Goodbye, 2022! Hello, 2023!

We made it! Goodbye, 2022! Hello, 2023! Happy New Year from This Ugly Beautiful City!

2022 was such a rollercoaster ride! And not in a cheesy fun way like at Santa Monica Pier’s Pacific Park. There are dozens of year-in-review recaps that you can watch that will make you feel profound despair, but let’s remember some of the good that happened. We got out of our houses more often and saw friends without as much worry, we started to travel the world again, and we wondered what it would be like if we bet on ourselves. I did all of those things last year. How about you?

First, I want to thank everyone who has read This Ugly Beautiful City in 2022! Thank you for finding me on Google, clicking my Linktree Link on Instagram, and wanting to learn more by clicking the links in my newsletter.

I didn’t do a 2021 blog year in review, and I regret it, but I won’t make that mistake this time. 

This is what I accomplished with This Ugly Beautiful City in 2022

The top posts of 2022

1. Where to Eat in Downtown Culver City (This post got a recent update. More Restaurants, more photos.)
2. Leo Carrillo State Beach Tide Pools
3. Where to Shop on Abbot Kinney
4. Things to Do in Mar Vista
5. Day Trip to Catalina Island

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I switched my newsletter to Substack

If I could go back in time and do something over again, I would have joined Substack when I started my blog. I tried very hard with my MailChimp newsletter, but I never got anywhere–no growth, no clicks, no ROI. My goal with a newsletter is to engage with readers and share my love for Los Angeles. I can do that more with Substack, including conversation threads and starting a podcast if I want. 

If you want to know what is new on the blog, posts that got updates, subscriber-only posts, my monthly bucket list, and more, you should check it out.

I will be posting my next newsletter and ways to save money in Los Angeles very soon!

Writer to writer: If you are thinking about doing a newsletter, I recommend Substack a million times over MailChimp, ConvertKit, or any other paid service. In fact, you can make money on Substack instead of you constantly shelling out monthly fees. I am not an affiliate. I don’t think you can be, and that is super refreshing. If you start one or have a Substack newsletter, let me know, and I will follow you.

I started selling itineraries on Etsy

I remember being so overwhelmed by planning what to do when my first visitors came to Los Angeles. Making all of the mistakes I talked about in my Frequently Asked Los Angeles Questions. I sat in traffic, I expected June to be sunny, etc., etc. 

I thought it would be a great idea to add some self-guided Los Angeles itineraries that you can buy. They are researched, tested, and visitor-approved. Plus, they are $25 or less!! These are inexpensive ways to have the planning done for you.

Visit my shop on Etsy.

I was a guest on a podcast

One day I did something completely outside of my comfort zone, and it ended up being one of my favorite experiences of 2022.

In October ‘22, I was interviewed on the podcast Life Hacks LA. If you are unfamiliar, the host Stefan–a fellow Los Angeles lover–shares tips for hacking the best of Los Angeles. He is super knowledgeable about Los Angeles and has enlisted fellow L.A. fans to talk about what they love about this city. I am proud to be one of those L.A. fans. 

In the 30-ish minutes I was interviewed, I gave a lot of Los Angeles secrets. I talked about my favorite places in the city and my perfect day in L.A. There are things on the podcast that I haven’t had the chance to talk about yet on the blog–my favorite chicken spot and my love for international travel. 

This is one of the best ways to see what This Ugly Beautiful City is all about. If you have a moment, give it a listen. It is perfect for a coffee break, lunch break, and commute listening. 

Listen here

Read my podcast show notes here.

Personal accomplishments 

I got back to exploring & traveling

With a more open Los Angeles, I returned to exploring Los Angeles and cities worldwide. I am writing guides for other cities and expanding my guides for places outside of Los Angeles. Look for My two days in Spain itinerary on Etsy and my Las Vegas and Chicago Guides in 2023.

Of course, I will continue to write about Los Angeles because I have a lot of time on my hands because…….

I was part of the great resignation

This was the year of “The Great….” fill in the blank. I asked myself a lot of the questions that people were asking themselves when return-to-work happened. 

“Is it worth it?”

“I spent the last two years trying not to die, but was I really living before the pandemic?”

After fourteen years of giving it 125% percent and getting nowhere, I decided to leave my job. I can’t tell you how much unbridled joy I feel now that I am not there.

Since then, I have had some successes. My newsletter subscribers increased by 50%, and I had my first Los Angeles trip-planning client. 

Finally, you may have noticed that I have added a little note at the end of my posts. 

This Ugly Beautiful City is a self-funded publication. If you have used any of the advice on these pages and would like to send a tip, please find me on Venmo. $3.50 would buy me a bus pass to explore the city for the day. $5 would buy me a latte at a café while I write.

You can also support This Ugly Beautiful City on Substack. I preview itineraries, sneak peeks at what I am exploring, and post curated lists of events there. There are Free and paid tiers.

Blogging can be expensive, and I am trying hard to keep this blog ad free. If you have used my advice, consider donating.

There is a lot more coming this year. More neighborhoods, more cities, more products, and just more. Stay tuned. Happy New Year from This Ugly Beautiful City.