LIFE UPDATE 2024 (what's next)

Kara and Nate
13 Jan 202424:07

Summary

TLDRThe video script details a couple's reflection on their eighth year of full-time travel, sharing their life update video tradition. They recount the challenges and triumphs of the past year, including traveling to 25 countries, taking 78 flights, and sleeping in 159 different beds. The couple also discusses their video and travel statistics, revealing their most and least viewed videos and the emotional journey behind them. They candidly share their struggles with burnout and the importance of taking a break, announcing their decision to take a significant break in early 2024. With gratitude for their experiences and acknowledging the privilege of their lifestyle, they set a goal to publish an average of three videos per month, aiming for a more sustainable pace while maintaining their commitment to quality content creation.

Takeaways

  • ๐ŸŽ‰ They have completed their eighth year of full-time travel and have made a tradition of sharing a life update video at the beginning of each year.
  • ๐Ÿ“… In 2021, they were in a hotel room contemplating their future during the pandemic, which led to the creation of their life update video series.
  • ๐ŸŒ In 2023, they took 78 flights, flew with 32 different airlines, and traveled around the world five times (122,000 miles), visiting 25 different countries.
  • ๐Ÿ›๏ธ They slept in 159 different beds, averaging 2.3 nights per bed, including a 36-night road trip in a van across the US.
  • ๐Ÿ“น They published 47 new videos on their main channel and started a new channel called Daily Drop, where they published 8 videos focusing on travel hacking and credit card rewards.
  • โฑ๏ธ The average duration of their videos in 2023 was 32 minutes and 25 seconds, reflecting their commitment to telling engaging stories.
  • ๐Ÿ“Š Their most viewed video of the year was 'Earth RoR' with 3.8 million views, while their least viewed video was 'Living with Monks in Japan'.
  • ๐Ÿ† They each chose their own superlatives for the year, such as the scariest video to film and the video they had the most fun filming, which was in Australia.
  • ๐Ÿค” They reflected on their goals for 2023, including reaching a million readers with their travel newsletter, which they achieved with 111,234 readers.
  • ๐Ÿ“‰ They did not achieve their goal of posting 365 daily videos, publishing only 32, which led to a negative response from some viewers who preferred their long-form content.
  • ๐ŸŽฏ For 2024, they plan to take a significant break in January and February, posting only two videos each month and setting a goal of averaging three videos per month for the year to create a more sustainable schedule.
  • ๐ŸŒŸ They expressed gratitude for their audience and the privilege of their travel-focused work, acknowledging the importance of sharing both the highs and lows of their journey.

Q & A

  • What is the tradition that the couple in the script has started with their New Year videos?

    -The couple has started a tradition of making a life update video as their first video of the New Year, where they reflect on the past year, share their plans for the upcoming year, and discuss behind-the-scenes stories and feelings.

  • How did the couple feel about their 2023 Life Update video when they watched it?

    -They found it fun to compare their initial plans for the year with how it actually unfolded, noting that in many ways, the year looked very different from their expectations.

  • What was the total number of flights the couple took in the past year?

    -The couple took 78 flights in the past year.

  • How many different countries did they visit?

    -They visited 25 different countries.

  • What was the most viewed video on their channel for the year?

    -The most viewed video of the year was 'Earth RoR' with 3.8 million views.

  • What was the least viewed video on their channel for the year?

    -The least viewed video was 'Living with Monks in Japan'.

  • How many videos did they publish on their main channel and their new channel combined in a year?

    -They published 47 new videos on their main channel and 8 on their new channel, making a total of 55 videos for the year.

  • What was the average duration of their videos for the year?

    -The average duration of their videos was 32 minutes and 25 seconds.

  • What was the couple's goal for posting videos in 2024?

    -Their goal for 2024 was to post an average of three videos per month, totaling 36 videos for the year, in order to create a more sustainable schedule.

  • What significant break did the couple plan to take in the early part of 2024?

    -The couple planned to take the biggest break since starting their YouTube channel, with no filming or traveling for the first 6 weeks of the year.

  • What was one of the couple's most memorable experiences of the year?

    -One of their most memorable experiences was attending an Adele concert, which brought a moment of pure joy.

  • What was the couple's attitude towards their burnout experience during the year?

    -They acknowledged the burnout and considered it a necessary part of their journey. They filmed a video about it but decided not to post it when they recovered, as it no longer felt relevant to their current state of mind.

