Sunday 28 March 2021

8 years of blogging

March 17 marked my 8-year anniversary of blogging. Crazy, right?! Aside from reading and walking, this is my longest hobby. I always said that I would keep on writing this little blog as long as it gives me joy, and it still does. I get a sense of accomplishment every time I hit 'publish', and I love looking back on old posts. 

As someone who needs to write down her thoughts to make sense of them, this blog has helped me immensely over the past 8 years. I have learnt more about myself during this time than the 33 years before I started blogging. It may seem strange that it took me so long to find my way to writing when I love and need it so much, but I used to be an all-or-nothing kinda person. I was too scared and insecure to pursue a career in writing when I was young, so I thought that if I can't make money with it, there's no point in doing it at all. 
Besides, I was still hung up on the childhood roles we had been assigned: my sister was the creative, chaotic one; I was the sensible, musical one. I didn't know then that we can be more than one thing, and that we can escape the boxes we were put in. 

Luckily I've done a full 180 since then. I left the serious German attitude I grew up with behind and embraced doing things just for fun. It adds so much joy and happiness to one's life - who knew?

Anyway, that's what this blog is to me: a fountain of joy, a keeper of memories, a teacher and a friend. 

In the last few years I listed the numbers of page views and followers. I decided not to do it this year because it's too boring. Who cares?  
What I will do is share the ten most popular posts with you, mostly because it's interesting to me. Here we go!

As I'm getting older I become more and more interested in writing about aging. Not only because I find the changes our bodies and minds undergo fascinating, but mostly because society treats aging as such a terrible thing. Something that used to be celebrated and revered in most cultures - and still is in the wiser ones - is being demonized in Western culture. 

The "fight against aging" is omnipresent: we are bombarded with filters that erase wrinkles, advertisements selling us wrinkle creams, Botox, cellulite-erasing tinctures, lasers erasing any spot, mark or sign that might tell the story of a life well lived. It's sad and unnecessary, a scam created to make lots of money. 
Making money by first creating insecurities, and then exploiting them by promising the solution to a problem that didn't even exist before they made it one is disgusting. The best revenge? Embrace the changes, love yourself, and give the so-called "beauty"-industry the middle finger. 

I'm a late convert to the genius of Schitt's Creek, but I'm 100% devoted now. In fact, it has become one of my go-to happy shows I watch any time I need either a little pick-me-up, a laugh, or to feel better about the world. It's such a gem. 

I went to therapy for a few months last year and it helped me a lot to process some old shit I thought I had long since made my peace with - but hadn't. The techniques I learnt have been life-changing, and I wrote about a breakthrough I had in that post. I was completely over-the-moon excited, and reading it again just now brought a huge smile on my face! Definitely one of the best things I did for myself last year. 

I wrote this post in May, so it's pretty self-explanatory, right? I listed some of the things that had happened in 2020 until that day in early May (remember Brexit? and Megxit?), and it was a long, exhaustive list. Almost 11 months later and things are finally looking up!

A reader sent me 10 mask extenders after I mentioned in a post that my ears hurt after wearing a mask for 8 hours straight. You loved this act of kindness as much as I did! 

One of the side-effects of aging is that our body changes. It's the most normal thing in the world, but as I mentioned before, the multi-million dollar diet industry is doing its best to convince us that these natural changes are something to be ashamed of. I want to be one of the voices taking a stand against the unhealthy obsession that our culture has with thin bodies that are not supposed to show any signs of life - no stretch marks, scars, cellulite, blemishes, fat, saggy skin, and all the other things we accumulate in a lifetime. It's impossible, unnecessary, and in many cases soul-or life-destroying. Let's stop fighting and start embracing!  

This is one of my faaaave posts I wrote last year, and it makes me happy that you liked it, too. Very important reminder for myself, because it's a trap I seem to fall into every few months. Gah, when will I learn??? Maybe this year?  

I know we've all watched more TV than ever over the last year, but do you remember Ozark? I was completely obsessed with the show, and especially with Ruth Langmore. Here's a little compilation of her best lines:

The fourth and final season is dropping sometime this year, and I cannot wait!

Last April was - well, let's not talk about it anymore. I attribute the popularity of this post to the fact that everybody was stuck at home on lockdown and that their April sucked as well?
I did manage to compile a fairly long list of stuff that was good, and I sincerely hope that this upcoming April is gonna be better. I have a feeling that it will be!  

The most popular post of last year was this one, which proves 2 things: 
1. A snappy title (especially one taken from one of the most popular sitcoms of all times) works
2. This post is also from April, and you guys spent as much time on your phones/in front of your computers as I did. 

There you have it! A random collection of posts befitting a random year. It's been weird yet fun to look back, and I know in a few years when we are living in a new normal, I will treasure all those lockdown- and Covid-posts.

Here's to another year of blogging!  

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6 comments

  1. congrats on 8 years of blogging. My Blogiversary is coming up soon as well. :) I've immensely enjoyed your blog over the years.

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    1. Thank you Christina! It's been a joy to write. Happy early Blogiversary to you! 🎉🎈

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  2. Congrats on your blogiversary! Eight years already - How time flies. Of all the blogs I followed over the years that are still active, yours is the only one I still follow because I feel you keep it real. That is why I like you.

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    1. Aww thanks Mary! I'm sad that most OG bloggers (like you!) quit their blogs,but I understand. I slowed way down but not ready to give it up.
      Happy Easter!

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  3. Congrats on eight years of blogging! It is really a big deal to still be at it for so long. You can't just be in it for the glory...you really have to love it.

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    1. At this point I'm really doing it mostly for myself. I love looking back on old posts so much (and it's my main reference point when I need to check which year we got our dogs or other assorted pets lol), and it somehow always makes me feel accomplished when I press 'publish' on a post. It's my thing!

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