At the start of 2011, I mentally challenged myself to blog every day that year. I didn’t say anything about it publicly (until December 31st of that year, when I met my goal!), but I was successful. At the end of that year, I kind of figured that it would be a one-time thing, and I would go back to posting fairly regularly, but not daily.

Well, after 3,654 days straight of sharing something on my website, I can say that not only is daily blogging a habit for me, it’s become a way of life. And the streak actually began before that challenge I issued myself on January 1, 2011…I had already been blogging daily for over a week at that point, so today is the ten-year anniversary of the day I started writing (or at least photographing) something every day.

It hasn’t always been easy. In fact, some times, it’s been next to impossible. I blogged through a miscarriage, a pregnancy, and the early days with a newborn in the house. I found something to write about during times when the whole family was sick (fortunately that was pre-COVID-19!), during times when we were super busy (also pre-COVID-19), and even when we were on vacation (definitely pre-COVID-19…being able to schedule posts in advance came in handy during those times!).

There have been days when I couldn’t think of anything to say. Those were often the days I shared a quote or a single picture (although many of those posts were planned and intentional). There have been days when I’ve had too much to say, and I’ve published several things back-to-back-to-back. There were even days when I didn’t have to think about what to share…the posts just created themselves (especially the last eight+ years of Chickadee Thursdays, and of course the STL250 “Cakeway to the West” year, which alone provided me with over 300 blog posts!). The point is, I’ve stuck with it. I’ve found my voice, I’ve worked on finding an eye for photography (and I really do think my pictures have gotten better), and I’ve found my place on the internet, because I have had some good developments come out of the things I’ve written, even if I’m not famous and have never had a post go viral.

At this point, I can’t imagine not publishing something, no matter how small, every day. Is it possible that a day will go by where I’m so busy I just forget? Or that some life event will interfere with my plans? Of course, and I’ll be heartbroken if it does. But this blog has become a big part of my life, and being able to share my thoughts, and then look back at all of the things I’ve written and shared, big or small, is a huge part of who I am!