When Everything Changed
Sometimes you don’t choose to start over — it’s chosen for you.
After blogging faithfully as Steph the Bookworm from 2009 to 2023, I stepped away for a much-needed break when my entire life irrevocably shifted. In the midst of that upheaval, my domain name was sold out from under me — with no way to get it, or my content, back. Years of writing, memories, and connection… gone in a click. For a while, I thought that was the end of my blogging story.
Starting Again
But loss has a way of forcing your hand. In mid-2025, I decided to rebuild from the ground up — with a new name, Stories by Stephanie, and a brand-new domain to match. A chance to reclaim what was mine while also creating something new, something that could only exist because of where I’ve been.
So here I am, piecing it back together one post, one page at a time. I’ve been slowly salvaging what I can from the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine and old feed readers, pulling my words back into the light. It’s slow, sometimes tedious work, but it matters. This has always been the place where I process, share, and connect — and I’ve missed it more than I ever thought I would. I didn’t realize how much of myself was in those words until they were gone.
Life Under Construction
The truth is… I’m rebuilding more than just a website. My life has been through its own kind of demolition: divorce, a new job, selling the house I thought I’d grow old in. Letting go of the familiar. Stepping into the unknown. Starting over in ways I never imagined — messy, painful, necessary.
A New Foundation
I’m finding my footing as I go — grieving what was, learning to live with what is, and making space for what might come next. Not every story ends neatly. Some shift quietly into the next chapter before you’re ready, and you learn to carry forward what matters most.
That’s what I’m doing here — with my words, my work, my life. Building something that feels like home again, one small piece at a time.
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