From house moves and business changes, to family life and glitzy events, it’s time to share all the latest goings on!
Hi again everyone! It’s a little while since I wrote a personal update, but with the sun shining, and a few hours free before I collect Cooper from day care, it felt like a good moment to share a little insight into life right now.
It’s not all beautiful sunsets and delicious dinners I’m afraid. It’s real, it’s heavy and 100% personal. But, if you’ve been reading my blog or following me on social media for years, you’ll know what to expect by now!
Shall we dive straight in? I’d recommend making yourself a cuppa and having a little scroll…
Unstable times
In all honesty, we’re currently going through an unsettled patch. You know, one of those periods where everything feels unstable. We’ve both got family members going through difficulties, so we’re trying to be as supportive as possible, while also looking out for each other.
Our businesses have had a little shake due to the latest Google algorithm updates and an increase in AI content.
Plus, we’re planning a big life change this year. Yes, we’re hoping to move house in the next few months, so we’ve been spending weekends doing DIY, making our place look the best it possibly can, and of course, starting to look at properties too.
Our mini Cooper
I’ve been through unstable patches before, and they always feel more manageable if you can cling onto one constant. For us, that’s been our little Cooper! Full of beans, our 14-month-old has helped put everything into perspective. He brings us so much joy each day, with his little giggles and smiles, cheekiness and tottery steps. I think all of this would have felt a lot doomier without him in our lives!
After lots of celebrations around his first birthday in March, he’s now walking tentatively and we’re catching little glimpses of his personality. He’s been sleeping through the night since he was 11-months-old, and even with various bouts of illness over the last few months (seriously, is there ever a moment when a 1-year-old doesn’t have a snotty nose?!) he’s continued his routine throughout. I think cracking this made our lives feel a lot easier. Long gone are the numerous nightly wakings. What a gruelling time that was!
Every week we notice new milestones, whether it’s him learning words such as dog, car and up, or the way he wants to be independent holding his cup or turning on a TV remote. I’m absolutely loving watching each little moment. Being a parent really does make you appreciate the little things! I’m so grateful for that.
Travels
I officially returned to work in January after around 11 months on maternity leave. We spent one month of that in Vietnam and Thailand – two amazing countries that welcome families with open arms. If you’re considering trips to either any time soon, do have a good read of my latest posts.
With Cooper in day care three days a week, I’ve had time to focus on travel content again. I wondered how open our clients would be to work with us on family travel content. It’s a different angle, and isn’t a target demographic for every tourist board or travel brand.
However, we’ve been pleasantly surprised! We kicked off the year with a lovely collaboration with Classic Cottages, exploring Somerset’s northern coastline and Exmoor National Park. It eased us into the process of creating content with a little one in tow.
Then came the biggie! A weeklong travel campaign on Florida’s Space Coast, partnering with Visit Florida. We adore working with this client and have had several successful collaborations in the past. On this trip, we explored the hippy and cool New Smyrna Beach, watched a rocket launch from the sand, learned about NASA at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, and went wildlife spotting in Cocoa Beach. It was a varied and fun-packed trip, and ideal for young families. We loved the mix of travel, content creation and family life, taking it all in our stride!
Coming up, we have some really exciting campaigns, both solo and as a family. We’re also hoping to squeeze in a holiday at some point too, as you know, life has been a little heavy.
Business, Algorithms and the rise in AI
I mentioned that our businesses have had a little shake due to the latest Google algorithm updates and an increase in AI content. To be honest, you’d be hard pushed to find a blogger or small online publisher who hasn’t been impacted by these changes. It’s widespread and utterly devastating.
I know big-name bloggers and influencers who are questioning whether they can continue. Many small publishers earn a living from advertising and affiliates. With search engine algorithms unfairly pushing down quality content, many hard-working bloggers are finding their traffic has reduced. As a result, earnings through advertising and affiliates (hotel and tour bookings) have dropped dramatically.
Then there’s the surge in AI. I’m talking ChatGPT, Meta AI and Google Gemini. If you’re not tech-savvy, these services crawl the internet, scrape content and then regurgitate it to users looking for information. I’m not anti-AI. There are plenty of great ways to use these tools to speed up work flow or help with planning.
