Trials, Tribulations, and Triumphs – A look back at 2024 and looking ahead to 2025!

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  I always make the first blog of the new year about what I have accomplished on Brent’s World and what the plans and hopes for the coming year will be, as well as thank YOU my viewers, because seriously… Without you, I would just be writing everything for myself. 

   I have to say that 2024 flew by!  It seems like yesterday I was facing the challenge and uncertainty of leaving Korea and moving back to the US, with no job leads, place of my own, and realizing with the cost of putting down roots in the states again I would pretty much be emptying my savings.

  It was another shock to end up moving almost all the way to the other side of the country to Pensacola Florida, settling in to a completely new job there, and setup home, my network/website, and after almost a 20 year hiatus my amateur radio station.

   There were other triumphs along the way!  I finally was able to upgrade to Amateur Extra!  For that I would first like to thank Robert Jones, who got me bitten by the Ham Radio bug when you demonstrated the San Diego Repeater Association’s AUTOPATCH in 6^th grade.  The Late Jack Dobbs (WB6AXW), for your patient pushing me to take the 5WPM and later 13 WPM morse code test.  Chris Ruggiero, for all the fun we had exploring new facets of the hobby when we were still wet behind the ears radio amateurs. The T-Hunts, Conventions, and contests!  It has been a rewarding adventure to say the least!

  So, while my energy and effort spent on the blog the past couple years has waned, as my stats clearly show, 2025 marks the opportunity for renewed energy and opportunities for more and better content!  Let’s take a look at the stats for 2024!

   In 2024 I wrote 19 posts, which surprisingly was an increase from 2023 (A lot happened in 2022 – 2023!), some of my favorite blogs of 2024 were.

 

 

On The Road Again – The Lubee Bat Conservancy – We took a road trip to Gainesville for a private VIP tour of this great nonprofit organization dedicated the research, conservation, and breeding of endangered species with a primary focus on bats.  Which are crucial to our rainforests, pollination of fruit trees, insect control, and more! 

 

 

On the Road And On The Air – Installing the Yaesu FTM-500R – Installing a brand new 2meter and 70cm mobile radio in my Bronco Sport, so I can communicate with fellow radio amateurs on future road trips!

 

 

 

Pensacola Restaurant Review – Miguel’s Mexican Restaurant – It was so nice finding a Mexican Restaurant that served food in the same style as Nati’s Mexican Restaurant in San Diego, a Hendricks family staple!

 

 

  We had approx. 2,300 views. Up 1,100 views from 2023.

 

 

 

The most popular blog was On the Road and On The Air Again – Mounting the Yaesu FTM-500

 

 

 

Our viewers were from the United States, followed by Korea and Germany.

 

 

 

 

  So, what do I have planned for 2025?

  First and foremost, I need to get back to my 1 blog a week goal, alternating between getting out and exploring Pensacola, Restaurant Reviews, Technical, and Photography.  With amateur radio now being added into the mix, it will be a challenge to vary the content between radio technical, and computer technical.  Though sometime they will be combined.

  I always joke, “I hate writing!  That’s why I have a blog.”  Which actually hits closer to home than I sometimes want to realize.  It takes a lot of time and effort to plan and develop new content!  Though the reason I originally started this blog was to force me to get outside, share my experiences with others, push the boundaries of my technical knowledge.  As documenting and sharing often reinforces your understanding of a concept.  With the added bonus of keeping my writing skills at least par.

  Though as stated earlier, none of this would be possible without the support of the people who visit my page, if my view counters always read zero, this hobby of mine would quickly completely lose its appeal!

  As I like to say, “Onward, and upward!”  Lets see what 2025 will bring to Brent’s World.

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