Outlines

00:00

๐ŸŽฅ New Year's Tradition and Life Update

The video script begins with the creators reflecting on their eighth year of full-time travel, a tradition they've established to share their plans and reflections at the start of each New Year. They recount their experiences from the previous year, including the challenges of navigating post-pandemic life and their decision-making process in a hotel room. The creators also mention their intention to share behind-the-scenes stories and personal feelings that didn't make it into their previous videos, likening the process to a therapeutic session shared with their audience. They humorously discuss watching their 2023 Life Update video and compare their planned activities with how the year actually unfolded. Additionally, they touch upon the prevalence of illness during the holiday season and the joy of planning for the next year.

05:01

๐Ÿš€ Travel and Video Statistics for 2023

The paragraph delves into the creators' impressive travel stats from the previous year, including the number of flights taken, airlines used, and miles traveledโ€”equivalent to circling the globe five times. They visited 25 countries and stayed in a staggering 159 different beds. The video stats reveal that they published 47 new videos on their main channel and eight on their new channel, 'Daily Drop,' which focuses on travel hacking and credit card rewards. They also share the average duration of their videos, the most, and least viewed videos, and provide some insights into their content creation process and the sustainability of their posting schedule.

10:02

๐Ÿ† Superlatives and Memorable Moments

The creators share their personal superlatives for the year, including the scariest video to film, which was a close call between biking across the US and a dangerous motorcycle journey. They also discuss the most fun video to create, which involved a trip through the Australian Outback. Other highlights include a memorable concert experience and the challenges of Arctic surfing. They express gratitude for their sponsor, AG1, which they have incorporated into their daily routine and even gifted to friends and family. The paragraph concludes with a reflection on the importance of capturing both joyful and challenging moments in their travels.

15:04

๐ŸŽ‰ Achievements, Goals, and the Reality of 2023

This section reviews the goals set in the previous year's Life Update video, discussing the success of their travel newsletter, 'Daily Drop,' which has grown significantly. However, they admit to falling short on their goal of publishing 365 daily videos, managing only 32 due to the negative response from their audience. They also reflect on their third goal of maintaining a consistent video posting schedule, which they found unsustainable. The paragraph addresses the emotional toll of the year, including a candid discussion about burnout and the decision not to publish a video they made about it. They express gratitude for their good relationship and the privilege of their lifestyle, despite the challenges they faced.

20:06

๐Ÿ“… Planning for a Balanced 2024

The creators unveil their plans for 2024, which include taking a significant break in the first two months of the year, during which they will not be filming or traveling. They express a mix of excitement and guilt about this break, acknowledging the importance of consistency with their audience but also recognizing the need for a more sustainable pace. For the year, they set a goal of posting an average of three videos per month, totaling 36 for the year, which they see as a significant shift from their previous posting frequency. The paragraph concludes with a discussion about their gratitude for the opportunity to travel and create content, and their commitment to sharing their experiences, both the exciting and the challenging, with their audience.

Mindmap

Keywords

๐Ÿ’กFull-time travel

Full-time travel refers to the lifestyle of continuously traveling without a fixed home base. In the video, the creators mention completing their eighth year of full-time travel, which is central to their channel's theme and content. It signifies their dedication to exploring the world and sharing their experiences with their audience.

๐Ÿ’กLife update video

A life update video is a type of content where creators share personal updates, reflections, and plans with their audience. In the script, the video is described as a tradition where the creators discuss their past year, future plans, and share behind-the-scenes stories, making it a significant part of connecting with their viewers on a personal level.

๐Ÿ’กTravel stats

Travel stats are numerical data related to the travel experiences of the creators. The script provides various travel stats such as the number of flights taken, airlines used, miles flown, and countries visited. These stats highlight the extensive nature of their travels and serve to impress upon the audience the scale of their adventures.

๐Ÿ’กVideo production

Video production encompasses the process of creating and editing video content. The script mentions the number of videos published, the average duration of their videos, and the effort put into storytelling. This keyword is crucial as it speaks to the creators' commitment to quality content and their passion for engaging storytelling.

๐Ÿ’กSustainability

Sustainability, in the context of the video, refers to the creators' ability to maintain their content production without burning out. The script discusses the need to make their content creation more sustainable by reducing the frequency of video uploads to avoid exhaustion and maintain the quality of their work.

๐Ÿ’กBurnout

Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress. The creators openly share their experience with burnout, which is a significant moment in the video as it shows their vulnerability and the challenges of their lifestyle. It also serves as a reminder of the importance of self-care, even while pursuing one's passions.

