No words. Only acknowledgement. My blog started nine years ago and still exists. Yes, I’m surprised. But happy.
Eight Years Running
May 22, 2020 — KayeWhen I first created this blog in 2012, I didn’t think it would last long. Most blogs I’ve had die within a year. This blog has unarguably had its ups and downs of activity, but I’ve somehow managed to keep it going.
A “blog-iversary” isn’t exciting, but I am a little surprised each year this blog stays alive. I always expect to make a goodbye post somewhere down the line, yet somehow, I find the motivation (and content) to continue posting. Part of me wishes I started this blog in 2010 so I could already say it’s been ten years. I suppose I’ll have to keep waiting.
The most unexpected thing is this blog has, in a way, turned into a record of my life. I created it with the intention of ranting and talking about random things on my mind. I’ve done that, but so many of these posts speak of my regular life and not-so-random nuisances too. Maybe I should’ve expected that, but since I didn’t expect this blog to last so long to begin with, I can’t help being a little shocked by the unintentional record I created. I have no regrets, however.
Some of my earlier posts embarrass me and I don’t want to remember I wrote those. Not necessarily because my feelings are different, but simply because of how I wrote them. Then again, there’s a reason I say I’d hit my younger self over the head.
Knowing this blog has survived so long, I now want to keep it going until I can’t anymore. I can’t picture how long it will last, and I will probably be surprised by any length of time, but I do hope the inevitable end is very far down the road.
Six Years…
May 22, 2018 — KayeI’ve been running this blog for this six years, and I haven’t even remembered every “blog-iversary”. It’s probably not worth thinking about every year, similar to how birthdays can lose their excitement after so many of them, despite being only once a year. Still, I never expected this blog to last as long as it has, despite that being the goal from the start. I expected to have deleted it by now due to inactivity or boredom. I guess a “slice of life” blog isn’t a subject that’s too difficult to maintain since, well, life doesn’t stop until you die.
My disappointment in those six years is that I’m not really any better off than I was when I started this blog. I’m still living in the same place, still yearning for freedom and independence, and still trying to figure out how this whole game of adulthood works. Yes, I’m working toward it with school and a job, but I still don’t have it and patience is not a virtue I possess.
Oh, well. Can’t have it all.
Favorites of 2016
December 27, 2016 — KayeI keep coming back to this blog and finding I have so little I want to write about.
My life hasn’t really changed in any huge way. There are no news or articles I really want to discuss. There’s nothing nagging my mind or that I’ve been deep in thought about. Same old aggravations, same general routine, and all. I’m not unhappy about that. I simply don’t want to talk about it all the time.
So, I’ll do this. I’ll end my blog posts for 2016 with my favorite things of this year. If I come up with something else to talk about, I’ll post it, but for now, I’m considering this my last post of the year.
- Movies. This year, I saw Zootopia, The Jungle Book, Storks, and Moana in theaters. Moana was my most favorite because it was an awesome movie and the very first Disney Princess movie I ever got to see in theaters. My least favorite was Storks. It was a cool movie, but it had a very annoying character throughout it that I personally didn’t find funny.
- My job. This one is probably as obvious as crystal clear glass. I finally got my very first job and was finally making some money of my own. I confess I’ve done the typical thing and spent my money almost as soon as I got it, but only once have I spent all of it. I’ve been much more careful since and I try to never let my bank account fall under $100. This was the first year I was able to buy Christmas presents and that felt great!
- Travel. I hate traveling, but to be with my boyfriend makes the trips worth it. Since I started working, we’ve gotten together almost weekly instead of monthly like we used to. For me, that’s the best reward of having this job. Of course, being who he is, he’s not letting me pay for everything. One thing I told him long before I got a job was I would never let him go hungry on any night if I could help it. He thought I was kidding, but I meant it. I have to argue with him to get him to take just $10 for food if he needs it. I appreciate he’s so grateful and won’t take advantage of me, but he knows I hate him going hungry. I was also finally able to bring him to my house once. No, my family didn’t meet him, but I was glad I could finally show him my room. My bed is too small for us, though. He was more content on the rug. 😛
- Pokémon. First off, I loved the year-long giveaway for the 20th anniversary! I got every one! I’ll never use them, but I love collecting, so I’m so glad I didn’t miss out. Meloetta and Manaphy are my favorites. Sun and Moon come after. Although I still have some small gripes, the games have not disappointed me. I think my favorite feature is Poké Pelago. I also question if the games really do cater more to kids. Sure, it seems so on the outside, but the games are really darker than any previous game has ever been. I’m almost willing to bet the creators did that on purpose. Make the games seem too easy at first, only to later shock the players with the real difficulty. And it is hard! Something I’m doing in S&M that I’ve never done in any game I played before is using the X items. It’s either that or all the bosses kill me. Well played, Pokémon Company. Well played.
I’ve been considering trying to get my driver’s license if I keep my job after the seasonal period. I don’t have a car to drive, but I think it’ll be nice to have it my license is all. Then, if and when I do have a car for myself, I’ll have getting the license out of the way.
2015 brought me a wonderful partner and 2016 brought me a great job. I’m hoping 2017 will bring something good as well, although I imagine there’ll be some heartbreak before it comes.
Search Results
June 30, 2016 — KayeOne particular thing about this blog I enjoy is seeing how people reach it. More often than not, it’s through Google’s search engine. What I find interesting is what search terms lead people here.
Going through my monthly stats back up to July 2015 tells me searches for pokemon are the most common. That doesn’t surprise me since I know Pokemon Sun & Moon are being released later this year. What does surprise me is it’s my blog these viewers reach from searching. I’m not complaining, but with as many pokemon-themed blogs that exist, I’m shocked my themeless blog would be the one showing up high enough in search results for it to be seen so often. Some of them are specific, such as searches for top ten pokemon, but most are generic, such as a search for “cute pokemon” or pokemon of a particular region.
Some other popular searches are ones for the powerpuff girls, thoughts about sisters, how to close an Origin account, and why shyness and quietness bother people. I know no one is ever the only person who thinks and feels the way they do, but somehow, it still surprises me to see other people have similar thoughts and feelings to mine.
On occasion, some of my blog’s views also come from places I’d left a long time ago. It gives me a small shock when I see views suddenly coming in from a source I could swear I never linked my blog on. It makes me wonder if my blog serves the same purpose for some other bloggers.
Then, some of the search results are a little sad. Most recently, someone found my blog by searching “powerpuff girls 2016 death threats”. I’m certainly not ungrateful for blog traffic, but it’s disheartening to know more people are being bullied over such trivial things. I’m not trying to serve as a voice of reason of some sort, nor do I expect anything to stop because I say something about it. It’s simply knowing and understanding what’s happening that makes me sad. There’s a reason some people say ignorance is bliss.
When I try to put it into perspective, I suppose it makes sense searches for topics like pokemon and powerpuff girls would lead to my blog. Those topics are much less personal and easier to find. Most of my personal posts, if they attract attention, are found through the WordPress Reader. Considering I tend to go through periods of having little to nothing to write, I feel very grateful this blog has a steady stream of readers, new and old.
The Beautiful Queen of the Ice and Snow
