A short admin note + Happy New Year

Talk about the year that never seems to end.

Hi Couchfishers!

This is just a quick note to explain the absence of Couchfish over the last week along with a few changes I’m planning on making come 2021.

There has been no entries over the last week or so because I needed a break. Taking the break over the Christmas to New Year stretch seemed like a suitable moment.

My plan is to have Couchfish back on deck from January 4 (next Monday).

Sunset on Ko Sukorn, Thailand. Photo: Stuart McDonald.

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Going forward I am planning to change the format slightly, and here is why.

When I started Couchfish I thought we were looking at a year to eighteen months before some normalcy returned. At least within a travel context. At the time, many thought I was leaning too far towards a glass half empty world view. After a brief spurt of optimism in November, reading the headlines over the last month has convinced me that I was indeed wrong—just not in a good way. My glass wasn’t empty enough.

I think we could well be looking at a year to eighteen months—from now—if not longer.

The thing is, Couchfish is an itinerary. While I have a tonne of destinations still to cover, there is an endpoint to it. Every day a Couchfish issue is sent out, that endpoint moves a day closer. Meanwhile the “end” of the pandemic, if ever there is one, looks further away than ever.

Covid19 aside, I’m also struggling to keep up with my initial posting schedule of seven newsletters a week! A newsletter guru friend of mine told me when I started with that schedule I was mad—she was right!

So, what I am planning on doing is reducing the itinerary posts, which go to paid Couchfish subscribers, to three times a week. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Tuesday and Thursday will be free reads, going to the full list.

Tuesday will be destination–focused—similar to the “Diversion” posts I used to do. The Thursday one will be something more open format. An interview or a more in depth look at an interesting topic related to the region—anything but Covid19! I also still have plenty of the unusual tales that previously filled the Friday afternoon slot up my sleeve. I’ll mix it up a bit and see how we go.

I’m also going to add a discussion post over weekends, something to allow readers to get more involved. Please let me know in the comments if this is something that appeals. I’ll give it a whirl and see if it sticks.

In reducing the itinerary posts I’m confident I will be able to both keep Couchfish travelling to new places throughout all of 2021, and remain relatively sane.

Lastly, I’d just like to thank you all for your support in reading Couchfish through this positively bonkers years. I really appreciate it.

I wish you, your families and friends a Happy New Year, and I’ll see you on January 4.

Cheers

Stuart