๐Ÿ’กDaily Drop

Daily Drop is a travel hacking newsletter and a secondary channel started by the creators. It focuses on credit cards, rewards, and travel tips. The mention of Daily Drop in the script highlights the creators' expansion into different formats of content and their expertise in maximizing travel experiences through strategic use of loyalty programs.

๐Ÿ’กContent calendar

A content calendar is a planning tool used to schedule and organize content releases. The script describes how the creators use a physical calendar to map out their year, which includes travel plans and video releases. This keyword illustrates their meticulous planning and the structured approach they take towards content creation.

๐Ÿ’กViewer engagement

Viewer engagement refers to the interaction and feedback from the audience. The script mentions the creators' consideration of their audience's preferences, especially when they discuss the reception of their daily videos. It underscores the importance of audience feedback in shaping the direction and content of their channel.

๐Ÿ’กGoal setting

Goal setting is the process of defining objectives for a specific period. In the video, the creators review the goals they set for the previous year and outline new goals for the upcoming year. This keyword is pivotal as it reflects their strategic approach to personal and professional growth and their commitment to continuous improvement.

๐Ÿ’กPrivilege

Privilege, as used in the script, refers to the special advantages or honors that come with the creators' lifestyle and job. They express gratitude for the opportunities they have, such as the ability to travel extensively and take extended breaks. This keyword is important as it acknowledges the creators' awareness of their fortunate circumstances and their appreciation for the support they receive.

Highlights

The couple has completed their eighth year of full-time travel, making a life update video a New Year tradition.

In 2021, they spent a week in a hotel room contemplating their life post-pandemic, which inspired the creation of their annual life update video.

They share their plans for the year, reflecting on the past, and behind-the-scenes stories in a format akin to a therapy session.

In 2023, they took 78 flights, flew 32 different airlines, and traveled around the world five times in terms of mileage.

They visited 25 different countries and switched beds 159 times, averaging 2.3 nights per bed.

They published 47 new videos on their main channel and started a new channel focusing on travel hacking and credit card rewards.

The average duration of their videos in 2023 was 32 minutes and 25 seconds, reflecting their commitment to storytelling.

Their most viewed video of the year was 'Earth RoR' with 3.8 million views.

The least viewed video was 'Living with Monks in Japan', which also had the most comments, indicating a dedicated audience.

They identified 'The Bike Monkey Run' as the scariest video to film due to its dangerous nature and high risk of accidents.

AG1, a nutritional supplement brand, is highlighted as a product they love and use daily, even gifting it to friends and family.

Their most fun video to film was in Australia, where they enjoyed a week-long road trip through the Outback.

A memorable moment was attending an Adele concert, which brought immense joy and laughter.

They experienced a significant burnout mid-year, leading to a period of reflection and a decision to prioritize sustainability in their work.

They set a goal to post an average of three videos per month in 2024, aiming for a total of 36 videos, to create a more sustainable work pace.

Despite the challenges, they express gratitude for their lifestyle and the privilege of being able to take extended breaks.

They plan to take the largest break since starting their YouTube channel, with no filming or traveling for the first six weeks of the year.

Their 2024 calendar is filled with various travel experiences, including a personal physical challenge and a focus on creating content that positively impacts the lives of those they meet.

