It's been a year...

Shanklin Sailboats, ready to launch…

One year ago, I launched my first essay into the world. A very small world thankfully, as I didn’t have any subscribers, and just hitting the little ‘Publish’ button was a rather terrifying moment, even with no one at the other end, except me.

I had moved yet again and was struggling to find my transplanted SELF in a new location. Like every time I moved before, I wrote to make sense of what I was going through. My journey isn’t unique or particularly special, but this time I thought maybe, just maybe others might want to share the journey with me, help me push over those humps, and stand beside me for the special moments and secret places discovered along the way.

Besides trying to make sense of a new place, I wanted to uncover the many ways to find home wherever you are.

Found in our garden, where I live now

I wasn’t sure where the journey would lead, if anyone else would care to read my essays, if I would have enough to write about, how often I could keep posting, or if we would all get tired after a few months. With your help and participation, we’ve made it past the early humps and have had some fine discoveries! Who could forget kipple?

So many thanks to all of YOU!

We have grown from one subscriber (after me) to almost 80, which is not meteoric, but feels absolutely astonishing.

I want to sincerely thank my early subscribers and advisors: Martha, Lesah, Sam J, and Martin K. Many more of my longtime friends jumped on, comment regularly, have given me encouragement and this means the world to me. The amazing Rebecca Holden, who writes

Dear Reader, I'm lost

(please take a look and subscribe, if you haven’t already) was the first to introduce me to the wonderful universe of writers within Substack. Elke, your gift of a notebook when I left France was the final prompt for me to to keep writing, no matter what. Also, thank you to the folks from London Writers Salon for the daily company, and those of you who signed up right after I introduced my work at the end of one of our recent writing hours.

And if you came here on your own-wow! How thankful am I??!!! To those of you who have pledged to support my work with actual money when I get to that point—goodness, my heart does a little flutter when I think about that.

I have so much appreciation for the many writers I deeply admire, many of whom are longtime dear friends, and their words that show up in their letters, emails, random messages or detailed Facebook posts. You continually inspire me. I hope you know who you are. ❤️

Today I am thankful

What’s next

I’ve got some ideas percolating around in my head about next steps. I really enjoy the rhythm of the weekly posts, and keeping myself writing to that beat will continue. I’ll continue to share random observations from the perch of a wide-eyed resident trying to learn the ropes (still!) in my lovely non-birth country.

If you have any thoughts about what you prefer to read about, I’d really LOVE to hear it. You can comment below or message me directly! Honestly—I really value your feedback. Here are some of the topics I’ve covered or could cover, or suggest something else!!

• Travel stories

• Daily life

• Random memories

• Landscape musings

• Garden woes and delights

• The minutia of moving and also living in transition

• Holidays, Food

I’ll be taking the next month (or so) off from posting new content. I’ve got some travel ahead and will be immersing myself with family, friends and in lovely landscapes that fill my soul.

During this time I’ll re-post a few of last years essays which might be of interest to those of you who are newer subscribers and missed them the first time around.

I’ll be back in September. I am so grateful to all of you who have subscribed, to those of you who have clicked those little hearts each week ❤️ and especially to those of you who have commented and joined the conversation. Each and every one of you have such interesting experiences and memories to share—I love hearing all your stories, and I hope you enjoy each other’s stories too.

Home under the rainbow

My heart is hugely grateful and happy for all of you reading this. Thank you again, and I hope you all have a wonderful August!

Sabrina xoxo

If you like these posts, please feel free to pass them on to others, recommend to your friends, and encourage them to sign up for a free subscription. 📬📮

All photos by the author.