A Liminal Year in Review: 2024 Edition

A second year of telling the stories in between

As I sit here on January first, considering the year ahead, it’s amazing to me how much can change in a short 365 days. 2024 was not the year I expected (in so many ways) and while in some ways I’m glad it’s come to an end, it’s also a year I’ll look back on with gratitude. Making giant leaps forward like we did in 2024 brings with it the whole range of emotions, from stress to celebration, exhaustion to gratitude, and everything else in between. On the whole, I’m hopeful that 2025 will be a year that’s a bit friendlier to my nervous system, but given all that’s happening in the world these days, I’m holding that hope lightly.

Hiking on our property in April, and also proof to remind me that it’s not always blazingly hot in New Mexico.

I’ve never been much for personal journaling: writing lines on a page and placing it on the shelf just never worked for me. But after various efforts over the years at establishing a regular blogging practice, I’m grateful that I’ve continued this habit of sharing stories here on A Liminal Life. It’s not only a fun and rewarding way to connect with all of you, but I enjoy having the archive for my own sake, to look back and see just how much has happened and the good, bad, and in-between of each year.

Last year, I really enjoyed conducting my year in review so I’m excited to take a closer look at what happened across 2024 in words, and to consider my goals for 2025 when it comes to my writing here. I hope you’ll enjoy this reflection, too, and I’d love any suggestions, requests, or feedback for the year ahead!

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Notes on Numbers

Over the course of 2024 (and not including this wrap-up), I shared 29 pieces of writing here on A Liminal Life. In terms of article count, that falls short of 2023, but this year my stories were longer: in fact, my average word count was 30% higher in 2024.

I shared a total of 48304 words over the course of the year: my longest piece was 5818, while the shortest was 369. On average, I wrote 1666 words per article.

Over the past year, many more of you joined me: my number of free subscribers doubled in 2024, while my paid subscribers grew by 30%. However, I’m still a very modest platform compared to many on Substack, and I personally know many of you, which makes writing these letters feel like I’m writing to a friend. That’s fun!

I’ve read that on average, a writer like me can expect about 10% of their Substack subscribers to be paid (vs free). While I’ve never had a numerical goal in the past, this year, I do: I’d love to bring in 100 new subscribers (of any type), and I’m also hoping to increase my ratio of paid supporters from the current 7% to that 10% target. I’d love it if you’d help me reach these goals by sharing my Substack with friends or considering upgrading your subscription. As always, I’m incredibly grateful for everyone who reads along, and especially to my paid supporters: you truly make it possible for me to devote the time and energy needed to continue this project of writing here on Substack.

Here are some of your favorite posts from the past year:

The post that inspired the most free subscriptions:

I loved this destination and this post, so I’m glad to see it was appreciated by so many of you!

The post that inspired the most paid subscribers:

I realize with our big life change of 2024, some of the topics I wrote about changed and that influenced who is hanging out here, who joined me, and who lost interest. I realize I’m biased, but I’ve always found that while the outward perspectives of digital nomads and off-grid homesteaders appear quite different, the lessons learned are very often the same. Flexibility, creativity, hard work, and an appreciation for the unexpected are all threads I see woven through both halves of my chosen life.

I hope you’ll feel the same as I continue to bridge this gap and write about our travels as well as our evolving life in New Mexico.

The posts that elicited the most comments (a 3-way tie this year):

Looking for a Unicorn

Sustainable Design in the Desert

To all the tents I've loved before

How we found our land, why we chose our path, and how we’re living in the meantime: as always, I love hearing your thoughts when I share how our adventure is unfolding.

The post that Substack tells me is the most popular:

To all the tents I've loved before

I loved writing this post and I’m so glad you loved reading it, too.

What’s next?

I entered 2024 excited to share my new limited series, Winter is Coming, with my paid subscribers. I didn’t yet know that our Earthship adventure would derail so many of my plans for the year, so I’m grateful for all who have granted me patience with that series and its slower-than-intended publication. I look forward to continuing it in 2025 and it will continue to be a special series for paid supporters.

As of now, I plan to continue my current approach to writing on this platform: releasing most new posts to all free subscribers for the first week after publication. After this time, they become part of my archive where they are accessible to paid subscribers at any time. I wrote more about why I chose this approach here.

If you’d like to explore the archives and support my writing financially in the year ahead, please consider upgrading your subscription here:

As I look ahead to 2025, I already have a short list of stories I can’t wait to tell you. Thanks for reading along with me.

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Paid supporters ($6/month or $60/year) receive my limited series “Winter is Coming” in addition to my regular posts, which are available to all subscribers for the first week after publication and available to paid supporters at any time. If you would like to support my writing but would prefer to avoid a subscription model, you can also support me by buying me a (virtual) coffee or sharing my writing with a friend.