I had been thinking about this vlog ever since I arrived in Poland. Almost six months in and after a subscribers comment on YouTube it seemed like the ideal time to share some of my expectations versus reality of life for me in this country. I can't stress it enough, while I'm sure some have similar experiences, this is my personal journey and reflection for my time in Poland. I don't claim to be an American with all the answers and I'm the first to say that growing up in the USA has given me a sheltered life in many ways. There is most definitely a bias.

​Feel free to have a listen and hear what I have to share. If you like the vlog, give me a like or better yet a share or a subscribe. I hope to be back sharing my regular travel vlogs later this week. 

2023 has come and with it much anticipation and expectation as to what that means in the months ahead. 

Writing has taken a back seat of late, from a lack of motivation and the shiny new ball that is vlogging. Still, the storyteller in me knows there must be a novel or two ready to be told. 

The challenge is maintaining a balance and expending enough energy to do both successfully. That’s the caveat in my non-writing fun of late. 

Vlogging is more than just pointing a camera and talking. There is an interactive component that when ignored makes for a mindless walk through city streets. And yes there is a delicate thread of talking too much or not at all. Every location tells a different story and every viewer is looking for something specific. 

In a way, this is similar to writing a good story. The characters, the setting, and the conflict must all work or the story is trash. Even if all those pieces are in sync, it doesn’t mean in a world of millions of books that the right set of eyes will find and resonate with your tale. The same can be said with any vlog. The thumbnail, SEO, description, what others have watched previously all come into play.


This is why my favorite vlog about a hike along the Irish Sea limps along with a hundred plus views, but a Gdansk old town tour and Christmas market vlog has 17 times the views. Part of this is luck, proximity, and well algorithms. 

After years of independent publishing, I know this well. Rejection is part of the game as are dealing with readers who are not as enthused with the final product as the creator. While I have learned to accept this in a literary sense, the lesson is repeating itself in the vlogging world. 

With that written, I’m putting all of my creative endeavors in perspective. That’s what my 2023 focus will be. Don’t let the numbers dictate what I write or film. Genres, topics, whatever I need to find passion in is what I must do to fully enjoy the creative process. That is far more important than anything else. It’s also why I will write a sequel to Rusty Star this year. The Marcus Files should also have another addition, time willing as well. 

I have a few others writing goals that could be in play, but another lesson for 2023 is to focus on one goal at a time. Like a marathon runner, let’s put in the mileage first and see what develops and how the body responds. Here’s to a new month and a new year. 

May your writing, vlogging, whatever your creative goals, be successful for you in the year ahead.
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