Blog Ideas

So not sure if this is actually going to be a post, or just some notes for me.

Over time, my blog has evolved quite a bit. I think to begin with I was keen on recording our life in KL in 2016, as I did not expect to come back anytime soon, and certainly not ever as an expatriate. Wow, let that sink in a bit. Whilst the ensuing few years challenged that idea, including us actually briefly living in (the outskirts of) KL again in 2019, I do suspect, as I have mentioned a few times, that those days are gone, forever. I was so lucky to have those years, and will write more about them.

Anyway, back to the point at hand. Apart from the KL Bucket List I had in 2016, I remember wanting to write about Lego, my All Time Top 40, and that's about it. Since then, wow, a HUGE number of topics have evolved - my career, my family history, noodling, treasure hunting, my health, you name it. To the point where I am now viewing this blog as kind of my memoirs. There may be one or two specific things that I wish to keep personal, or just between myself and those involved, but overall, I am happy to post pretty much everything. As it is, nobody else reads it except V and wifey, and perhaps Ma as a result, but I have had an interesting life, and I want to make sure I leave some titbits of info regarding it, so that maybe my kids will one day read it and understand a bit more about their own heritage, their upbringing, and their family.

So, let's list the various items that are not one-offs, that this blog has so far, and think about where they might be going. We can also add on new series that I would like to pursue. Series I have or have had going are:

1. Retro Posts - these were exclusively walking posts from my original blog that I ended up abandoning, but didn't want to lose my content. Probably not going anywhere with the series, but I do use the retro label on occasion.
2. KL Bucket List - this was very relevant back in 2016, listing all the things I wanted to do, see or indulge before we left. It was fun doing and will be fun to re-read at some point. The KL visit visualisation was also a side-show to this series and a symptom of me missing life there.
3. Lego Bricklink Project - this was generally the star destroyer project, that has stalled. I have spent a fair bit of cash on it over the years, and may well take the final steps to finish it, but I'm in no hurry to do so. As life changes and as I become less of a consumer, my desire to keep accumulating Lego decreases, so it will probably depend on my kids and if they want to do it.
4. Punting - I have long thought if I put some real science into punting I can make money from it regularly. I may be right, but have yet to really crack it. Sobriety might be the key to this, so you'll likely see more posts along these lines, but not often.
5. Top 40 Songs Of All Time - up to #7 in the series, and no end in sight. I need to do another one soon, as I am now getting to listen to music a whole lot more often in my new job with all the driving I need to do.
6. My Family History - this one is getting bigger than Ben Hur, but I am comfortable with how it's progressing. There is a WHOLE lot more to go on this.
7. Retiring Early - two posts in, and likely not much more to say until we have been here long enough to see how things look financially. But I will return to it from time to time.
8. Treasure Hunting Malaysia - well this series is likely over until retirement, but I reckon I might kick off an Aussie version soon, especially as I have recently done my first metal detecting, and found my first coins!
9. My Career - I have touched on this once or twice, and I do realise there is a story to tell here. I plan to write a post on each significant chapter, and will do so slowly over the next year or two.
10. My Travels - this one is fun, and I am not making it a series as such, more a bunch of one-off posts now and then. But from here on in I might use the My Travels moniker to distinguish it, even though there are other travel posts that don't do that.

Haha, this really is self-indulgent isn't it? But that's the whole point. I actually think that list covers most of what I have to say. I will no doubt continue with mostly one-off posts about various things, and I also plan to do a bit more reflecting on both where I have come from and where I am going. We might even do a bit of travel planning, as we have a number of cool ideas about what to do with our travel time and budget in the coming years. Also some posts about food! I guess the bottom line is I need to put more time aside to write, as I love to do it, and I have plenty to say. I hope as the kids get older we can spend more time sitting around and talking about these kinds of things. But knowing myself, it doesn't always work out that way. So this blog is both for me to indulge my own need to write and express myself, but also a record for my family and friends, if they ever wish to know more. Thanks for indulging me!