Tuesday 26 March 2019

6 Years of Blogging

Earlier this month this blog turned 6 years old. Happy Birthday dear blog! When I sat down on a rainy afternoon on March 15, 2013 to write my first blog post I would not have believed that 6 years later I would still be doing it. 
Life is what you make of it, and blogging is the same. Many of the OG bloggers that were around when I started have abandoned their blogs in favour of Instagram, have turned into influencers, or have given up altogether. It seems that there aren't very many bloggers like me left anymore: the small ones who still write just for the fun of it, without being Internet-famous.

But that's okay. I went into blogging not knowing what I wanted from it, but inexplicably drawn to this strange hobby of putting your words and your life out into the world. At the time I was a woman still unsure of herself, still searching for the person she really was. I saw myself through the lens of other people, trying to be the person I thought they wanted me to be. 
Writing helped me discover who I am. And blogging helped me stick to writing.

Over the 6 years I have published over 1000 blog posts.
I'm getting close to 900,000 page views.  
A quick count of my followers adds up to about 3,500.
Apart from reading and walking, this is my longest-lived hobby. I still get excited to write new posts and to practice my writing. Blogging helped me find my voice and to get to know myself in a way I never had before. I also love looking back over the years to see how much I and my life have changed. 

Here are some of the most popular posts from the last 12 months:
X-ray girl
I described what it's like to work as an x-ray technologist at a rural hospital in a small town in Canada, and you were there for it. I found my niche, and I'm very grateful for it. Rural hospitals are my jam!

Thelma and Louise
You were as excited as we were that we added kittens to our menagerie. Two soon turned into five, and we are still smitten. The dogs get along with them better than we dared to hope, and often all cats and dogs hang out together in a big heap. It's awesome.

Meet the Second Chance Hiker
I've survived winter by living vicariously through other people doing exciting things, one of them being Cory. He is currently hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in order to lose 200 pounds, and he is documenting his adventure on YouTube. It's like Reality TV, but more real and with less drama!

50 Life Lessons 
You know that I love me some life lessons, and I'm very happy that you like them too.

Cheers to being brave
I did a book signing that took me so far out of my comfort zone that there was nothing left of it, resulting in me being supremely uncomfortable the entire time. Still, I did it and I'm proud of that. Cheers!

She Shed tour 
The tour of my lovely She Shed was quite popular which made me so happy! The hammock on the porch is my favourite place on earth, particularly when shared with a cat on my lap, the dogs and Rich by my side and a drink in my hand 😎

When your brain is broken
This was the third-most read post of the last 12 months, and it's not a lighthearted one. I wrote it in the aftermath of Kate Spade's suicide (and before Anthony Bourdain's death only days later), talking about how mental illness is an illness and not a sign of weakness. It's heavy because I struggled during that time, but it's a good one.

New adventure ahead!
I announced a new adventure and you guys love adventures! I'm now approaching month 9 of it, and I have to say it was the best decision of 2018. It's not always easy to be away from home, but it's exactly what I needed. Unless the job becomes permanent it will end in August, but no matter what happens, the time in this little deer-town has been wonderful and quietly transformative. 

Best (and worst) of August
Drumroll ... this was the most popular post of my 6th blogging year! It was a series I did last year, highlighting the good and the bad of each month. August was a roller coaster month, and you guys are an adventurous bunch who appreciate roller coasters and adventures. I love it! I'll try to keep them coming this year 😁  

Thank you so much for being there for me throughout the last 6 years. Your reading, commenting and following along mean the world to me. This little blog was started on a whim, on a hunch that this was something I needed to do - and boy, was my gut feeling ever right.

If there is something niggling at you that you want to do but you are scared, go for it anyway! We are all scared all the time. If you wait until you're ready you will never do it, because we rarely feel ready.
But once in a while you get a feeling. A feeling that gives you butterflies, that makes you more excited than you have been in a while. If you get that feeling, act on it! It doesn't happen very often, and acting on it is something you won't regret. It will open up a new world that's more beautiful than the world you have been living in until that moment.
It's nothing short of magical.  

Previous recaps: 5-year blogiversary4-year3-year2-year1-year



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8 comments

  1. Happy Blog Birthday to you!! We might be a smaller community, but it's fun to still have bloggers in my life, if I do say so myself.

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    1. It totally is! I love our community, and the fact that it's smaller now just makes it even more special ❤

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  2. Miriam! I faithfully followed your blog since you started, congratulations and thanks for another year!

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    1. I appreciate it so much Marijke, thank you! This blog is such a beloved part of my life, it's wonderful to know that other people enjoy it too.

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  3. Eeekk!! Happy Blogiversary!
    I can remember when I first started following you, it must have been near the very beginning.
    Congratulations on all your achievements. Heres to many more.

    <3

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    1. Yes, you were there right from the start! I'm honored that you're still reading, that's so awesome! Thank you D!

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  4. Happy Blog Birthday! Glad you are still finding joy in blogging! You are right. There aren't a lot out there like you.

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    1. Haha yes,seems like we're a dying breed. But the blog is still what gets me writing and excited every day, and I love looking back at the old posts. Blogging had my heart ❤

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