Life in March 2020

I take back all the bad things I said about January being slow. March really taught us a lesson, huh? To be blunt – what an absolute shit show of a month March was. 

Like most everyone else, March brought a lot of surreal changes in life. 

While I’m already used to working from home a lot, I definitely lost jobs and income already and as an empath and someone with a lot of anxiety, my mental health has just been a trainwreck as well. 

March 3rd

Nashville (along with a large part of the rest of Tennessee) had a tragic and horrific tornado rip through the city in the middle of the night. While I was okay physically, the emotional toll was horrible. However, my city and state made it clear why we’re called the Volunteer State. 

March 7th (approximately)

The greater Nashville area got it’s first confirmed case of COVID19 and this became much more real here. 

Aside from all of that, there were a few small positives.

I did have three pet sitting jobs. However, I don’t see that being the case in the future so I’ll miss all the babies!

My plants got new homes and moved around the apartment. 

Where Was I Featured in March 2020

I’ve been trying to write more for other publications. 

I shared my favorite baby Yoda memes, work from home memes, and tiger king memes for Let’s Eat Cake!

I was featured in this Business Insider article on how freelancers are handling COVID19. 

I was featured in this post by Sometimes Home about appreciating home when you can’t travel. 

I was featured in this open letter from travel bloggers asking people not to travel right now. 

35 Before 35 Update

Well, I don’t see this happening before 35 (it wasn’t going to happen anyway haha!) I’m adding this to my monthly post for my own accountability. I made this list back when I turned 30 and I do tend to be overambitious when making these types of lists, but it’s still fun no matter if I don’t complete them all.

• Number of Items Completed: 5 of 35 – participate in a monthly book club, have a consistent brand, act more like an entrepreneur instead of a hobbyist, get my scuba certification, lead a compassionate and conscious life.
• Number of Items Started: 2 of 35 – I said I was going to focus on eating healthier (which I finally have done!) and work on learning a second language which I have finally done too!
• Updates to List: I removed Havasu Falls from my list. I actually scored a hard to get permit this year and was planning to go but I was feeling uncomfortable about the horrible abuse of pack animals and I decided it is not for me right now. If that changes in the future, I would probably go. Not sure what I want to replace it with yet. It is unfortunate because I want to support Native Americans, but I can’t be a part of animal abuse.
• List Items to Focus on in April: start vlogging and yoga.
• List Items to Focus on in 2020: hike long distance (looking to do my first multi-day hike in Isle Royale this year), be location independent, spend the night somewhere haunted, be comfortable in my skin, and visit all 56 Tennessee state parks. These are now very dependent on the coming months.

Income Report for March 2020

Income

In March 2020,  I earned a total of $1589.49 from my blog or projects obtained through my blog.

Affiliate Income: $35.15

• Booking.com – $0
• Amazon – $28.16
• CJ – $0
• Skimlinks – $0
• Get Your Guide – $0
• ShareASale – $0
• Awin – $0

Ads: $66.69

• Ezoic – $66.69

Freelance Writing: $400

Freelance Projects: $0

Sponsored Posts: $1100

Sponsored Instagram Posts: $0

Expenses: $262.58

• Pinterest VA (for scheduling) – $90
• Google Suite – $13.11
• Tailwind (for Pinterest scheduling) – $14.99
• Coschedule – $30
• Impact Travel Alliance – $9.99
• Keysearch (for keyword research) – $13.60
• Adobe (for editing) – $0 – they offered 2 free months 
• AWeber (for email campaigns) – $19
• Facebook Ads – $30.05

Thoughts on my expenses – I’m always looking to see where I can trim down on expenses, but I also realize at some point you have to spend money to make money.

Impact Travel Alliance is a sustainable travel network and who I traveled with to Nepal. I love the community. This network is not just for media – it’s for anyone who is interested in or believes sustainable travel is important. If you’re interested in joining, make sure to mention my name when you do so!

