I first started Youtube back in 2017. I thought it would be a fun hobby to do in my spare time. I would share what I had learned from my time at sea and not be pressured to produce content all the time. Maybe I would post one video per month and that would be good enough. I ended up posting about a dozen videos over one year, but then life got in the way, and I didn’t prioritize making videos anymore.
If only I had known how exciting my life would become and that it was the perfect type of content for Youtube. I moved from a suburban stay at home mom lifestyle back to living aboard a 70 ft. schooner. We sailed from North Carolina to south Florida and anchored there for a while, then went to New York, New Jersey with the boat, then moved on to land in Brooklyn. Next thing I know, I am separated from the guy I was with for 16 years and found myself a single mom starting from scratch.
Up to this point I had eschewed technology and social media. Had I been aware of the many ways one could monetize content at that time, I would have run with it. But alas, you don’t know what you don’t know and maybe in hindsight, it was better that way.
Eight years after my first video, it’s now 2025, and I finally got a clue that making videos was something that not only I would enjoy doing, but could alsomake money with. I decided to go all in. I couldn’t make videos where I was staying at my parents house, but I would find a way.
After a lot of thought, I found the answer. I rented a short term rental for two months. This alone cost more than I anticipated and galvanized me to make every moment in that rental count. I would film every day, edit what I could and save the rest to edit when I got back home.
As usual, things didn’t go the way I imagined. I was so intimidated by the whole process even though I had made a dozen videos before. I “forgot” how to edit. I was shy in front of the camera. I spent at least an hour just trying to find the right angle and right lighting to set the tripod up in. When I finally hit record it seemed to go in fits and starts, and afterwards, I needed to rest the remainder of the day because I felt so stressed by all of it.
Thankfully, I persisted, and by the time I filmed my fourth video in week 3, I was doing a little bit better. The set up was shorter, the words flowed easier, and the rest period afterwards was a lot shorter. In the course of one month, I had filmed 7 videos and completely edited 5 of them. I was so proud of myself. No one could tell the level of angst that had gone on behind the scenes while those videos were being made.
In the second month, I had to take the next giant leap of actually uploading the videos that were created. I procrastinated for two weeks trying to overcome my intimidation, but excitement eventually triumphed and I uploaded and scheduled my first four videos while filming and editing the next batch.
I also cleaned up my hibernating channel Beyond 1000 Days with its existing videos. Some videos were removed because they no longer applied and some were made private to not confuse the algorithm with content that was off the theme of the channel. I also created a playlist of videos that featured me, made by other creators over fifteen years ago.
I don’t know too many people who have videos of themselves from fifteen years ago on the internet. It sure was a trip down memory lane to create that playlist. That young sweet girl was actually me and she did amazing things. It’s funny how that chapter of my life feels so far away now, but it proved that I did what I said I did, even if my appearance (then and now) makes it hard to believe.
When I said I went to sea for 306 days non-stop, I really did do that. When I said I have a teenage son now, you can see the baby pictures. When I said I lived off grid, the proof was all right there. Now, when I talk about mindset or life in my 40s, it wouldn’t be without precedence. It’s coming from a place of hard earned wisdom.
And that is where I am in the process right now. Will anyone watch the new videos? Will they like what they see? Will they take me seriously? Can I remain consistent? Only time will answer these questions.
I will keep creating with the knowledge that I’ve gained all these years, both from living life and watching videos made by other creators over the last decade. Eight years ago I started this channel. Perhaps, eight years from, now I will be on a whole different level with my channel and additional projects that will be adding value to someone’s day. Here’s to hoping, fingers crossed! Now let me go upload a new video…
