Personal Highlights
This week was all about settling in, relaxing, and getting organised. For those in the UK, January means self-assessment tax returns are due. A priority this week was completing mine. In August 2023, I trialed Airbnb on my house in Mumbles, so I needed to report that income. I quickly organized everything into a spreadsheet, sent it to my accountant, and had it submitted—one task checked off!
On Tuesday, we visited immigration to inquire about a 12-month visa. During my last stay in Bolivia, they wouldn’t extend my 90-day visa, so I had to do some country-hopping in Brazil and Argentina to extend my time. As a UK citizen, I can stay 90 days per country in South America within a 12-month period without a visa. This time, they informed us it would be relatively easy to get a 12-month visa, but I’d need to visit Interpol for background checks and complete a long list of paperwork within my first 30 days. So, Interpol is on next week’s to-do list!
Wednesday was a quiet day at home. I spent some time working on my website and experimenting with YouTube Shorts.
On Thursday, I woke up with an upset stomach but still had commitments. I attended a networking meeting and an introductory session for a new Spanish learning system. Between meetings, I spent most of the day in bed, staying hydrated.
Friday wasn’t much better as my stomach issues continued, but I pushed through for our first Swansea Success Circle meeting (more on that below). The rest of the day was spent resting.
By Saturday, I felt much better, so we visited the Botanical Gardens. It’s a beautiful place, similar to country gardens in the UK, and full of wildlife. We saw birds, including a hummingbird (which I managed to film), as well as turtles, tortoises, caimans, and lizards. Unfortunately, I had a run-in with a swarm of mosquitoes and got badly bitten on my back and legs—not my best day!
Sunday was all about recovery. I spent the day at home, with Vanesa applying aloe vera to my bites and taking it easy. What a week!
Work Updates
Since I planned to take a few weeks off, my focus was on planning and figuring out how to promote Digital Growth 101 effectively.
On Thursday, I attended an FSB (Federation of Small Businesses) online networking session. It lasted an hour and was incredibly productive. Over 40 businesses attended, and we had four breakout sessions. I connected with several business owners on LinkedIn for potential collaborations.
Friday marked our first Swansea Success Circle meeting. A small group of self-employed professionals, including myself, formed this group to mentor and hold each other accountable. We spent two and a half hours discussing our backgrounds, businesses, and areas where we needed support. Interestingly, we all faced similar challenges, making it easier to help each other going forward.
Goals and Challenges for 2025
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Healthy Body and Mind – Eat healthier and exercise more.
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A surprising achievement this week: losing weight due to my stomach issues. It acted as a bit of a reset. We didn’t manage to join the gym, but that’s on next week’s list.
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Embrace the Digital Nomad Lifestyle – Establish a daily work routine and build a sustainable income stream while maintaining work-life balance.
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So far, so good! I’m adjusting well and enjoying the process.
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Learn Spanish – Vanesa has given me three years to become fluent.
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Duolingo isn’t cutting it for conversation skills, so I signed up for a blended Spanish learning platform. It includes four online lessons plus a weekly face-to-face session. I’ll start next week and report back!
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Enjoy the Ride – Set realistic challenges and appreciate the small things.
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Despite the stomach troubles and mosquito bites, I’m still loving it here. Every day feels like an adventure, and I’m grateful to be close to Vanesa.
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Books & Reading
This week, I’ve been reading “Make Time” by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky. It’s about focusing on what truly matters each day. The authors, both ex-Google employees, provide a fresh take on productivity. I already own the physical book in Swansea (a gift from Vanesa), but I bought the Kindle version to use as a reference while traveling. It’s been a great read so far.
That’s it for Week 2—a mix of settling in, dealing with a few setbacks, and making progress. Looking forward to next week’s adventures!
