities and various other events, mostly through hiking groups, meetup platforms, and dating apps… and it worked, in fact, it worked wonders. As strangers turned to friends and community took the place of loneliness, I found myself teetering on the brink of yet another major life decision. I’ll spare you the details here, but in the event that I’ve piqued your curiosity, you can read about my predicament in a rather personal post I published just last month, titled Between a Pillow and a Soft Place.

December has been as cozy as can be. After saying an emotional goodbye to Vancouver, at least for the time being, I began my homeward journey for the holidays. On the way to Norway, I spent a festive forty-eight hours in New York City, soaking up the Christmas spirit and reuniting with some college friends. It’s now going on four weeks since I first arrived back in Oslo, and I’ve pretty much been cuddling with my dog Cody ever since… after all, it’s cuddle season. In addition to that, I’ve been catching up with friends, hanging out with family, and making plans for the months ahead. In just shy of two weeks, I’ll be well within the Arctic circle, socializing reindeer and learning about the Sami culture. Then I’ll find my way to Hemsedal, the birth place of ice climbing in Norway, for the Women’s Alpine Adventure Club’s winter meet where I’ll be in charge of social media and blog-related tasks. And tonight is of course New Year’s Eve, which I’m spending at my cabin this year, with both two- and four-legged family members… lucky me!

And that’s a wrap on twenty-nineteen – what a ride! Let’s make twenty-twenty a year of unique experiences, and the twenty-twenties a decade of endless adventure. As always, thank you for reading… oh, and happy New Year!

With much ♡, Julia Elizabeth