Hi Reader!

Long time no see...

I have barely opened my laptop in the past six months. What used to be my home and sanctuary, suddenly felt completely foreign. All my websites had been signed out, I could barely remember where I left off on any projects, and my momentum was completely gone.

I must admit: there came a point that I wasn't sure if I'd ever be back. I'd taken such a long break and life had gone in an entirely different direction. Would anyone from my old digital life even want to hear from me again?

It felt like I'd need to start over fresh, with a new online persona. What was my story going to be this time and why would anyone care?

Funny enough, I wrote an entire newsletter to be sent out during the first week of this year. I figured what better clean slate than the start of 2026 to pick back up where things dropped off?

Then I never hit 'send.'

I missed that fresh start and decided the Lunar New Year was the real fresh start I'd been waiting for. Then that came and went and I thought, "maybe my birthday is the REAL fresh start."

And now on a random Thursday afternoon in March, I've decided that today is that day. I've been sick with a worsening cold all week and am finally out on sick leave today. It's a beautiful 90+ degrees outside and I'm stuck inside nursing myself back to health. What better time than to turn to my abandoned laptop and internet life for a little revival?

There are two main factors that contributed to my extended hiatus:

1. My life offline has changed so much over the past year that I wasn't sure how I should show up online. I've gone back to work in the fitness industry and that consumes so much of my time. I thought about shifting my content more toward fitness (and still the outdoors), but was worried no one would be interested. I didn't feel like I had more to contribute to an already overly-crowded niche.

2. I felt paralysis around exactly where to show up online. YouTube was always my main focus, though now I've felt a call to get back into writing — and writing has an easier barrier of entry, which makes it an ideal spot to dip my toes back in.

With writing, do I pick up my newsletter again, start a Substack, work on my blog, post on Patreon, or something else? All I know is something has been calling me to write and so I'm writing. With a stuffy nose, sore throat, and dwindling stores of cold meds.

As I sift through my thoughts in what feels like the first time in a long time, I'm realizing another big barrier to creation has been whether to aim narrow or wide. We're constantly being told we must "create for our target audience" or "think of your ideal avatar" when making content.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to aim for a specific topic or type of person. I had primarily been doing the former, with April Adventuring being outdoor adventure ideas and tips for the relative beginner. I snuck in other tidbits over the years; book reviews, snack obsessions, and random lifestyle vlogs.

I think my best bet moving forward is to embrace the idea of my "ideal avatar" being someone similar to well... me: people in their 20s, 30s, or maybe 40s, who are interested in fitness, the outdoors, and improving themselves and the world around them. People who are intellectually curious, compassionate, and conscientious. People who are easy-going, but willing to put in the work for things they care about.

If that sounds like you, then welcome! Or welcome back :) I've missed you and it's good to be back!

If you're wondering how you got here and want off this train, no worries at all. Thanks for giving me and my writing a chance back in the day, and I'll catch you on the other side.

So what happens next?

What can you expect from this space next?

If you do decide to stick around, I might start by writing sporadically until a new rhythm finds me organically. I still have all those lingering questions around what to create, where, and for whom.

The good news is I finally have a consistent work schedule again — and I’ve even reclaimed my weekends (Sunday and Monday for me). That means I’ll be able to hit the trail much more often this year than I have in quite a while.

I'll still be sharing about the outdoors, hiking, backpacking, and all those wonderful things that have been the basis of April Adventuring since its inception.

There will be also be more regular life, which for me now consists of being a fitness instructor! I'm keeping this space low pressure, like a casual catch-up between friends.

I still want to bring value to your inbox and maybe that little dose of human connection is enough. If there's something else you're craving, let me know and I'll see what I can do. ✨

With that, I'll see you here again next week (or maybe sooner or later).

Happy adventuring,

💚A