FOUR YEAR BLOGGING ANNIVERSARY
I guess I’m turning off the lights in the third room now. There’s not much space left here. I shifted the boxes and rearranged the shelves. I cleared the dust that lingered still and laid a thick coat of paint over the rusty walls. The open window brings in an ounce of fresh air and the ray of light creeping in brings much solace. Now, it’s time I put down my wipes and brushes, and head straight for the door. There’s nothing left to do here. Time won’t allow it. It’s time I walk across the aisle and head for the fourth room. I wonder what’s there to discover…
Unlike the year before this, I dubbed the quiet one, this has been the very opposite of quiet. I kept the ink in my pen running and the ping of your inbox ringing more than I ever have before. I went from shy sporadic appearances to bold constant pop-ups. My creations have become craftier and now have a rhythm to them I’m glad I can now dance to effortlessly.
With every passing day, I wonder if I’ve finally found my voice as a blogger. I continue to ask myself who I want to be online and what I bring to the ever-flowing online discourse. Perhaps, it’s something I’ll keep searching for as long as I cut down my life stories and pending thoughts into bitesize letters addressed to no one, yet everyone and anyone who will stop and stare. Letters addressed to people like me looking to make sense of the world swirling around them. Perhaps, I’m okay with that.
I have to say, as I step into the fourth room, this is probably the most satisfied I’ve been when approaching this yearly milestone.
It’s the first time I’ve managed to keep to a schedule since I opened the door to my complicated life, and I’ve poured out over 200 posts since then. Would it be self-indulgent for me to say I’m quite proud of myself for coming this far? Is it too cheesy to say ‘I LOVE YOU ALL’ who have chosen to follow my journey through these pixelated pastel pages? Well, good thing I don’t really care and will say it nonetheless: I am proud of myself, and I do love all of you taking the time to read the words I’ve strung together.
Blogging can easily become a very lonely experience, especially as society is quickly moving on to 15-second highlights and instant gratification. I too have played around with chasing the algorithm. I’ve tried my hand at snipping and whipping together perfect transitions in bitesize clips. I’ve tried to find the realness in snappy Instagram reels and funny clips, but I continue to struggle to get the same satisfaction I do with longer-form content. My motivation to blog remains the same though; it’s still my favourite form of self-expression – something tells me I’ll be doing this for a long time.
As I take cautious steps into the fourth room, there is so much I want and hope to do. It’s like starting a new chapter. The first few lines call my attention, they hold a tight grip on my focus and prepare me for a fun wild ride. I look forward to the ebbs and flows within the pages; the twists and turns that take me by surprise. There’ll be feelings to sort out for sure. There’ll be anticipation and pause, and self-discovery – there is always self-discovery to be found on honest pages.
Of course, I’ll be honest as I can say I always have on this platform. Look forward to that and more in this fourth year! I am very excited to see what’s in store in the next room. Nothing’s for sure. Less is a given. I’m sure surprises may lurk in the shadows on my blogging journey, but come on in, whatever mess is on the other side, I’m sure you’ll find me there…
Your restless romantic roamer