Transcripts

00:01

all right how's this work do not point

00:04

at people wait is it going to come out

00:06

this

00:10

end I knew you had it upside down wow

00:13

that makes life

00:15

M what a

00:18

disaster it would not worth having to

00:20

clean this

00:23

up we just completed our eighth year of

00:27

full-time travel and it's kind of become

00:28

a tradition to make this our first video

00:31

of the New Year back at the end of 2021

00:34

we were sitting in a hotel room for a

00:35

week trying to figure out what we were

00:36

going to do with our life as the world

00:38

was coming out of a pandemic and that is

00:40

where this life update video was born we

00:43

put a bunch of stuff on the calendar

00:45

guess what we were going to do that year

00:46

and then we shared it with you we also

00:47

like to reflect on the past year and

00:50

tell some behind the-scenes stories that

00:52

didn't quite make the video and share

00:54

some true feelings that we have that we

00:56

couldn't really tell at the time and

00:57

it's really just the only time we can

00:59

just sit down

01:00

and not think about the algorithm and

01:02

not think about retention and just it's

01:04

kind of like a therapy session that we

01:06

share with the internet honestly last

01:07

night we sat down and watched 2023 Life

01:10

Update video and it was really fun to

01:12

see what we thought we were going to do

01:13

and how the year ended up because in a

01:16

lot of ways it looked very different

01:18

also did anyone make it through the

01:19

holidays without getting a cold

01:21

literally everyone we know is sick or

01:24

has been sick the flu Co I should have

01:27

cold congratulations if you're still

01:29

healthy my favorite part of these little

01:31

end of year Retreats that we take is

01:33

getting the dream about the next year

01:35

and put it on a calendar I spent a lot

01:36

of time planning car spent a lot of time

01:38

drawing but we will get to this after we

01:40

look back on 2023 we're calling this

01:43

section of the video 2023 wrapped my

01:46

Spotify wraps but it's Ken Nate wrapped

01:48

we're going to give some stats

01:50

superlatives for the year then we'll

01:52

look at 2024 we're going to start with

01:54

travel stats last year we took 78

01:59

flights waa we flew 32 different

02:02

airlines which is way more than I would

02:04

have expected and we flew

02:08

122,000

02:09

mil how many miles is it around the

02:12

world

02:13

24,000 mil so we basically flew around

02:16

the world five times we visited 25

02:18

different countries and probably the

02:21

craziest stat of all and the most tiring

02:23

stat of all is this mine yes I started a

02:26

notepad on my phone where I kept count

02:27

of every time we switched B

02:30

that could have been a train a van

02:32

another hotel a boat we slept in

02:37

159 different beds bringing our average

02:41

to spending 2.3 nights per bed and

02:45

what's crazy about that is we spent 36

02:49

nights straight in the vaning across the

02:52

us our cross country trip I counted as

02:54

one bed even though technically the bed

02:57

moved every night honestly that stat

02:59

makes me me feel better about how tired

03:01

I was this year we'll get to that later

03:03

but I'm tired now we're going to jump

03:05

into video stats this year we published

03:09

47 new videos on the Caren Nate Channel

03:12

respectable if I do say so myself and

03:14

started a new channel where we published

03:16

eight videos that's pretty good so for

03:20

those of you who missed it we started a

03:22

channel for our travel hacking

03:23

newsletter called daily drop on that

03:25

channel we talk a lot about credit cards

03:27

and how you can earn rewards to travel

03:28

for cheap but we've also posted some

03:30

travel reviews and flight review videos

03:33

over there we're a lot more um

03:34

opinionated over on that channel some

03:36

would say minity k like an eight yeah

03:39

there were no slippers us get spp

03:41

anything there was no chapstick six wow

03:44

ruthless over here so in total for the

03:47

year we posted 55 videos if you count

03:50

the daily drops which we're going to I'm

03:52

so proud of that this does not count the

03:54

daily drop videos this is just for the K

03:56

and Nate Channel but the average

03:58

duration of our videos was 32 minutes

04:02

and 25

04:04

seconds have I mentioned that I'm

04:07

tired and the crazy thing is we did not

04:09

go into the year with the intention of

04:11

doing that never we never set out to

04:14

film a video and go all right let's aim

04:16

for 40 minutes this time like we really

