January of Journey Jotting
A summary of my January on Substack
Keep reading if you are interested in…
My January recap on Substack
The content of my Journey Jot publication
The content created by my new subscribers
These are my numbers for the month of January
I got 154 new readers in January, which is 5 daily, a new record for me!
I posted 13 posts in January, which is also a record for me, but an opposite one — compared to 43 in December. I like posting less because it gives me more time to engage with my readers.
My Substacks are now being read in 38 US states (9⬆️ since December) and 44 world countries (6⬆️ since December).
January travel posts
This publication follows the format of a travel blog, with 1 new post every weekend. Currently, I'm focusing on presenting some overlooked heritage sites in Europe―again, to inspire avid travelers to explore different content and to emphasize the cultural importance of these sites.
Practical tips from January:
Sights from January:
La Cité du Vin in Bordeaux’s as the ultimate wine experience
Recommendation posts:
Upgrades I brought to my publications in January:
1) Weekly recaps ➡️ Notes and chat
I’ve stopped doing weekly recaps as posts, and instead have been posting about my new readers in Notes and as chat threads.
2) Thankful Thursdays
I’ve started posting selections of my new readers and newsletters I subscribe to as one post, to keep recommendations in one place.
3) World Through My Lens: 30-day Challenge
This is a chat challenge for all my readers, intended to connect them and grow together as a community. Since January 20, I’ve been posting a new prompt each day in chat, along with my own example, and advertised it in Notes too. At the end of each week, I select and collect representatives for each day and post them in Notes, to additionally promote those who engage.
At the end of the challenge, I plan to collect all participants in a best-of post, along with a feature post for the winner. And the winner will be the most engaging participant, the one posting the highest amount of photographs.
Join to become part of an affirmative and open-minded community that loves learning about the world around us!
Week 1 Topic: Favorite Travel Memories
A selection of my readers’ shares:
Your Happy Place: Glacier National Park in Montana by Richard Philion
Most Beautiful View: Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain by Stephanie Thurrott
Unexpected Delight: Gdansk, Poland by Designing With Code
Best Meal Abroad: British High Tea in Dubai by Graham Saxby
Travel Buddies: Meg by Graham Saxby
Postcard Moments: Sunrise at Hilton Head, South Carolina by Chris Wills
Off the Beaten Path: Letchworth State Park by Richard Philion
Week 2 Topic: Learning Through Travel
A selection of my readers’ shares:
Local Lessons: Making Orecchiette in Italy by
History in Photos: Numancia necropolis at Garray, Spain by
Cultural Connection: A street musician on market day in Zagreb, Croatia by
Travel Tips: Regent’s Canal London by
Throwback Fun: Stables at Clydesdales by
Local Delicacies: Eating raw sea urchins in Bari, Italy by
My readers
Thank you all for subscribing, I hope you find value in my writing.
In January, I had 154 new readers and this is a selection of their publications:
Lani at Coddiwompling lpokrana.substack.com: "traveling in a purposeful manner towards a vague destination." Join them coddiwompling around Portugal and beyond.
Brent Hartinger and Michael brentandmichaelaregoing… have decades of experience writing and have great sense of humor while writing about travel.
Istanbul to Miami pub rshampton.substack.com captures the uncommon from the travels of R. S. Hampton, bringing you the world while searching for the best location for her next novel.
Megan’s Walking Companions walkingcompanions.subst… brings stories about walking and traveling, friendship and solitude, both serious and silly.
The G&T Sessions andrewjturner.substack.… by Andrew J Turner are about growth, tech with gifted & talented people.
A Tale for Two lindseyfears.substack.c… by Lindsey Fears has some great stories from her travels from the UK to the USA and New Zealand.
Joyce Martin in her Joyous Road joyous461.substack.com shares thoughts and observations about everyday life, the changing landscape of culture and education, and the emotional range of memory and possibility—at times heartfelt, at times humorous, but ultimately joyful.
J Callender Photography jcallender.substack.com writes about expressionist photography and liminalism. Joe Callender
Life of a Travel Writer lifeofatravelwriter.sub… by Courtney Cardini helps others craft their travel stories and explore the world.
In Sharon J Clark’s Looking to the Horizon sharonjclark.substack.c… you can find posts on poetry, flash fiction, creative writing, travel, faith and life in general.
Sphere Letters by Geoff Talbot spherenewsletter.com are life-changing daily letters with the purpose of promoting connection in our world.
Musings of a Storyteller dianeburley.substack.com covers a blend of the author's interests, marketing expertise, and experiences—often ironic, a little quirky, and always designed to get you thinking. Diane Burley
erin nolen from erin nolen pays attention erinnolen.substack.com writes about healing through therapy and story work, trauma-informed connected parenting, mental health, gardening, adoption and culture.
Pia's Substack piawhitmartlet.substack… is about tongue-in-cheek/irreverent bloglets about life in Italy and England. Pia Whitmartlet
Sipping Italy with Tino tinomasecchia.substack.… is about Tino Masecchia’s experiences in Italy through bike tours and cultural events in Tuscany.
Claire at Backpacking Bella’s Belgium and Beyond by Backpacking Bella backpackingbella.substa… is a guide to places to go in Europe and around the world, without spending a fortune.
