Nine Years Later {a blogiversary}
Nine years is a loooong time to do something consistently. They say a habit takes 30 days of consecutively doing that particular thing. Well here I am, 3,285 days and 1,340 posts later, celebrating nine years of blogging. Nine years!
Nine years ago I was 21 years old, studying abroad in England and, for lack of a better phrase, I was dazed and confused. Dazed because I partied a lot at a place called The Old Fire Station, and confused because I was only 21 and had no idea about what would happen when I got back to America. I was looking forward to graduating college and figuring out my future, one that I hoped would include some sort of writing. Nine years ago I didn’t have a husband (or a boyfriend for that matter), and kids were definitely not part of my agenda.
Nine years ago I started writing here, after trying out several other “online journals” (anyone remember Blurty?) and eventually made this my second home. Why did I start it? Because I was bored one day and all of my friends were asleep and not talking to me on AIM (darn time change)
This blog has traveled with me as I’ve moved from place to place, and it’s been with me through my ups and downs. It’s gone through several names (Just Another Place to Escape, Jesstagirl and Her Officer, and Jessica Lynn Writes), and has many genres. Every once in awhile I feel the pressure to pick a catchier, punnier, or an all around better title, or I get the urge to pigeonhole myself into a particular niche, but for better or worse, Jessica Lynn Writes is just the way it should be.
This little space has chronicled my life for almost a decade. It was before MySpace, before Facebook, Instagram, pins, and tweets. I wrote on here before bloggers made editorial calendars, checked stats religiously, had readers, watched numbers like hawks, scheduled posts, and took on sponsors; I wrote when I felt like it and about whatever the heck popped into my head. I’m so happy I have archives to look back on, even if those early posts have zero comments.
In retrospect, my blog is still tiny. I read some sites that have thousands of readers, dozens of comments on each and every post, and they’ve only been blogging for a year. My jealousy piques—it’s only natural that it would—but I have to remind myself that I’m where I’m supposed to be, and even if my mom, grandma, and husband were my only readers, I’d still continue writing here.
Nine years is a fairly large accomplishment and I’m proud of myself. I don’t think people pat themselves on the back as often as they should, so here I am saying it again. I’m proud of myself and this blog. I also want to celebrate (I’ll probably buy a cupcake later today), and in the spirit of thanking those who help keep me going, I want to give something away to one of you. No, it’s not money or a gift card to some fantastic place (I’m sorry!!), but I think it’s pretty cool.
I’ve had my eye on this mug from Crystal Faye for awhile, and I finally decided to buy it for myself. Happy Blogiversary to me!
Actually, happy blogiversary to you, too! You see, my dear readers, if you’d like to own the mug above, enter below, because I’m giving one away! Thanks for sticking with me all these years; here’s to many more blogging years to come!
Congratulations! I have been on my current blog for 3 years and I cannot believe that and hope to make it as long as you have!
Congratulations Jess! I can't remember how I found you… but I started reading (2 years ago maybe) and haven't stopped! I loved your journey through Italy – enjoy hearing silly Julia and Bella stories – and can't wait to hear all about your cruise!
Happy, happy, happy blogaversary! I thought I was a big deal coming up on 4 years of keeping it up, hahaha!
Congrats! I love following your blog.
Congrats Jessica!
I've loved your writing since the ABQ The Mag days, but better late than never. Thanks for sharing so much of your life. It's always given me something to look forward to, whether it was for a new post the next morning (or "morning" from the Italy years), or a beautiful family.
Love your honesty, your transparency, and your humor.
happy blogiversary! so happy to have known you for 3 (ish?? how long have we known each other? haha) of those 9 years!
That's a long time! Good on you, and I love the name that it has now 🙂
Happy blogiversary!!!!!!!! Félicitations on nine years!
I totally hear you on the jealousy thing. It's hard not to notice blogging newbies with 10x as many followers. But your blog is awesome, so keep it up!
Ooo, so pretty!
Congrats on 9 years!
Congrats!!! This mug is so pretty – love it! And yup… I'm there on the jealousy with you, too, but try to set it aside 😉 Not good for anything, right?
Wow that's awesome congrats on 9 years blogging!
Happy Blogiversary!
Karen
Well happy 9 years!! Blogging is grand!
9 years! Wow! Congrats!
9 years IS a long time, congratulations, Jessica!
I love that you've been blogging so long! I've been at it for 7 years this summer and I love looking back at it all.
Congrats on 9 years! That is just so awesome!
Congratulations! I've been blogging forever too (yes, I think 9 years is forever LOL) and I am always happy to go back and read the early posts. I need to get back to blogging, work on making it a habit again. 🙂
Thanks for the chance to win! And Happy Blogaversary!
Congrats on your blogiversary! Nine years is a long time! Especially to keep with it for 9 years and not coming and going in spurts like I have been. I always enjoy your posts. Hope you know that!
Happy blogiversary. I used to have a livejournal account that I wrote on religiously. I wonder if I can still access that some how. Oh how grown up me would love to read the thoughts of college student me.
SQUEEEEEEE!!!!!! You inspired me to spend the 20 minutes to get into my old LJ account and I'm so freaking glad I did! I just found some posts that I do not remember writing when my husband and I were first dating. This is the best surprise ever!
Wow, congrats on 9 amazing years! That is amazing that you have been here writing so long about your life. You could pretty much put that all into a book!!!
9 years ago today I was in Japan and I was dating my husband. Had no idea that only 4 months later we would be married!