04:18

truly just like love to tell fun

04:21

engaging stories and we just have this

04:22

feeling when we feel like a story is

04:24

complete and that's when we stop filming

04:26

and for some reason that feeling just

04:28

comes a lot later than it used to after

04:30

doing it for8 years there's like this

04:31

internal clock where it's like okay I

04:34

think we have a video now and sometimes

04:37

those videos are 20 minutes and

04:38

sometimes they're an hour thankfully we

04:40

have two amazing editors that help us

04:43

get these long videos done but it's just

04:45

becoming more or I guess less and less

04:48

sustainable to post every week like we

04:50

have been for four years are you feeling

04:52

hints of a little bit more of the

04:55

therapy session that's coming 32 and a

04:57

half minutes okay our most viewed video

05:00

of the year was Earth RoR at 3.8 million

05:03

views basically we're BFS with Earth RoR

05:05

now should we do like runner up yeah I

05:07

don't know no

05:10

wait no it was the first video that we

05:12

filmed this year Emirates first class y

05:14

Emirates first was nuts I showered on a

05:16

plane all right least view video of the

05:19

year I think I know and it makes me

05:20

really sad no it was living with monks

05:23

in Japan really that was our least view

05:25

video of the year the one k thought it

05:27

was and that only Beat It by 2,000 views

05:29

was the video I filmed with my

05:31

grandfather that video is basically our

05:33

least viewed video on our Channel this

05:35

year oh my goodness but has the most

05:38

comments of any video so the people that

05:40

did watch it really enjoyed it t their

05:42

hearts for sure it was a special video

05:44

that was one that I think I would have

05:45

regretted not making this is my favorite

05:48

part of looking back on last year this

05:51

is our superlatives we each know the

05:53

five categories going into it but we

05:54

don't share the answers with each other

05:56

until now can I go ahead and confess

05:58

something to you sure I don't think I

06:00

chose one answer for any of them all

06:03

right number one scariest video of the

06:05

year to film The Bike monkey run wa I

06:10

have the monkey run as my runner up I

06:12

think biking across the US is the most

06:15

dangerous thing that we've done in all8

06:17

years of travel statistically the

06:19

chances of us getting hit by a car were

06:21

high that that's what I said as we were

06:23

crossing the Finish Line we didn't die

06:25

we didn't get hit by a car and that's

06:28

genuinely how I felt like so much relief

06:30

each day I had such a positive attitude

06:33

that like oh like this day is like this

06:36

part of the trail is pretty bad but like

06:37

it'll get better from here and I think

06:39

that's why I don't look back and only

06:41

think of fear sorry to interrupt but I

06:43

have to thank our first sponsor of the

06:45

Year ag1 chances are you've heard Nate

06:47

and I talk about ag1 a million times

06:50

because it's actually a product that we

06:51

love both on and off camera and it's a

06:54

daily routine that we've stuck with for

06:55

over 3 years now we don't have many

06:58

routines in our chaotic life but this is

07:00

a big one I kid you not we love it so

07:02

much that for Christmas this year Nate

07:03

and I handed out ag1 travel packs as

07:05

party favors to our friends and family

07:07

they all loved it and I'm about to tell

07:08

you why the new year is a perfect time

07:10

to commit to healthy habits and ag1

07:13

could not make it any more simple just

07:15

one serving of ag1 is packed with so

07:18

many essential vitamins and minerals

07:20

many of which we definitely aren't

07:22

getting from our diets alone especially

07:24

with our hectic life when we're I don't

07:25

know living with a remote Drive in

07:27

Indonesia or riding a motorbike across

07:29

Peru ag1 has her back in case it isn't

07:31

obvious we heavily rely on ag1 to fill

07:35

the nutritional gaps in our diet and the

07:37

super high quality ingredients they use

07:39

help support our immunity our gut health

07:41

our focus and energy levels and even

07:43

stress and as an added bonus we think it

07:45

tastes great much less green and grassy

07:48

than it looks and actually more on the

07:49

sweet side but don't just take it from

07:51

me try H1 for yourself if you use our

07:54

link below not only will you get the jar

07:56

and Shaker but they'll also include a

07:58

free bottle of these immune supporting

08:00

vitamin D3 K2 drops which we also take

08:03

every day and this bottle lasts up to a

08:05