AWeber is a great tool but I need to actually use it more if I’m going to keep paying for it. Want to sign up for my email list and help me out?!

I canceled SmarterQueue and moved to Coschedule. I had paused my social media posts amid COVID19 and I wanted to try Coschedule again to have scheduling and editorial calendar all in one spot. Plus, it’s cheaper.

I also canceled Hashtracking. Overall, I cut $30 from regular costs.

Net Income: $1326.91

Most Popular Post

My post on the best tips I can provide on handling anxiety in these weird and surreal times was my best new post. I have anxiety (pretty bad) and am well-versed in methods to help ease the mental anguish. I hope these tips help!

Other Posts Written

Here are all the new posts I’ve written in March.

• 9 Zero Waste Podcasts to Listen to If You Want to Be More Sustainable
• The 12+ Best Podcasts for Scuba Divers (& Ocean Lovers!)
• Be More Green at Home with This Ultimate Guide to Zero Waste Swaps
• How to Reduce Your Water Footprint (& how to Celebrate World Water Day While in Quarantine!)
• Want to Kayak for the First Time? Here are the Basics!
• 17+ Nature Spots in Chicago to Escape the Hectic City Vibes
• 8+ Irresistible & Surreal Spots to Explore in St Petersburg Florida
• Monthly Recap: February 2020

Best Thing I Ate

Uhhh, I honestly don’t think anything exciting to report here. However, starting this month, I’m going to get back to my ‘global recipes’ features. I’ll be choosing a country and creating/making 1-2 recipes in which I’ll share the recipes, photos, and outcome in a post. I’m doing Nepal first and I’m making momos and Bahl Dat – arguably, the two most popular Nepalese dishes and more often than not, naturally vegan. 

Most Loved Instagram Post

You can follow me on Instagram at @wild.hearted.blog.

     View this post on Instagram         

? ?? ????? ?????? ??????????. ⁣ ⁣ ? ???? ?????? ???? ????? ?? ???????? ???? ?? ?? ????? ?? 30 ??????? ????? ?? ??????? ??????. ? ????? ??? ???? ???? ????? ???????? ??? ????????? ??????. ⁣ ⁣ ????????? ??? ?????? ??’?? ?????? ?????? ??? ?? ???? ?????, ??? ?? ????? ????? ? ??? ??? ???? ?? ?? ???? ????????.⁣ ⁣ ?????? ??? ????????? ???? ????? ?????. ⁣ ⁣ ?????? ???????? ??????????? ??? ????????? (??? ?????? ?????? ?????). ⁣ ⁣ ????????? ??? ????? ?? ?? ??????? ???? ??? ??? ????? ??? ????. ⁣ ⁣ ????????? ?????????? ??? ?????? ????, ?????? ???????????? ?? ?????? ??? ?? ????? ??????. ???? ????? ?????, ?????, ??????????? ?????????? ???? ??? ?????? ????? ??? ?????????????. ⁣ ⁣ ??????? ??? ??????? (?? ?????). ⁣ ⁣ ????? ??? ????. ⁣ ————————————————— ?? ???’?? ????? ?? ???? ???? ?? ???? ?? ???? ???????:⁣ ⁣ ?? ?????????, ???? ????, ???? ?? ?? ???.???⁣ ⁣ ?? ?????? ?????: ????? ????.???⁣ ⁣ ?? ?????? ????? (?????? ????????), ????? ?? ??? ????????? ??, ????????? ?????⁣ ⁣ ???-????????? ?????-?? ?????, ???? ?-?-?.⁣ ⁣ ??????’? ???? ???? ??????? ?? ???? ????? ????? ?? ??? ????????? ?????????: ?????://???.??????.???/?????????/????????-??????/???????????⁣ ⁣ @??????????? ??? ?? ?????????? ???? ??? ????????? ?? ???? ?????????. ⁣ ⁣ ?: @bailsohey #nashvillestrong #nashville

A post shared by Ⓥ Ashley ⇞ Wild Hearted (@wild.hearted.blog) on Mar 3, 2020 at 5:57pm PST

What I Watched This Month

Well, at least no one can judge me on the number of movies and shows I watch now.

