Well another September has rolled around, and with it, another blogiversary! That’s right… in September 2009, I created this here little blog (which has since moved, gotten its own domain, and evolved quite a bit). My first post was on September 8, 2009 (which has since been deleted and transformed into my “About” page), and my first review was posted on September 14, 2009. This means I’ve been at this thing for FIVE YEARS already! Where does the time go?! And oops, my bad for missing the actual date yet again. I guess I’ve been blogging a little over five years now!
Five years is half of a decade. It’s a long time in blog world, where people come and go on a daily basis. While sometimes I get frustrated with blogging, ultimately I don’t see myself leaving anytime soon. For one, I am far too stubborn to quit something once I’ve started (hence finishing all the crappy books), and for two, this is my SPACE. While a million and one things have changed for me over these past five years, my blog has always been a constant… it’s been one of the only constants, really. It’s been a place for me to just be me, where I’ve managed to make quite a few number of friends, and something I’ve just always been able to turn to. I communicate so much better in writing than I do verbally, and this place has allowed me to really open up and express everything.
So what has changed in the five years since the creation of StephTheBookworm?
- I was 20, now I’m 25.
- I was just starting my second year of college. I have since finished that bachelor’s degree AND gotten my master’s degree.
- I was in an unhappy on-and-off relationship. Since then, I met someone new, he flew across the country, we got engaged, and I’m now lucky enough to say that I’m married to the greatest man (and it’s almost our first wedding anniversary!)
- I was living with my parents. Now I own a home.
- I didn’t have a doggy! Now Dakota is my constant sidekick and best companion. It’s been almost three years since he came into my life.
- I was working at Wegmans. Now I have a career in the library.
- I was working my way up to obese, BECAME obese, and have since lost over 100 pounds.
- I was VERY lazy. Now I’m a half-marathoner.
- And the newest adventure of them all… kids had never even crossed my mind yet. Now I’m going to become a mommy in January!
I’m sure there have been a lot of other big, notable changes, but these are some of the biggest and the best. As you can see, my life is not even remotely close to how it had been when all of this started. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING has changed, but this blog has been through it all with me. I know it sounds silly to say, but it means a lot to me. I’m glad to say my blog has also evolved a bit with me. For the first four years and four months, this blog was ONLY a book blog. While I loved and still do love writing book reviews, I found myself wanting more out of my blog. Writing has always been one of my passions, and I wanted to write more openly on my blog. While I still happily review books, in January 2014 I declared this no longer just a book blog, but an "anything" blog. While I sometimes miss having a “niche” blog, this blog is just mine now. I write about books AND also about my life, and it feels more free that way. Now, I feel as though I can write whatever I want, whenever I want, and I’ve really enjoyed making that change from book blogger to just... blogger. I’ve met even more blog friends since adding this personal touch.
To wrap this thing up, no, I won’t be hosting a giveaway this year as I usually do. As a homeowner and new mommy to be, I really don’t have the extra cash at the moment. Sorry. I know this may not be much of a consolation, but I want to say thank you to ALL of the people I have met along the way. There are still a few people around and blogging who I’ve known since almost the start. I am so happy to see some of you still going strong. I hope you never stop blogging! There’s not a lot of us left from around that time frame, and it makes me sad. But it also makes me happy that some of you are still blogging – yay! I also have made some wonderful blogging friends in more recent years, and I’ve gotten to know some of you pretty well. Thank you for being a part of my life and accepting me as I am, and thanks for letting me be a part of your life too, by sharing your own stories on your blogs. You guys are a big part of the reason why I am still blogging after all this time. I’ve also had a lot of support from family and friends since starting this blog. Thank you all for reading and responding and supporting this little adventure of mine.
Here’s to the next five years!
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