year and you'll get five of these travel

08:08

packs for free I do agree that the

08:11

monkey run might have actually been more

08:13

dangerous the monkey run was dangerous

08:16

in a whole different way I've never

08:18

driven a two- wheeled motor vehicle

08:22

before in my life and we're all on our

08:25

own there's no one around for Miles not

08:28

to mention it's freezing I'm carrying

08:31

everything I own on my back while

08:33

driving the motorcycle motorcycles are

08:34

basically meant to break down Nate is

08:37

like ill the entire time ill the monkey

08:40

run is one of the first things that

08:42

we've done that when we got there the

08:44

first day and we were learning how to

08:45

ride the bikes I was like I think I went

08:47

too far like honestly the moment that

08:50

sticks out the most where I was the most

08:51

scared was when we were on the side of a

08:55

cliff thousand foot drop on one end we

08:58

had to get up and over over to get to

08:59

the next town and Nate's clutch broke he

09:03

has to run to start it and he's like

09:04

once I get going I can't stop and I

09:07

can't wait for you so he gets it started

09:09

which was a miracle and I was happy that

09:11

he was able to go but that left me on

09:13

the side of a cliff that was one of the

09:14

very few times that something got so

09:16

intense that we didn't even pull the

09:18

camera out the video this year that we

09:19

had the most fun filming 1 2 3 Australia

09:23

that was my second one the road trip

09:26

that we took through the Outback in

09:27

Australia was just an absolute

09:29

absolutely amazing week we just went and

09:31

had a ton of fun and the camera just

09:33

came along for the ride and that is The

09:35

Sweet Spot it was like a little

09:37

dangerous but so fun I think the hardest

09:40

I laughed all year was with kinging it

09:42

when we I forgot about that did Arctic

09:46

van life we were in the north of Norway

09:48

living in their van all four of us and

09:50

we decided we were going to go surfing

09:53

Arctic surfing sounds like a great idea

09:56

does it no we're just trying to get down

09:59

to the beach but the ground is frozen

10:02

I'm holding my surf the wind was blowing

10:04

so hard and the surfboard was basically

10:06

a cell and A's treding to come get me

10:09

that was a lot of fun until it wasn't

10:11

fun

10:13

anymore I'm so gold and it's so windy

10:16

and I can't feel my face one more okay

10:19

our back to Van life video positioning

10:21

ourselves for the bike trip we got in

10:24

the van we had a super friend road trip

10:27

out west and I got to go to the Dell

10:29

concert one of our family members during

10:31

the holidays was asking about moments of

10:33

pure joy during 2023 and I think Cara at

10:37

the Adele concert is the most joyous

10:39

that I've seen her in I don't know how

10:42

long the most underrated video of 2023

10:45

this is the video that if you haven't

10:46

seen yet you should go back and watch it

10:48

all right I have three well you have to

10:51

pick one okay 3 2 1 laka mental why got

10:55

better views is why it's not my number

10:57

one well yeah that was one of the videos

10:59

that we were super excited about we put

11:02

probably more effort into that video

11:04

than we did any other video all year and

11:06

then I think we spent more time on the

11:08

edit than we've ever spent on a video

11:11

and then it was our worst performing

11:13

video at the time and then late T COA we

11:16

just kind of show up for these

11:17

experiences and let them organically

11:19

happen then that's the video that you

11:21

see I was super skeptical of how

11:23

touristy this was going to be and then

11:24

we get to go spend time with this family

11:27

and they're amazing and then I get to

11:29

like go out on the boat and fish with

11:31

this guy and he starts telling me about

11:32

how much tourism positively impacts his

11:34

life and then I end up a chang person at

11:36

the end of the video couldn't have

11:37

written it better I know that's what I'm

11:39

saying it was like a movie all right

11:41

honorable mentions we're doing rapid

11:42

fire now the bike trip finale I'm a

11:44

little offended and the finale was it

11:48

the best every time I shake my

11:50

head next most underrated the cat hotel

11:54

in Japan if you want to laugh say your

11:59

laugh all year the end of that video

12:01

Cara I left for 2 seconds video that

12:05

you're most proud

12:06

of we got one the intro to that video is

12:10

the first minute there's no talking and

12:12

it's one of my favorite edits that we've

12:13

ever

12:17

[Music]