The Outsider – Finished watching this amazing show!

Altered Carbon – on Season 2 of this Netflix original. It’s pretty good, but not my favorite show ever.

Prodigal Son – Started watching this show thanks to our friends Jenn & Ed and it’s great! About an FBI profiler (seriously my dream job when I was younger) and his serial killer father who he turned in when he was just a little kid.

The Masked Singer – probably the first time I’ve watched a singing show in a decade. Not as exciting as the first couple episodes but I’m committed now.

Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness – Like everyone else, I watched Tiger King this month. Until I get up a full blog post, check out my very lengthy Instagram post on my thoughts.

     View this post on Instagram         

Not that anyone asked me but I’m going to throw my two cents into the ring on @netflix’s Tiger King.⁣ ⁣ I probably watched it the first day it came out because I feel like I was talking about it before it became huge. ⁣ ⁣ I thought it was an animal rights doc (because I was already aware of the shit show that is the exotic pet industry). I quickly found out — it’s most definitely not that. While I do feel that the overall tone of the doc is anti-exotic pet ownership (at least in this atmosphere), it was definitely about more than that. ⁣ ⁣ I struggle with this because I am vegan, an animal activist, an animal advocate, completely anti-zoo, anti exotic pet ownership and anti basically anything that’s not a true sanctuary. ⁣ ⁣ But, I still recommended this documentary because:⁣ ⁣ A) it was the exact kind of distraction we all needed right now⁣ ⁣ B) it truly is the wildest thing I’ve ever watched⁣ ⁣ C) I am FASCINATED by the human mind. Me being fascinated by literally everything in this doc, I feel is no different than me watching a Ted Bundy doc and being fascinated by it. I’m still anti-murder just like I’m anti-animal abuse/exploitation. ⁣ ⁣ All that being said…I’m glad people are also equally fascinated BUT I’m sad that it seems the majority of people completely are missing the mark on how absolutely HORRIBLE and CRUEL this industry is. ⁣ ⁣ Don’t be so blinded by the insane shenanigans and miss the victims here – the animals. Take this doc and this dumpster fire of a story and learn something worthwhile from it:⁣ ⁣ Do not go to facilities that have cub petting. ⁣ ⁣ Do not attend circuses or magic shows that include animals.⁣ ⁣ Do not go to facilities that allow selfies or ANY physical interaction with wild animals. ⁣ ⁣ Do not purchase an exotic animal as a pet.⁣ ⁣ Research, research, research! Always check out every location you go to before you go. It may seem like a good option on the surface, but dig deep. Even I sometimes still get fooled because these pseudo-sanctuaries do a great job at making it look like they are doing great things. ⁣ ⁣ Other red flags: selling, purchasing, breeding, and trading of animals. ⁣ ⁣ ? taken @turpentinecreek. Swipe for ?

A post shared by Ⓥ Ashley ⇞ Wild Hearted (@wild.hearted.blog) on Mar 31, 2020 at 7:24pm PDT

Hannibal – Started watching this show on Amazon Prime. It was originally on NBC and ran three seasons. Pretty good but really surprised this was on a mainstream channel. 

Hunters – I’m still not sure why Jordan Peele has been holding out on us for so long but happy to keep having new movies and shows from him. 

A Discovery of Witches – Really disliked this book, but the show is much better. But, maybe it’s just Matthew Goode.

Little Fires Everywhere – I have not read the book yet but love the show so far. 

Parasite – Finally watched this Oscar-winning foreign film and it lived up to all the hype! So good and I don’t want to give anything away. 

Honey Boy – I’ve always been a Shia Labeouf fan and love how he’s turned towards Indie films in the past few years. This film was written by him and is based completely off of his life. He plays his own father in the film and it gives a raw glimpse into what child acting and a mentally abusive parent can do to a person.

