7 years!

June 2019 marks 7 years of blogging here at Oui in France, and WOW does time fly. I think I say that every year, but it’s true! Let’s take a look back. I’m sharing where I’ve been, some of my favorite posts, reader stats, and more.

7-year blogging anniversary

First, can someone make me that rainbow birthday cake? Please? 😉 OK, getting on with it…

Seven years. Wowzers. If you told me back in 2012 that I’d still be posting on Oui in France in 2019, I’m not sure I’d have believed you. It’s not that I thought I’d give up or get tired of it, but 7 years is a long time. So glad I haven’t run out of things to talk about and that I’ve managed to post regularly since 2012. You never know if you’ll like something and stick with it until you try it and blogging is something I’ve become incredibly passionate about.

More than anything, thank YOU for being here. Thank you for sharing your thoughts via comments and emails and on social media. Thank you for continuing to give me a few minutes of your time and giving me this platform. This community I’ve built here and on YouTube means a lot to me and I can’t stress that enough.

So speaking of YouTube, that’s one part of Oui in France that I rejuvenated this past year and I couldn’t be happier about it. If you don’t follow me there, subscribe to my channel if you want to hear about everyday French life and beyond.

Here’s where I’ve been this past year:

• Cycled the Mediterranean Coast from France to Spain
• Visited Scotland with my family
• Spent Thanksgiving in Florida, USA, with my family
• Day trips within France, to the Vouvray appellation and other areas, for filming YouTube videos
• Perpignan, France, & Sarajevo, Bosnia, for work

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Here are some of my favorite posts that were published this past year:

Haunted photos: Did we take a picture of a ghost?: This post was unusual and came about completely unexpectedly. Tom’s phone captured what I believe is a supernatural being — no BS, it’s not a clickbait title. Take a look at the photo and you be the judge. Readers even think they’ve spotted more ghosts in my photos, ones I hadn’t even noticed myself.

Simple tips to help you feel less nervous speaking French: It’s one thing to bust out a little French as a tourist, but it gets real, really fast, once you move here and need to speak French to get by. If you’re now living in France and feel like a fish out of water, read this post.

French travel tips: 3 Important things tourists often forget: So simple, yet so important! If you’re heading to France on vacation, you’ll want to do these 3 things.

Is living abroad freeing?: Here are my thoughts on whether or not living abroad is freeing. But first, we need to figure out what we’re freeing ourselves from… 

The living abroad experience is not one size fits all: I see a lot of rude, judgmental, and ignorant behavior aimed at those of us who live abroad and this post is all about how not everyone lives the same life, and that’s OK! There’s no one “right way” to live abroad.

What we can learn from Bradley Cooper speaking French: This was a reader favorite and goes well beyond the fact that an American actor can simply speak another language.

What I’ve learned after my YouTube video went viral: My first bakery video’s success caught me by surprise and it’s something I don’t take for granted. This post is the most meaningful one I’ve written all year and I mean every word I said. Thank you for supporting me and I hope you’ll take a minute to read this post that relates to more than just making videos. 

My favorite French eating habit: Life in France has taught me a lot and this one aspect of French food culture is one I hope to take with me regardless of where I live.

The hardest parts of living abroad in France: I don’t think it does any good to always talk about the good stuff and only the good stuff. Here’s a look at what’s been difficult.

7 Assumptions people have made about me and others who live abroad: Don’t believe the lies haha.

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Some stats about Oui in France readers:

• Almost half (46%) of my readers are located in the USA with France coming in second
• 77% of my readers are female
• The largest age slice is the 25-34 age range (37%)
• 60% of my page views came from mobile users
• The biggest source of traffic is search engines (59%) with social media coming in second (30%)

Here are blog anniversary posts from the past:

Oui in France is 6 years old

Oui in France is 5 years old

Oui in France is 4 years old

 

If you’ve been here awhile or know me in person, then you know my thoughts on blogging. If you’re thinking of starting a blog, just do it. If you’re passionate about something, that’s enough to carry you through.

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Where will year 8 take me? I have no idea, but I’ll continue to blog and make videos about living abroad, that’s for sure, and everything that comes with it, along with non-France topics that I get excited about, too.

In any case, I’m excited for the ride. Hope you’ll join me… and a grand merci to each and everyone one of you! I’m heading south with my family so catch you on social media from Bordeaux and beyond.

xx,

Diane