Hello 2019, Hello Friends, Cheers to New Beginnings

Reading Time: 8 minutes

January is all about new beginnings. 

Happy New Year! 

Welcome back to the new MJV. 

What’s new? 

A lot. 

The January 2019 theme is new beginnings, so welcome to the new MJV a blog about journeys towards mindfulness. My personal 2019 word is action and this year we are doing it all.

We have a new theme, a new approach and once again, I am excited about this sweet spot that I created on the Internets. 

Do we know each other?

I want us to get to know each other this year and in keeping with the January theme; new beginnings, I am reintroducing myself. Thanks for stopping by and reading the My Jamaican Vignettes content. Hello, I am Chantel DaCosta, storyteller, editor, and lifestyle content creator and I founded My Jamaican Vignettes in December 2015.

I won’t go into the history of the blog. Instead, I am focusing on the new MJV and what we are aiming to achieve in 2019.

The MJV New Beginnings

I want an MJV community, a close-knit community of women who are passionate, creative, bold and committed to lifelong learning. Above all, I have always wanted for this blog and now I am ready to step in and claim this space. 

So what does all this mean? It means that from now on, I will be using female pronouns and infuse this space with feminine energy. This blog is woman-centric.

My Jamaican Vignettes: Learn. Grow. Give. by Chantel DaCosta.

A blog that explores the journeys towards mindful living.  We are also obsessed with books; please join our book chats, discussions and reviews.

 MJV 2019 Themes

Additionally, to make content creation and blog growth manageable, I’ve established MJV monthly themes.

• January – New Beginnings.
• February – Love and self-care.
• March – Mental health.
• April – Personal finances.
• May – Wellness.
• June- Nutrition.
• July – Q and A (Ask me and I may answer).
• August – Passions.
• September – Wanderlust.
• October – Big Dreams.
• November – Life Lessons.
• December – Gratitude.

Growing The Blog With New Voices 

So why define monthly themes?

Well, this year, I am hoping to invite new voices to MJV. In February,  I will open up the blog for submissions, and engage contributors, and guest posts.  Also, I am still working out the payment structures, as well as, the MJV style guide and writers’ brief, but I want to build a community in 2019. So, watch this space, and I will draft a full post on a call for submissions for February March and April in the upcoming weeks. 

And, there’s more. 

Here’s a quick breakdown of what is new on the blog (and what’s to come).

Three Primary MJV Feature Series

This year, the MJV blog will have three core features:

• MJV Life in Jamaica Sunday Essays– this is what the blog started with and I am keeping these personal essays and life updates. I will only post one personal essay each month. This is January’s Sunday essay and I return with more to share in February. Unlike past attempts, I won’t tie myself to a specific date, I can’t tell you yet if the posts will be first or last or third Sundays. What I am certain of is that for this new beginning, I can commit to one personal essay each month.
• Monday Morning Musings – brand new feature series. I am excited! I want to give back and share insights without the me-centred focus of the Sunday essays. And with this in mind, I will be launching a new feature series on Monday 28 January 2019. These posts will go live at 6am on a Monday morning. MJV’s Monday Morning Musings is where I will share insights, life lessons, and practical resources to help you. The very idea brings me so much joy. There will be two Monday Morning Musings each month, starting fully of course, in February 2019.
• Bookish Thoughts – there was no way I would skip out on my book chats and reviews. I will continue to write review books, share reading recommendations and all the things I love about being an avid professional reader. I will have more to share with you on Wednesday, 16 January 2019. The Bookish Thoughts articles will be published every other Wednesday.

Doubts and Fears and Doing It Anyway

I have a confession.

On Monday 7 January 2019, I considered postponing the blog reopening.

I felt unprepared and a little overwhelmed. When I closed the blog in November and I assumed that I had enough time to do all the things I needed. Guess what? I have a blog reopening check list and, most of the items are still unchecked.

But, I am pressing on.

I am going just keep going. And, to be honest that is all I can do.

Please Help Me

My personal 2019 theme is action. This means that I am focusing on living in purpose, with intention and integrity. And for me, this means showing up for myself, again and again, and doing what I say I will do. Therefore, the MJV new beginnings is happening today, Sunday 13 January 2019 as I stated.

