Six years ago today, Steph The Bookworm was born! I was sitting in my parent’s living room, a sophomore in college, when I wrote my very first book review. My writing’s gotten a bit better since then (thank God!).
So much has changed over these last six years, both in my life and on the blog. It’s naturally evolved right alongside me. My blog is a part of me, an extension of me, and was very much my first baby. I had no idea on that day six years ago where my blog or I would be… and here we are. I’m glad we’re still here.
My blog has been around, a constant in my life, for all of my biggest changes. It sounds silly, but it’s always been a place for me to sound off, to be completely open, to be vulnerable, honest, and ME. Through break ups, through falling in love, through getting engaged, getting married, graduating, becoming a homeowner, becoming a mother, losing over 100 pounds, and finding myself… my blog, and more importantly, my blog FRIENDS, have been there.
It all started with an idea and a love for books. I didn’t know there was this huge book blogging community out there, but there it was and it was such a delight to discover and befriend all of these kindred spirits.
I’ve gained a lot from blogging. From freelance writing gigs, to hundreds of books, to confidence, to relationships with authors and publishers… the list could go on and on. All of these opportunities and things have been afforded to me simply because I love to read and write and I wanted to blog about it. I am endlessly grateful.
To be honest though, none of those things could ever compare to the one thing I count as my biggest gain of all: the friendships. Over the years, I have formed countless friendships with other people in the blogging community. This is the best part of blogging by about a million.
See, I remember the day I got my first ever blog comment from a stranger. I was elated. I thought I had made it. I lived off of that one comment for weeks and weeks. Then I started to branch out and I discovered a whole world of people out there, writing their own blogs, sharing their own favorite books, sharing their lives. I found a place to fit in and people to call my friends. It’s like I belonged in this place I never even knew existed before and I’ve felt at home ever since.
My blog has seen so many design changes, so many different layouts, so much evolution and I’ve been proud of all of it. While I am no longer a “book blogger,” I cherish all my book blogging friends, some of whom I’ve had for years. I think I’ve found my place even more so now as a lifestyle blogger and I’m so happy to have met even more wonderful friends as my blog has changed. So many people have encouraged me, supported me, and cheered me on as I’ve opened up about my struggles with weight, adjustments to motherhood, and so much more. I’ve always felt like I could be vulnerable and genuine in this space; it’s been a place for me to be painstakingly honest and get real and I’ve always had the love and support from the amazing people I’ve met along the way.
Thank you to my friends: the friends I met way back when I gushed about my books, and the friends I’ve made as I’ve struggled and triumphed and fumbled along in life. I’ve pretty much grown up in plain view on this blog and many of you have seen me do so. Thank you, thank you, thank you for being a part of my life. I’ve made a handful of really good friends through blogging, people I consider real, honest-to-goodness friends, and I am so grateful to have you all in my life. You are not just “blog friends,” you are real friends: people I am proud to know, people whose lives I am invested in and interested in, people who I care about and hope to have in my life for a long time to come.
Cheers to another six years, my friends! Thanks for being here.
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