My official 2 year blogoversary was on June 16th. I haven’t got any sort of big party planned this year, but I was thinking about my two years of blogging and realized that I’ve changed a lot in that time. Blogging changed my life in ways I never thought it would and I wanted to share them with you.
- I’m not as shy. I’m a fiercely loyal person and I consider the friends I have to be my friends for life. But I’m not very good at making friends. And I’m even worse at making small talk. When I started doing weekly memes where I had to go to blogs that I’d never visited before and leave a comment, I would agonize over leaving a 2 sentance comment. It took me forever to even think of what to say. I could only visit about 20 blogs before I would just be mentally exhausted. It took me a while to realize that the reason I was struggling was because leaving lots of comments like that is essentially small talk. Which I’ve always sucked at. But the thing that blogging allowed me to do was to sit and think before I made “small talk” which you can’t do in real life. I got to learn this skill at my own pace (which was like snail-paced, honestly). And I’ve gotten better at it over these past 2 years. I was at the store the other day sniffing colognes to buy some for my husband on Father’s Day and I found myself chatting with the other shoppers and the sales person. I didn’t say anything stupid and it felt natural and fun to me. Normally I would have just kept to myself and smiled awkwardly if anyone happened to look at me. Blogging helped me realize the importance of being kind and just talking even if I’m never going to see that person again. And I really think it’s something I might never have learned if I hadn’t started blogging.
- I go to book signings. In all honestly I had no idea that book signings existed before I started blogging. The first one I ever went to was for Matched by Ally Condie. I love going to signings now and they are one of my favorite things to blog about. I also didn’t know how many great authors live in this great state of Utah until I started going to them. :)
- I have a social life now (and no, I’m not talking about social media.). It’s hard sometimes to have a social life when you’re a stay-at-home mom. And let’s be honest – I’m kind of a loner and I wouldn’t notice that much if I just stayed in my house all the time. Blogging has gotten me out of the house to meet new people at events and signings. I’ve even invited friends to come along that I haven’t seen in years.
- I’m a happier mom. I struggle with the day-to-day receptiveness of being a stay-at-home mom sometimes. It’s hard to feel like I’ve accomplished anything when I’m cleaning the bathroom. Again. (Oh my gosh didn’t I just do this?) As a mom I desperately missed school. Well, not enough to actually pay money and go back, but I missed it. I realized what I really missed was the feeling like I’d accomplished things and challenged myself. Blogging helped fill that little hole for me. Maybe my dishes will never be done, but reading that book and writing that review are something I can cross off my list and they will stay done. I can read lots of different books that add variety to my life. I can challenge myself to come up with new and creative ideas for my blog. And now that there’s a little part of my life that is just for me and makes me feel accomplished, I don’t mind cleaning the bathroom. Again.
- I want to be an author someday. I majored in music at school for 2 years until I realized that I was not happy with my major. I learned a lot about myself and really stretched myself to the limit, but being a professional pianist wasn’t for me. So I majored in finance instead. Which I’m good at. But I don’t enjoy doing it enough to make a career out of it. It wasn’t until I started my blog, going to book signings, and meeting authors in real life that I realized I wanted to be an author. Meeting them helped me realize that they were real people like me (and not dead and/or up on an unreachable pedastal). Hearing authors talk about their interests and their life showed me how much I had a lot in common with them. Their advice made me realize that writing a book was an achievable goal. After blogging for 2 years, I can really see myself working on a novel every day. So now that I’m 29 years old, I know what I want to be when I grow up.
I want to hear from you. Has blogging changed you in any way? If you don’t blog, how have you changed over the last few years?
My name is Jessica. I love to read Young Adult and classic literature. I’ve been a book blogger for six years and I haven’t gotten tired of it yet. I’m a very curious reader. Writing about all the questions and thoughts I had while reading a book is the best hobby ever.
Ugh I suck at making small talk too. And I, like you, consider friends to be life long. Most people don’t think like that, especially teenagers. I’m a teenager and my friends are teenagers, but they don’t take being friends as seriously as I do.
I haven’t gone to any book signings yet but I want to.
I enjoyed reading this post! :)
I felt the same way as a teenager. Some friends I had as a teen I have drifted apart from, but others I still consider my best friends through the magic of social media. :) Book signings are fun. Got to at least one if you ever get a chance. Thanks for your nice comment!
I’ve definitely gotten better at being a person through blogging. I was definitely a loner before, and now I quite enjoy going to events and meeting loads of new friends. I’ve also loved realizing that authors are real, actual people who are so much fun to talk to. I love meeting them, probably more than anything that’s come through blogging. My celebrities are now real to me!
Great post!
That’s so cool! With how social you were at Robin LaFever’s signing I never would have guessed you used to be more of a loner.
In what other hobby do you get to meet your celebrities, right?! Thanks for stopping by my post :)
Ohhh, Jessica, I can’t say how much I relate to #1 and #3!! I’ve always been a very shy person and have always found it difficult making new friends because I constantly feel awkward and lacking in front of new people. But blogging has really gotten me to branch out outside of my comfort zone and be more social. If there’s anything that I could talk about forever and ever, it’s books. I am so, so grateful for all the lovely people I’ve met through blogging.
It’s incredible that blogging has led you to being a happier person and to realizing your true passions! Congratulations on two years of solid blogging. And here’s to many more!
Aw Aylee I just want to hug you! Thanks for the congrats. :)
I hear ya on the mom thing. Going from a career woman to a stay at home mom was a tough transition, and I miss being around adults a lot. Thank goodness I have my blog and all my blogger friends.
Yes! I miss talking to adults too. Twitter is nice with my blogging friends when I can’t get out of the house and I want some adults to talke to :)
I love this post! I completely agree about being a better mom since I’ve started blogging. I feel like my kids have an easier time making friends than I do, and book blogging gives me a whole bunch of friends who already have something in common.
I’d also love to be an author some day, but I don’t think my skin’s thick enough for that. Not yet, anyway. :)
Oh thanks! It’s so nice to have so many friends who love reading. Without blogging it’s so hard to find people that like reading. Blogging should help get both of us a thick skin, eh? :)
I’m so glad that blogging has had a positive effect on your life! I’m totally with you on a few of these. I’m terrible at small talk and I’m not that good at making friends (because most interaction starts with small talk, lol). So blogging has definitely helped, I have met some amazing people and I’m even hoping to see them at some events in the future. I’m unemployed and blogging as saved my sanity…it’s hard being in the house 24/7 (I can’t drive either…I know, lol) So on days where I’m stuck it’s great to be able to chat with other people or type up reviews to pass the time constructively. I’m also trying to make it to bookish events as well, I’ve only been to a few but I’m definitely making plans for more. I want to be an author as well but that’s not a recent development, I have a box filled with stories I’ve started and I participated in Nanowrimo last year. It was a ton of fun, if you have the time in November then definitely look into it!
Aw thanks for such a sweet comment. I’m so glad blogging has helped you too. That would be so hard to be unemployed and not be able to drive! I hope you do get to be an author someday. I want to try out Nanowrimo but I’m too chicken. I don’t have any idea what I’d write about. I’m not the best at coming up with ideas lol. I’m going to someday though!
i absolutely love reading what blogging has done for you! I love and resonate with how reading and reviewing is internally gratifying, as it is externally- when you can return to it and it’s still there without any dirty clothes or dishes lying around that review!!