Nevertheless, I am still very conscious of all the blog elements that are missing. So, I need a favour, please. If you are reviewing the MJV archives and there are missing links, or worse, the dreaded 404 dead zones, please let me know. You can write a comment or reach out to me on Facebook or Twitter or IG. But, please be gentle and kind. I am doing what I can when I can, and I now will take the blog redesign and re-branding in stages. I will also continue to work on the aesthetics and functionalities while still creating content.

Now, let’s do a deep dive into the more personal aspects of this Life in Jamaica essay.

Life Update

Even, as I write this post, I feel worn out and tired. I am sick.

It almost feels as if I’ve spent the last two months being sick, healing or attempting to not be sick. When I closed the blog in November 2018, I felt exhausted and close to burnout. I needed a break.

And, so I planned one, my partner and I went on our first trip together outside of Jamaica. I planned every single detail of the trip and it was supposed to be an epic winter in NYC holiday.

But it wasn’t.

I got sick on Christmas Day. And, I am still sick.

So, I didn’t get to experience a white Christmas, it didn’t snow. Moreover, I didn’t get to experience a Broadway show, or eat at Raclette NYC or stroll in Central Park. And, I didn’t get to visit the New York public library or the Strand bookstore.

Nevertheless, I did get to connect with my mother and my siblings. And, this reconnection brings me so much joy. This holiday, for the first time in my life, I felt wholly included and super close to my maternal family. And, that was worth every fever, phlegm, cough, body chill and discomfort I felt during the holidays. In 2019, I want to nurture my familial relationships. I want to really get to know and be close to my parents, and siblings.

Moreover, this was a new experience for my partner and I, and overall I am happy and grateful for the trip and the experience. I feel closer to him and I looking forward to more vacation and holiday adventures with him, international and staycations.

Plus, I can always tackle my NYC bucket list some other time.

NYC Winter Vacation 2018

As I said, I was ill for most of my trip but here are a few selected highlights. I haven’t got permission (yet) from my family and friends and partner to include their names, likeness and faces on MJV. Maybe that will happen later this year. And as such, here are highlights of NYC winter vacation: sights, architecture, food and me.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Hopes for 2019

I want this year to be joyful, fulfilling and immersive.

In 2019, I want to show up for myself, over and over, again and do all the things I’ve dreamed and wished and hoped to do for years but was too fearful or shy or self-conscious to try.

And, in order to plan and get more done and also to record my highlights for 2019, I am using the bloom daily Vision planner. I have the 2019 vision planner and calendar in the blue floral design. While certain elements such as the vision board and goals breakdown are too private and detailed to share, here are some of the pages for you get an idea of the planner.

In 2018, I used a classic Happy Planner, and while I enjoyed the layout and the stickers, the chunky coils made it too big to carry around.

And, in 2017, I used the classic Passion Planner, the undated version. Also too big to take around. Both planners had merits, but I feel as they were not quite suited for me. And, in all honesty, I wish I had got the compact and dated Passion Planner when I tried that system in 2017. But no regrets. We live, learn and grow and I feel as if I can get so much done with the bloom daily helping me keep track.

Cheers to the new year, new beginnings and new planning systems.

So far, I really like this planner. It is cute and the paper quality is great, I love the affirming nature of the layout and I hope that 2019 is my year to really bloom and flourish.

What’s Happening With You?

Thanks so much for reading, thanks so much sticking around. And, if you are new to My Jamaican Vignettes, welcome.

Futhermore, I hope you sign up for alerts, join the newsletter (yes, I will try to figure out the newsletter and MailChimp in 2019). The newsletter will be emailed on a monthly basis. The plan to share January highlights on the first Friday of February and to keep that schedule throughout the year.

I showed you mine, now it is your turn.

What is your 2019 theme or guiding statement?

Do you create new year, new beginnings resolutions? Be bold and share them here.

How about the big dreams are you tackling this year?

Please let me know in the comments.

Thanks so much for visiting.

Love and light,

Chantel