Apparently I can’t resist a challenge.
It’s that time of year again for the A to Z Challenge which starts on April 1st. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the A to Z, it involves a daily post – with the exception of Sundays – throughout the month of April. Each post revolves around a letter of the alphabet. Twenty-six letters, twenty-six days.
I’ve participated in the A to Z for the past 2 years and through the challenge I’ve met some amazing bloggers, but I was going to take a pass this year. I have a very busy spring ahead of me and I didn’t want to have the additional burden of daily posting and visiting new blogs.
Yet, I couldn’t resist the siren call and signed up in spite of my better judgement.
Today is Theme Reveal Day. It is the day that bloggers who will be following a theme for their A to Z posts, reveal that theme if they chose to.
My first year of the A to Z, I blogged just random stuff from day to day – no advance preparation, just a daily dash. It was both exhilerating and exhausting.
Last year I prepared most of my posts weeks in advance. Each letter of the alphabet was a personal story from my past. It was still exhilerating, but in spite of the advance prep work, it was also still exhausting.
I can’t believe I’m doing it again.
This year my theme will be based entirely on my travels. These upcoming A to Z posts will focus mostly on photos and less on words … assuming of course that I get my laptop back from the Geek Hospital and my external hard-drive will give up my photos still being held hostage.
Some of the posts will feature photos that are relatively new. Some will be very old. I’ve tried to avoid the this-is-me-in-front-of-the-Eiffel-Tower kind of photos and I hope I’ve managed to select ones that are a bit different – even if the photo quality is a rather iffy.
I apologize in advance to those of you who will cringe everyday in April when you see my name pop up YET AGAIN, day after day. My only promise to you is that I’ve tried to keep these posts short.
On the other hand, I hope that you will enjoy my photo journey down memory lane.
It’s not too late to join the challenge yourself, if you haven’t already. Click here to go to the sign up page.
[…] April 1st and time to start the A to Z Challenge. In the Theme Reveal, I indicated that I would be doing this year’s challenge using a travel theme. It’s […]
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From what I can see, you are a talented photographer, so your posts should be awesome, even without words!
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That is such a nice compliment … especially since I don’t consider myself a photographer, let alone a talented one 🙂
I’ve had fun putting the posts together for this challenge. It gave me a chance to go back and relive some of my favourite times 🙂
Thanks so much for the visit and the comment!
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[…] don’t usually post twice in the same day, but fellow blogger, Joanne at my life lived full introduced me to the seventh annual “A to Z Challenge” that runs through April. The challenge […]
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Good luck – and you inspired me to do it too, hopefully it’ll give me motivation to write more often! 🙂
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Excellent!! I hope you have a lot of fun with it. I know I have which is why I keep coming back 🙂
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Good luck as you meet this challenge, Joanne. I’ll try to visit as much as I can!
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Thanks Laurie 🙂
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I like photo themes; I’ve done something similar this year and the previous 2 years. The first year I signed up 3 days before the challenge and I had no idea what I was doing, writing and reading and commenting was overwhelming but fun because obviously I’ve done 3 more after that 🙂 You are good to get things ready before April begins so you can enjoy visiting blogs 🙂 I have all mine written but jut go back daily and tweak a bit on them, but it sure saves time! I’m doing sites and sights of Arizona this year 🙂
Have fun!
betty
http://viewsfrombenches.blogspot.com/2016/03/its-that-time-again.html
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Thank you for visiting!!
I had some computer issues which put a halt to my momentum in getting posts ready. Hopefully this final week of March will give me some traction to get the final 3rd finished.
You are so well organized to already be in full draft!! Love your theme … sounds like a great one 🙂
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Cool idea! See you there!
@simplymarquessa from
Simply Marquessa
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Thanks!! 🙂
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👍
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I look forward to following your A – Z.
I’m pretty sure I am no where near prepared to do a daily post for an entire month…so I will be sitting on the sidelines this year….cheering you on!
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Thank you. I look forward to your hearty cheers 🙂
I lost a great deal of momentum over the past couple of weeks with one home issue after another, but hopefully I can regain some distance in the preparatory department over the next week.
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Good luck…I know you will manage to complete the month with great success!
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Thanks Tree. As usual, I’m struggling with the last 3rd 🙂
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I love the idea of travel photos as a theme – you will have so many good memories brought back up. I hope your hard drive makes it!
Debbie
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Thank you … my photo archive has been released by its kidnapper and hopefully I can get the rest of the drafts done in the next week. Whew.
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I’d love to see some “bit different” photos! This is my first year and I hope it wouldn’t be too stressful. Good luck!
https://riandurants.wordpress.com/
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thank you for visiting and very best wishes with your first A to Z 🙂
I hope I’m not going to regret my comment ‘a bit different’. That’s always somewhat subjective 😉
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What a great challenge. I can’t wait to see your pictures and read your stories.
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Thanks Bridget. Now that I have my computer back, I’m hoping I can actually get some traction on finishing all the drafts before the challenge starts!