12:21

done most Pinch Me moment of the year we

12:25

climbed up Christ the Redeemer yes in to

12:29

his shoulder and we popped out the top I

12:31

heard somewhere that if you blink you're

12:33

more likely to be able to recount an

12:35

experience and I remember sitting up

12:37

there being

12:39

like we are so close to pulling out the

12:41

2024 calendar but before we do that in

12:44

last year's Life Update video we set

12:46

three goals and I thought it would be

12:48

fun to go back and look and see how we

12:50

did we didn't do very well one of the

12:53

three goals that we set last year was to

12:55

get to a million readers and make this

12:57

the best travel newsletter on the

13:00

internet done and right now we are at

13:03

1,1

13:07

12,348 it's just created a life of its

13:10

own and it's I can't even think back to

13:13

before daily drop we now have nine

13:16

full-time people on the team and five

13:19

contractors it's just growing in the

13:21

best way possible this is the one goal

13:23

that we hit and we pretty much had

13:25

nothing to do with it I would love to be

13:27

more involved with it but our first

13:29

priority is this channel so this is

13:31

where we spend the majority of our time

13:32

but it's probably a good thing because

13:34

Mike our head riter over there is 10

13:36

times the miles and points expert that I

13:38

am also if you're not a reader we will

13:39

leave a link down below where you can

13:41

sign up maybe 2024 could be the year

13:43

that you learn to use miles and points

13:45

to travel for Less the second goal that

13:46

we set for oursel in 2023

13:50

365 daily videos no I don't know if I

13:53

can commit to 365 I don't even think we

13:56

made it the first 30 days of the year it

13:58

felt like we were working harder than we

14:00

had ever worked before Cara's managing

14:01

way more footage she's doing way more

14:03

editing cuz we're trying to do that on

14:04

top of the long form videos but like we

14:06

were going to do it like we were excited

14:07

about it we were in Hustle mode and uh

14:10

then it felt like everybody hated them

14:11

their response was very negative I

14:14

actually don't think that most people

14:15

hated them but there was a loud minority

14:17

that really did not like the shorts

14:19

right I think a lot of it had to do with

14:21

the way that we didn't

14:25

communicate our goals we always take off

14:29

time around the holidays and don't post

14:30

videos for a few weeks so that was

14:32

happening we weren't posting long form

14:34

videos and all of a sudden we were

14:35

posting a short every day starting

14:37

January 1st so I think a lot of people

14:39

who follow us thought we were just going

14:41

to be a shorts Channel all of a sudden

14:44

without telling anyone and think that

14:45

nobody would notice so people made it

14:47

their goal to make us know that that is

14:50

not what they want us to do but our goal

14:52

was to start posting long form videos

14:53

again like we always do in addition to

14:55

the shorts our goal was to post 365

14:58

shorts we posted at 32 we're not shorts

15:00

people so our third goal for 2023 was to

15:03

post 52 videos every year at the

15:07

beginning of the year we've looked at

15:08

each other and we've said do we have

15:10

another year of this crazy life in us

15:12

and every year up until now our answer

15:15

has been a resounding we got this let's

15:19

go and that is exactly how we started

15:21

out 2023 we posted 47 videos so we were

15:25

five videos short and that was mostly my

15:28

fault that feels a bit harsh but it's

15:30

true we collectively not just Cara in

15:33

the middle of this year for the first

15:34

time felt like we didn't have it in us

15:36

anymore I've been calling it my mental

15:39

breakdown to everyone in my life that I

15:41

tell this story to which sounds a bit

15:43

dramatic but I think that's what it was

15:46

it was like a tiredness that no matter

15:48

how you slept you couldn't shake and our

15:50

routine has been run the gas tank to

15:53

empty and then take a few days off

15:55

refilled back up again get back on the

15:57

road and go yeah we've been doing a full

15:58

Sprint for 8 years and loving it and and

16:01

usually after our Sprints we take a few

16:03

days and then I'm ready to go again and

16:05

for the first time I wasn't like ready I

16:08

was more like almost like dreading going

16:12

again it was a little scary cuz in my

16:14

heart I'm like still so in this this was

16:17

a week this wasn't like all of 2023 it

16:22

all came out in the span of yeah this

16:24

summer we sat on the beach in Tonga and

16:28

made a video about burnout and we didn't

16:31

post it it's sitting on my hard drive I

16:33

thought I would get through my rough

16:35

patch then make the video that was my

16:38

goal like I didn't want to make a video

16:39

where I just sat and was an emotional

16:41

wreck so I thought okay I'm going to

16:43

save this time I'm just going to rest

16:45

and then we'll make a video sharing this

16:47

cuz I think this is something I need to

16:49

share with the life that we get to live

16:53

I feel like I need to strike this

16:56

balance between sharing the good days

16:59

and the bad days but also you know

17:02

realizing how privileged we are and how

17:05

grateful we are for what we get to do

17:07

and knowing that a lot of people

17:09

probably don't have sympathy for

17:11

somebody who gets to travel fair enough

17:13

and make videos all time we literally

17:14

have the best job in the world so we sat

17:16

down filmed the video I spilled my guts

17:19

and then when it came time to like edit

17:23

the video it just it was so weird we

17:25

were both in a much better place it felt

17:28

so unne necessary so we didn't post it

17:30

but it was a big part of our year and

17:33

it's going to be a big part of our next

17:35

year and so it feels like something we

17:37

need to share and I just kind of want to

17:38

have it here as a permanent spot in our

17:40

video Journal we're in a really good

17:42

place right now yes that should be

17:44

stated I think it should also be said

17:46

that our

17:48

relationship has been good yeah even

17:51

through the hard time like it wasn't a