However, there are now numerous examples of these services delivering almost identical content to that written by publishers such as myself. Type in your question, e.g. how to plan the best Southern Italy itinerary, and it will summarise the blog post I have written, without any credit to me as the author or my website as the source.
It’s frustrating to say the least. I’ve been blogging for ten years now and have mountains of content freely-available to travel lovers like you. It’s sad to see it being used in this way… and receiving none of the benefits that I’d usually have with traffic or bookings via my site.
There’s no way of knowing if things will change, but it’s been painful to watch my business of 10 years being impacted by things that are beyond my control.
I’m staying motivated, loving client work more than ever, and hoping there are some better days ahead!
And… Pivot!
You might have noticed a little pivot in my content as I share more about family life. It’s felt like a natural transition, and one I’m enjoying sharing. Whether it’s my top tips for long haul flights with a baby, the best hotels with baby clubs or how to make the most of a day at Kennedy Space Center with little ones, I’m keen to share all my new knowledge! Mum knows best…!
That’s not to say I’m leaving solo travel or press trips behind. I’m keen to mix and match. I really like the variety right now – the fact I can be on a solo weekend in Sheffield one week, and the next I’m showing Cooper how rockets work in Florida! It seems a lot of you are really engaged in the family content too, which has made it all the more rewarding.
One of my favourite discoveries from having a baby, has been the welcome into the ‘mum club’. I love how engaged and supportive mums are of each other. I’ve noticed this particularly on Instagram. There’s such a warm and nurturing mum community.
Moving House
We’re finally leaving London… well, hopefully anyway! I moved to the city just after university. I can’t quite believe it, but that’s over 15 years ago! From flat shares in my 20s, to finding the perfect first home with Macca in my 30s, I’ve had a long and memorable relationship with this amazing city.
I’ll be sad to leave. It’s where my career in radio really took off. It’s the place I made so many of my best friends. It’s also where I met Macca and of course, we had our bubba Cooper! There are so many special moments wrapped up in the streets of Soho, the leafy parks, vibey restaurants and bars. Of lazy days in the sunshine with friends in Hyde Park, date nights in fine-dining restaurants and work events in the city. I’ve loved it, but I think I’m ready for the next chapter now.
We’ve toyed with the idea of a bigger move to the coast, away from friends and family. But ultimately, we don’t feel ready for such a huge step yet. For now, we’re focusing on a few locations within an hour of London. I’ll keep you posted on how things go!
Awards and Events
I really missed the social side of work during my maternity leave. The travel industry is full of really fun and inspiring characters. It’s always felt like such a welcoming and friendly world to be a part of. So, it’s been lovely to be back at events, mingling with my travel industry colleagues.
There was a really engaging event with Travel Nevada, learning more about the state while experimenting with neon painting. Spoiler – I wasn’t very good but I had a lot of fun! I also tucked into an amazing 4-course Italian lunch at The Petersham with the team from Trentino in Italy. I adored my trip to Lake Garda and the Dolomites a few years ago, so fingers crossed for a return trip later this year.
The biggest and glitziest event I attended recently was the TravMedia Awards. I was nominated for Travel Influencer of the Year – a huge honour, especially considering I spent much of the year on maternity leave! I didn’t win, but it was lovely to catch up with host Rylan, who I used to manage in my previous career as an artist manager. After a few shout outs, we hung out in his dressing room and chatted about the old days of X Factor rehearsals, TV appearances and all the characters we’d encountered in showbiz. It really felt like life had come full circle!
Running
So, what else is filling my time? Well, a one-year-old, a full-time job and a house move is enough to keep anyone pretty busy! But, I’m also back outside enjoying running again. I’ve never been an amazing runner, but I do enjoy the feeling when it’s a) going well and b) when it’s over!
With the sun shining again, it’s been lovely to step outdoors in the mornings, get the blood pumping and start improving my PBs. I find that some weeks I feel really motivated, while others I just want to have a light jog. I never regret the experience though, so I’ll try to keep going throughout the summer.
I think that’s everything for now. Let’s pray for some brighter, happier days ahead and to finding our dream home soon. I hope you’re keeping well too.
Speak soon!
Chloe