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Travel photos make for a great A-Z theme! Armchair travelling and short posts for readers, pic’s worth 1000 words etc etc, what’s not to like? All the best for an awesome A-Z and spring.
Nilanjana.
Ninja Minion, A-Z 2016
Madly-in-Verse
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I’ve been visited by a Ninja Minion!! 🙂
Thank you! The countdown is on!
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I am looking forward to reading your posts!
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Thanks Corina! 🙂
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I am looking forward to A through Z in your personal travels, Joanne. I am a little behind in reading. Sorry, dear friend! 🙂
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You never need to apologize. I’m behind too and have come to terms with never catching up. I blame trying to live in the real world where *stuff* happens 🙂
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Thanks, Joanne! *Stuff* happens all the time around my “neck of the woods!” I went to my son and daughter in law’s house to drop off some Keurig coffee cups or K-cups, along with the library’s newest coloring pages, very intricate! They had my oldest daughter, her two boys and all of their children except Hendrix coloring eggs! What a chaotic but happy group! I had forgotten which day this was going on, so happy I lucked into it last night. Of course, didn’t blog much since I was pretty tired after that excitement. 🙂
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Good luck Jo! I shall follow you with interest I am sure you will ad a little “je ne sais quoi” to your photos. Shame about the lack of cakes though. I’d have liked to participated again this year but the move has drained me and I am giving April over to rest and recuperation (hence the cakes would have been really nice). Next year. Maybe 😉
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Yeah – sorry about the cakes.
If I had planned better, I could have squeezed them in, but now …. we are cakeless.
Damn that MOSY … no one would have noticed if she hadn’t whined about the cake.
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Gotta love the MOSY 🙂
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Yes, we do 🙂
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Sounds good, Joanne. I love looking at your photos and you’ve intrigued me with the “a bit different.” You’re brave to attempt to post every day! Good luck 🙂 I’m looking forward to it.
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Uh-oh. I hope I didn’t oversell it.
I’m going to blame it on the spring crazies. That should accurately describe me by the end of April 😉
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I seem to remember biscuits and cakes last year. (Yeah, okay, cookies. Whatevs.) I will happily tolerate you popping up every day if there is cake. Will there be cake?
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nooooooo! Someone remembered the treats from last year!!! I should have guessed it would be you.
Sorry. No cake, no cookies, no treats this year. hmmm …. maybe that would be make a good theme for next year ….
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There’s no cake??? Humph. I’m not liking that comment.
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Apparently I set the bar too high last year 😦
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I just have an elephant memory for cake. Looks like not too many others remembered so I don’t think you need compare.
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I might have to sneak in a piece or two for you over the month 😉
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Have you been to Vienna? Maybe you have a nice photo of a Sachertorte you could use? Still fits with your travel theme. And you get double points – cake AND chocolate. 😁
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I have been to Vienna, but I’ve never had Sachertorte.
I do however, do chocolate cake very, very well 🙂
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Good for you! I’m looking forward to seeing your pictures — no worries there. I don’t do photo challenges anymore [except WP Weekly at times]. I’ve failed too many. Also, since I’ve made an agreement with myself to do the one-post-a-day thing … that’s more than enough. I’m up to 81, so I can’t break it now LOL
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With a daily challenge already in place, the added stress of a *theme* … even if it is only a letter … would be tough.
Keep it up! You’re on a roll!
Have you dug out from yesterday’s snow?
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Not yet … I really should go down and ‘assess’ the car … but I have to have more coffee 🙂
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Haha, you’re one ambitious girl 🙂 I got you though. I hardly finished my first 365 project when I developed taste for another one and actually started it. Now I’m nearly finished again and wonder what to do next…
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That’s the thing …. these challenges are rather addictive.
I still get a bit uptight about 26 days of blogging in a month. I can’t imagine 365 consecutive days!! I hope I never catch that bug!! 🙂
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Photos – cool 🙂 I can’t take photos to save my life, but my husband and sister are both really good so l am very practised at looking at them. Hope you have a good April and I look forward to seeing your piccies.
Tasha
Tasha’s Thinkings | Wittegen Press | FB3X (AC)
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hahaha! I didn’t say I took GOOD photos … but I do hope it will be fun and interesting 🙂
Thanks so much for visiting and let this challenge begin!!
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Hi Joanne – I shall enjoying seeing your photo take on your travels … cheers Hilary
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thanks Hilary. I’m hoping you enjoy enjoy it as much I have putting it together 🙂
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Definitely looking forward to your posts. You’ve got me wondering about this challenge…………
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If you are even a little bit curious and like the idea of challenging yourself, I encourage you to check it out. I’ve had so much fun do this the past 2 years. I won’t lie … it’s tough. Or maybe that’s just me because I don’t normally blog everyday, but by the end of the month I’m usually toasted.