17:53

problem with us yeah it was just I would

17:56

kiss you but you know yeah

17:59

we're about to share 2024 with you and

18:01

it'll all make a little more sense

18:02

knowing that yeah okay I think I'm going

18:05

have to move the camera back this is our

18:08

year the whole entire year on one big

18:12

calendar can you see the whole thing

18:14

look at that wow barely this calendar

18:16

was created by the guy who started the

18:19

29029 event that we did where we had to

18:21

climb the vertical elevation of Mount

18:23

Everest without sleeping this is

18:24

actually what inspired the 2021 calendar

18:26

but I was too cheap to buy the real one

18:27

back in 2021 but this year I splurge and

18:29

you can see our entire year in one place

18:32

I think the thing that probably stands

18:33

out the most is that in January and

18:37

February there are no poits there's no

18:40

artwork so our plan is to take the

18:43

biggest break that we've taken since

18:45

starting this YouTube channel we are not

18:47

filming any videos or traveling anywhere

18:50

for the first 6 weeks of the year so

18:53

crazy we're not going to completely

18:55

abandon you two of my favorite videos

18:58

that we filmed this year we saved to

19:00

post during January and February so

19:03

we'll be posting a little bit but us

19:05

personally will be staying in the same

19:07

bed I'm obviously very excited for a

19:10

break but I do feel I think I feel

19:13

guilty there aren't a lot of people who

19:15

post weekly videos now and I've Pride it

19:19

myself in that consistency and we're

19:21

grateful that you watch these videos and

19:23

I kind of feel like in a way we owe you

19:25

that but I also don't feel like we can

19:28

keep going at this pace much longer so

19:30

we're trying to make this a little more

19:32

sustainable because we would like to

19:33

keep doing this for years to come and

19:35

then our 2024 goal we're setting after

19:38

one goal for this year which is to post

19:40

an average of three videos per month so

19:43

36 Total videos for the year which is

19:47

only one less video per month than we've

19:50

been doing for the last four years but

19:52

it feels like a massive massive shift

19:56

we're trying to frame it not not as

19:59

we're cutting back but that we're

20:01

creating space creating space we like a

20:05

lot of people always want to grow and

20:08

learn it feels like we have been doing

20:10

that and our capacity in one week is

20:14

maxed out we've been posting weekly

20:16

videos since the pandemic hit so since

20:19

2020 that's when we shifted to posting

20:21

weekly we've been doing it ever since

20:23

and the videos have been getting bigger

20:25

and bigger and bigger and a week is

20:27

still 7 days if you didn't know

20:29

and so we're adding all of like so much

20:31

more work into each week and we want to

20:34

keep doing that but we've after lots and

20:37

lots of conversations we've been talking

20:39

about this for months it's finally time

20:42

to let go of that

20:44

Weekly

20:46

goal and it it feels so wrong the goal

20:49

is to post three videos a month so 36

20:52

videos I'm not sure that we're going to

20:54

be able to hold ourselves back from not

20:55

posting more my secret goal is 40 videos

20:58

I think the goal for this year if we

21:00

could just put it simply is to not be

21:02

maxed out to do this in a more

21:04

sustainable way should we jump going to

21:07

be awesome all right 2024 we've got to

21:08

make this fast

21:11

because we have 15 minutes until we have

21:14

to be out of this room we've gotten 400

21:16

p.m. late checkout and somehow we're

21:17

still cutting it close uh something is

21:20

going to happen the second half of

21:21

February we don't know what that is

21:22

yellow is personal so gy Friends new

21:25

longest train ride the world's longest

21:28

limousine that's not what it is me and

21:31

my

21:32

grandfather those are mountains in

21:34

Europe and those are huts on

21:38

topa that's there bikes there's

21:40

mountains all tell you vanai Alaska

21:43

michig not least these little uh purple

21:47

poits down here that's my big physical

21:50

challenge for the year and I'm

21:53

a big honestly why you would ever want

21:57

to put yourself through this this I

21:59

don't know no one has ever done it and

22:01

you might be the first I think you're

22:03

going to start a

22:04

trend what are you

22:06

doing feeling your emotion that you're

22:09

about to share I think we should we move

22:12

over there for better light that was the

22:13

emotion I was feeling I think it looks

22:15

really good come on we understand the

22:18

fact that we get to buy a gigantic

22:21

year-long calendar and fill it with

22:23

Post-it notes of the craziest travel

22:27

experiences we could dream up is the

22:29

biggest privilege in the world it still

22:32

blows my mind that we get to do this for

22:36

our job and just in case we don't say it

22:39

enough thank you we are so grateful for

22:42

this which is why it pains me inside

22:46

that we like complained a little bit in

22:48

this video but we're in a really good

22:50

spot we love what we do and I also

22:53

realized that it is a huge privilege to

22:55

get to take six weeks off oh so thank

22:58

you for your patience and we will have

23:02

two videos including this one two videos

23:05

for you in January two videos for you in

23:08

February and then we'll be back making

23:10

videos three to four a

23:14

month it's going to be a great year I

23:16

hope at the end of next year we're like

23:18

we have so much energy we're going back

23:20

to four videos daily Vlogs actually okay

23:24

we have 7 minutes to pick up 10,000

23:27

pieces of glitter oh my God

23:29

oh I meant to say I made a playlist of

23:32

our

23:33

2023 videos all of them so if you want

23:36

to catch up on our year if we talked

23:38

about anything that you missed I'll link

23:40

it and you can find it there we're going

23:43

to make another playlist of all the

23:45

videos that we filmed on The Daily drop

23:47

Channel all right happy New Year happy

23:49

New Year see you soon in two weeks

23:57

out

24:01

[Music]

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