Haunt – I found out about this new (to me) streaming service, Shudder. They normally have a 7-day trial but are giving a 30-day trial with current events. It’s a horror-focused streaming service. 

They have original shows and movies as well and I’ve already watched three movies – all of which were surprisingly good. 

Onward – Watched this new Disney movie that they released early due to everything. Pretty cute movie.

Jumanji: The Next Level – It was alright. Not as good as the first one though. And, definitely not as good as the original.

The Lighthouse – A24 back at it again! William Defoe and Robin Pattinson star in this two-person black and white film. It’s wild.

Monster Party – One of the Shudder original movies.

Ginger Snaps – And, another one! 

Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay Part 1 – Michael had never seen anything pas the first one and we were discussing which district we’re in because you know…apocalypse and all. So, we watched them. 

Jay and Silent Bob Reboot – watched the reboot. It’s like the original, but not. 

Spenser Confidential – Mark Whalberg Netflix original with a special appearance by Posty (Post Malone).

Dark Phoenix – Why do all the female-focused superhero movies do the worst and are reviewed as the worst? Captain Marvel had the same issue, right? Anyway, Dark Phoenix is like the most powerful X-men so whatever. 

The Wolf on Wall Street – Another one Michael had never seen and we’ve been wanting to watch for a while. Finally got to it. 

You Were Never Really There – Amazon prime original starring Joaquin Phoenix. It had pretty bad reviews and I’ll admit it was different, but I didn’t hate it. I think you have to like slower, more psychological movies to enjoy it. 

Anna – Apparently (according to someone I won’t mention), I’ll watch anything that has to do with Russia – fiction or not. So, this was about your typical Russian assassin. Not The Americans or anything but still good. 

Heavyweights – Rewatched a classic Disney movie. Determined that Heavyweights and Dodgeball are the same universe because Tony Perkis = White Goodman. 

American Assassin – A movie we watched on a whim. because it had Dylan O’Brien (Teen Wolf) in it. 

The Sinner, Season 2 – Finally got around to watching season 2. I absolutely loved Season 1, but this didn’t live up to it in my opinion. 

WHEW! So, what did YOU watch this month? Because, let’s be honest, we all definitely got our money’s worth when it comes to streaming services. 

What I’m Listening to This Month

I created (and am still tweaking) this ADHD playlist.

Also, been listening to Rita Hayworth’s Quartunes List.

And, started listening to podcasts again!

Coming Up in April 2020

“Guys, I’m finally going to travel in March! Whoo!”

Famous last words spoken from last month’s recap post. HA.

Anyway, I’m going absolutely nowhere anytime soon as I hope is the case for everyone. 

I will be focusing on my three blogs, pitching A LOT, and diversifying my income, I hope.

I also have a new light to do indoor photography so I’m hoping for a lot more food photos in the near future. 

Lots of reading, lots of enjoying the company of my boyfriend and dog, and lots of writing (hopefully!).

How are you Spending Your Time at Home?

• Author
• Recent Posts

Ashley Hubbard

Hi! I'm the Founder and Editor-in-Chief at Wild Hearted. I'm a Nashville unicorn (born, raised, and based), queer, vegan, and dedicated to leaving a positive impact through her life, work, and this website.

I'm also a freelance writer and creator. You can see my published work here. I've been featured by Impact Travel Alliance as a creative who is transforming travel, and by Matador Network as a vegan travel blogger you should be following on Instagram.

When I'm not writing, I'm traveling, reading a book, trying not to kill my houseplants, worshiping my dog, or having an existential crisis.

You can also reach out to me on Instagram and TikTok.

Want to know more? Here's my full bio.

Latest posts by Ashley Hubbard (see all)

• 9 Weird Things To Do In Dublin, Ireland - April 13, 2024
• 14 Weird Things To Do In Indianapolis, Indiana - April 13, 2024
• Bird Tourism: Getting Started - February 29, 2024