Turning Light turn.inidox.com gives you input on some of the commonly considered areas: People, Society, Business, Technology, and Environment. Jorgen Winther
Drinking in Strange Places charlottecooktravel.sub… - I believe the title says it all! The publication is mainly about traveling, with a focus on trying out local drinks and food.
A Writer Abroad karenosmanauthor.substa… offers step-by-step guidance to help you write your book, all from a published and awarded novelist. Karen Osman
The Salt and Light Daily by Paul Christopher thesaltandlightdaily.su… focuses on bringing encouragement through God's word.
Digital Coffee iamcantonsen.substack.c… is a bilingual publication (Norwegian 🇳🇴 and English 🇬🇧) where the author shares his thoughts on technology, education, and other topics that capture his interest. Christian Antonsen
MovieStruck moviestruck.substack.com has great comments on a selection of movies that left an impression on the author. Ivan Webster
Jon’s Animated animated.substack.com is revealing the stories behind some of the most iconic cartoons.
Tania Talks Museums taniatalksmuseums.subst… explores topics about art, history, collections, exhibitions, architecture, publications, stores, and cafés, and covers all types of museums—art, history, house, science, zoos, aquariums, and specialty museums. Tania June Sammons
Gilly Smith's Substack gillysmith.substack.com offers riches from an award-winning food journalist and podcaster. gilly smith
Val Garner’s Weird Plants Gardening Space valgarner.substack.com features posts about indoor and outdoor plants both for people who love gardens and everything related to gardening.
The 5 Dollar Lifting Club 5dollarliftclub.substac… by Justin Fowles aims to educate and inform on all things health and fitness.
Wanderlust in Focus wanderlustinfocus.subst… is all about making travel and photography fun, engaging, and inspiring. Kris Kuhn
Catherine’s Mind Bleps try to navigate the beautiful mess of midlife, offering honest conversations about hot flashes and cool revelations, meditations and Netflix binges, stress management and stress eating. Breathing when you want to scream.
Leena writes Becoming Radiant’s Substack where she shares personal stories of her life as a mother, daughter, former wife and educator.
Maïlys Ray writes Sip ofCorsica and I guess the title is pretty self-explanatory 😊 Read about her reasons for leaving mainland France, the island itself and other musings.
Paul Thurrott co-authors a travel newsletter Eternal Spring with his wife Stephanie Thurrott and their main focus is Mexico.
Richard Philion writes Travelling Troubadour, a new newsletter, on the topic of travel.
David Pejčinović-Bailey MBE has a newsletter and a YT channel called Coffee and Rakija, focusing on his expat life inBosnia & Herzegovina.
Kimberely writes Food and Fiesta is about quirky festivals and delicious food from all over Spain.
Mitra writes about living in Koh Phangan, Thailand in Girls’ Guide to Living Abroad.
Tom Howell writes about his travels in Tom’s Travels, from Thailand and Cambodia to Malaysia.
Elizabeth Silleck La Rue writes about leaving the US with a conscientious approach to the impact on a new home.
Tangent is for everyone who needs some scripture inspiration.
Designing With Code writes Geek Culture and describes it as “a personal guide to the geek universe”. Here you can learn about tech, internet & video game history.
writes Letters Home on ‘mostly mundane’ topics. writes Write Words Win, about writing online and growth. just started writing The Curious Chronicles, where she plans to share stories on the goodness of people, places and experiences.jodi {fiftybeautifulthings} writes Beautiful Things: Letters from Abroad and her post photos are extremely beautiful! Her posts are also educational and are perfect for travel and culture fans.
Sarah Carothers is sharing her musings on Transformational Travel , a new publication. She’ll write more about travel, and I’m looking forward.
Cassandra Tresl writes Rootless in Italy, and beyond. She’s writing about the Italian chapter of her life, sharing stories from the region and thoughts on various other topics.
Giuseppe Santoro is writing Cloud Native Engineer, on Kubernetes, Containers, Elasticsearch, Automation, and System Design.
Joshua Jericho Ramos has great stories from Austria in his Accidentally Austrian publication, from wonderful sites to wearing knit winter slippers.
Big Jim of Free Radio Rulo brings you topics ranging from art, folklore, ecology, music, food, drink, and gardening.
’s Circle of Outsiders is meant to help trauma survivors and brings other mental health topics. writes The Travel Café(zin), mostly on travel topics.’s Demons to Misfits is “an homage to the world’s misfits.” in his Become A 1%er In Your Field. provides “strategies, mental models, tools, and actionable tips based on cutting-edge science and the real-world experiences of the top 1%”. shares travel tips, hidden gems, and unforgettable journeys to inspire your next getaway. is a new newsletter on AI. writes RV Living with Jesus at the wheel where she shares RV travel adventures and God Wink stories about giving back in our retirement years. of Were the Deer and the Antelope to Play writes poetry and creates digital art to witness human life out loud.NomadicMind by
is about making sense of travel. Which is not much different from making sense of life.Thank you for reading!
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A special gift for my readers – explore Europe in 2025!
Thanks, and Happy to be mentioned here! I’d always remember you as one of my initial Substack friend, Gabi!! <3
Thanks for the mention. And I enjoyed becoming informed about the others as well.