Three Years of Blogging

Today is my blogiversary. Three years ago, I was incredibly bored at work and inspired by the likes of Unbrokenglass and Protocols into starting Sweet Rose. The blogosphere landscape was quite different in those days, as were blogs. Mine had no comments for the first six months or so because Blogger didn't offer them, and I know my template wasn't nearly as pretty. And the blogosphere, especially the JBlogosphere, was much smaller, more cozy. And as mentioned above, Protocols was the big bad wolf of the Jblogs, with their long list of links and group of formidable guys blogging together to cover the current Jnews around town. As has been typical of my life, I started blogging before it was the thing to do, before all the hit counters, and aforementioned comments and pretty templates were in. Before all the magazines and newspapers were quoting blogs, because, let's be honest, the bloggers get to the news before anyone else. Before there were more bloggers out there than you could count, many popping up each day, and some dying a quiet death quickly. I've seen many come and go, and have wondered at times why I continue. But I've come to the conclusion that I like it - for good and bad. My life has changed considerably as well as my blog in the past three years. The day I started my blog, I had finally decided to go back to school to finish my Bachelor's degree. I accomplished that (and it felt good!), and have now begun on my Master's, with a career goal in sight. I've moved from Baltimore to the NY area, and while not in love with it, finally feel like I am settling in. But more than the that, I think I've changed a lot as well. I think I've become somewhat of a writer. It still surprises me when people compliment me on my writing. I never considered myself a writer, and still really don't. Before I started my blog, I had never written anything besides a couple papers for school. I'd never kept a diary for more than a few days and while I've always loved to read, I always just left the writing to others. But through my blog, I've learned to love writing, to really enjoy putting my thoughts into words. I enjoy crafting paragraphs and pictures and analogies, and working out my dilemnas - it really is therapeutic. And with the addition of having readers who can offer their own thoughts and perspectives, blogging is cool. I've met some wonderful people through my blog - a side benefit I never even considered. Some I know only through their comments, some whose own blogs I read, some e-mail correspondents out of public view, and some even in person. The people of the blogosphere are really the diamond hidden in the rubble. Three years have gone by with lightning speed, but when I look back, it seems to have been forever since those first days when I was still figuring out what my blog would be. I've changed a lot, and so has my writing. And it probably will continue to. There are days when I think about walking away from Sweet Rose, but then I just can't. So for now, I'm at least starting another year of blogging. And I'm looking forward to it!