Themes are not required and the first year I literally signed up the date before the challenge started. Doooo iiiiiit … you know you wanna … 🙂
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Ha ha, I probably do wanna dooooo iiiiit 🙂
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Okay then if you’re going to take on this marathon then I’ll try and keep up…It helps that the past two years have been well worth it!
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Awww – thanks Carol. That’s really a nice compliment 🙂
I hope you enjoy the ride this year!!
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Good for you! I have a hard enough time ensuring that I have a GratiTuesday post every week, let alone one every day! I think it’s smart to get started early… I look forward to reading your posts and enjoying your pictures!
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Thank you. It’s called a challenge for good reason – but I’ve enjoyed the past 2 years and hoping the 3rd one is just as much fun.
I hope you enjoy seeing me everyday 😉
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How exciting. I can’t wait to see what you come up with.
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Thank you. I hope you will enjoy it 🙂
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I look forward to your daily photos and I’ll even try to read them daily! 😀 I like the idea of short posts…I need to work on that, lol.
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I’m not normally someone who talks a lot to begin with. My blogging challenge is really about trying to open up more 🙂
Thanks for following. I hope you will enjoy it 🙂
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The A-Z is exhausting but it is always so much fun! Looking forward to seeing which travel places you choose!
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I keep saying I’m not going to do it again, … and then I do. It clearly keeps attracting me back.
I hope I can make this theme interesting for people. If nothing else, I’ve been having fun putting it together 😉
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I’m looking forward to it. A bunch of bloggers I follow are doing this so forgive me if I mid a few letters. I’ll do my best.
FYI – the email for this post led me to s 404-error 😦
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sorry about the 404 error.
I’ve been using the old WP version for creating posts. I had created a *forever* link when the new version came out.
Unfortunately I lost my old link when my laptop coughed up a furball and I had to use the new version for the first time.
The damn thing will backdate a post to when it was originally drafted … not the date you publish it. How stupid is that?!!
I had to retract and re-publish it correctly.
… are you sorry now you mentioned it? 😉
Didn’t you say you were doing the challenge this year? In fact, it’s because of you the idea got planted in my head in the first place!!!
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I’m sorry. I know about that draft date bug. It bit me a couple of times. I schedule posts to avoid that.
I won’t be able to do the challenge. I’m going to explain on Saturday, to my buddy at the bar. I just can’t make it work 😦
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That’s too bad. I look forward to your bar post 🙂
I’ll have to go through all the A to Zs drafts to ensure they get the right publish date on them.
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I don’t know why they can’t fix that. At least if they give them the wrong date, they should email thd link they give them.
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Cringe? Pas vrai. You energy astounds me. I look forward to your A- Z posts. 😀
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I’m so glad that people aren’t already starting to panic at the thought of daily posts 🙂
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I never cringe when I see your blog. I’m looking forward to it.
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Thanks, my friend 🙂
I really enjoy the challenge of trying to make the alphabet work. I still haven’t solved all my issues yet …
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I admire your dedication Joanne. I’ll do my best to keep up. I should have been training. 🙂 Looking forward to seeing where you have been!
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In trying to put this challenge together, I’ve discovered how awful so many of our photos really are. It could get interesting for me … 😉
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Oh Joanne I hear you. My example is pre-blog we visited Turkey. I have ONE photo in the Grand Bazaar. What was I thinking?!
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That’s exactly my problem. For example, I look at the letter F and all the cities I’ve visited and NOT ONE PHOTO!!
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Really what were we thinking says she as she bangs her head on the desk one more time. 🙂
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I still haven’t decided. This would be my third year as well…
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I actually dragged my feet about sending out this theme reveal. I figured I could still back out if I didn’t formally make the commitment.
Now, I’m all in … for better or for worse. It could get ugly
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I don’t think it’s gonna get ugly. I worry about Share Your World, #ThursdayDoors, and One-Liner Wednesdays though…I do not want to post 2 a day…
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… that’s part of the problem ..
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Yeeeeah…
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Good luck with the challenge, I’m looking forward to your travel stories! Sounds like a lot of work – good for you for taking it on again! I don’t think I could do it 😉
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I admit it’s a lot harder than it sounds. The first half is ok, but the 2nd half starts to feel like a marathon run.
… and I only have 17 of the 26 posts in draft form. It’s going to start to get *real* very soon.
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I would never cringe to have your name pop up in my e-mail. I love your stuff!!
You go, girl! I would love to participate, but my heart and mind are always more willing than the body and flight schedules. I always have good intentions to blog regularly, but usually fall quite short. My saving grace this year has been my wonderful guest posters!
I’ll happily live vicariously through you. I love your photos and I can’t wait to see where you’ve been. Happy April 🙂
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awwww – thank you Mama Lipstick. That’s the nicest thing I’ve heard all day!!
I hope you will still feel the same by the end of April 😉 I will try my best not to disappoint.
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If you’re writing and sharing photographs for you, then I know I won’t be disappointed 🙂
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