2023: A Year in Review

2023 ended a heck of a lot better than it began.

In January, I felt lost, as my primary source of income had gone from a reliable flood to an unpredictable trickle. However, I was fortunate, as some full-time people I worked with were suddenly out of a job. The culprit was corporate America’s rush to embrace ChatGPT and other AI content-creation services.

So it goes.

In the following months, I took what work I could get, maintaining my income with projects on Upwork. These opportunities let me expand my client base and develop new skills. Though making ends meet was still challenging throughout the spring and early summer, I was making small inroads and building a more varied portfolio.

The personal/professional highlight of the year was my three-week trip to Japan in October. I am truly grateful that I had the means and opportunity to ride the rails through Hokkaido and visit five cities. I even got to write an article about it nearly 50,000 North Bay residents read in November.

This month, my fortunes took an amazing turn, when I accepted a full-time contracting position with HeyTutor. Between now and at least early March, I’ll be developing English language arts curricula/lesson plans for tutors nationwide. And if things go well (fingers crossed), HeyTutor might extend my contract or find something new for me to do. Either way, it’s a fantastic opportunity that’ll set me up for further growth in 2024.

Again, I am incredibly grateful that 2023 ends with a big W. Who knows what tomorrow will bring, but I’m looking forward to working hard while letting my mind rest easy for once.

That said, here’s wishing everyone a productive, successful, and, most importantly, happy 2024.