Reflections on A to Z Blogging Challenge, April 2022

This is my first experience with the A to Z Blogging Challenge. And just as I had expected, I thoroughly enjoyed it. But oh my, it was a lot of work too! 

What made it harder was the lack of planning on my part. Don’t get me wrong, I knew this was coming and was doing all the mental planning, but the actual work not so much. When the start date rolled around, I just had the first two dishes photographed! Thus, this turned out to be a real challenge. And it feels so good to have finished the schedule without dropping a single day. So yeah, a lot of work but a lot of fun too!

As part of the challenge, I presented 26 dishes from 26 different regions. A majority of them I had cooked many times previously; a few were newly cooked for the blog posting. The research looking for the perfect dish from the representative region, starting with the specific letter of the alphabet I wanted, was a fun experience. And once the rhythm of activities – cook the dish, take and process pictures, do the write-up, and post – was established, things moved a bit more smoothly.

Of course, I could not have done this without the friends who cheered me on. Molly of Molly’s Canopy (my guide and inspiration), Anita, Jeanne, Jeri, Michelle, Dee, Min, Dime, Pash, Lekshmi… I owe you all. You can pick a dish from the A to Z list, and I shall cook it for you the next time you visit me. And last but not the least, a big β€˜thank you’ to Cux, my technical consultant and proofreader.

My only regret? That I could not be supportive of my fellow bloggers as much as I wished to be. I have immense gratitude to all those who visited my blog during the challenge and left comments. My sincere apologies to you all, and a promise. In the coming days, I promise to return your visits, in spades, absolutely!

The next year’s challenge? Yeah, I’ll be there with bells on. Already looking forward and doing some mental planning. Hoping I would do some actual planning as well, next time around. See you all next year! 

17 thoughts on “Reflections on A to Z Blogging Challenge, April 2022”

  1. Congratulations! That does sound like a lot of work. I’ve done this challenge several times, but this year I was the least prepared. Preparation definitely helps. See you next year!

  2. I think I do a lot of mental planning which I don’t seem to follow through but I’m glad you did. Your 26 dishes from 26 regions sounds exhausting and I don’t cook but I imagine it’s lots of hard work involved. And you did it on schedule which I always admire. I don’t do well with scheduling. Congrats on finishing the challenge.

    Thanks for stopping by my blog. Have a lovely day.

    1. Agree, it was a lot of work, but I enjoyed the whole process. Thank you for your kind words. See you along the road show.

      ~Ria

    1. Thank you Cheryl! Take your pick from the 26 and we shall have that next time you visit. See you sometime soon.

      ~Ria

    1. Thank you Kristin, for your visit and your comment. We have mutual friends in the genealogy blogging world though I know nothing about it. πŸ™‚ Will be in touch in the going forward too.

      ~Ria

    1. Yes indeed! It was great fun! Wouldn’t miss it next year. And planning to do some planning as well. πŸ™‚

      ~Ria

    1. Thank you! Hope to do much better next year. And yes, I’m going to go on the road show as well. See you along the year. ~Ria

  3. Congratulations on completing your first A to Z! It is a lot of work. I start earlier every time I do it, and every time I pledge that I’ll start even earlier the next time!

  4. Anita Jagath

    Thoroughly enjoyed the food and of course enjoyed watching the whole blogging process. You are truly an inspiration!

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